Biblical Firsts -- Do You Have a Second? #3 Quiz

Answer: Miriam

The first woman to have leprosy in Scripture is Miriam. (In fact, she is the only named female leper in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament and New Testament of the Christian Bible.) She was afflicted with leprosy by the LORD due to her grumbling about Moses because he had taken an Ethiopian wife, as per Numbers 12:1-15 in the NKJV. (In the NIV, she is described as a Cushite wife.) However, Scripture states later Miriam was cured of the dread disease by the LORD and she was re-instated into the Israelite camp.

According to Scripture, the grumbling about her brother Moses' selection of an Ethiopian woman as his wife caused serious problems for Miriam. (This even though Aaron was also grumbling.) Numbers 12:5 tells of Miriam and Aaron stepping forward and the LORD coming down in a pillar of cloud. When the pillar of the cloud had disappeared, Aaron noticed his sister Miriam was leprous and "as white as snow". After Moses pleaded to God to cure Miriam of her leprosy, she was healed and reinstated into the Israelite camp after a seven-day absence.

Answer: Reuben

Reuben was Jacob's first son and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. He was the only one of the eleven brothers who did not want to sell Joseph into slavery. According to Genesis 37:21, he wanted his brothers to throw Joseph into a cistern so he could rescue him and take him back to his father.

It was all in vain, of course, as Joseph would end up being sold into slavery in Egypt. Reuben is also known for sleeping with his father's concubine Bilhah, as per Genesis 35:22.

Answer: Adoniram

Adoniram is the correct answer. It appears he was despised by the people with 1 Kings 12:18 in the NKJV and the NIV stating "all Israel stoned him to death." However, much of their disgust for Adoniram appears to have been earned by Rehoboam.

Rehoboam replaced his father Solomon as king. Scripture reports he got off to a bad start when he ignored the advice of his father's advisers and followed the advice of young men he had grown up with, as per 1 Kings 12. Scripture states the people asked the young king to "lighten the yoke" his father had placed on them. Although the elders had advised Rehoboam to pay heed to the people, he did the opposite and came down with an iron fist. 1 Kings 12:14 quotes him as saying to the people, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges."

On the heels of Rehoboam's defiance, Adoniram was stoned by the people. And from this point on, things got worse for the king. The ten northern tribes broke away and before long Rehoboam was left ruling over a much smaller domain than his father Solomon and his grandfather David. According to 1 Kings 14:21, Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king and he reigned for 17 turbulent years. He was succeeded by his son Abijah.

Answer: Rachel and Leah

Rachel and Leah, of course, is the correct answer. The three other options (Sarah and Rebekah; Bathsheba and Abigail; Hannah and Peninnah) weren't even sisters.

Rachel and Leah were both married to Jacob. According to Scripture, the two sisters did not get along, largely because Jacob loved Rachel and didn't care much for Leah. And while this was happening, Leah was giving birth to children while Rachel was barren.

Scripture suggests there was friction between the two, notably in passages beginning in Genesis 29:31 to 30:32. Leah took delight in bearing children for Jacob while Rachel was barren. By bearing children, Leah mistakenly thought she could win Jacob's affection, but it was not to be. Rachel may have been Jacob's true love, but she was apparently jealous of Leah for being able to bear children while she was barren.

Genesis 30:1, in the NIV Bible, states: "When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, 'Give me children, or I'll die!'"

Genesis 30:14-15, tells of an exchange between the two sisters after Rachel requested to have some mandrakes that were picked by Leah's son Reuben. Verse 15 quotes Leah as responding: "Wasn't it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son's mandrakes too?" The story goes on to state Rachel told Leah she could sleep that night with Jacob for the mandrakes. The story ends with Leah giving birth to a fifth son, Issachar, followed by a sixth son, Zebulun, as well as a daughter, Dinah.

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible, state this about the unusual story: "Mandrakes are a special type of herb that the peoples of the ancient Middle East regarded as aid to conception. Their aroma was associated with lovemaking (Song of Solomon 7:13). Reuben's discovery of the mandrakes led to another squabble between Leah and Rachel. In the end, Leah hired Jacob for a night with her."

Answer: Lot's wife

The correct answer is Lot's wife. One of the best known stories in the Old Testament involves the LORD bringing down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah because of its wickedness, with Lot and his family fleeing. However, Genesis 19:26 states Lot's wife (no name is given) was turned into a pillar of salt because she looked back, contrary to the LORD'S command.

Answer: Enoch

Enoch is the correct answer. Genesis 5:22-24, in the NIV Bible, states: "After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." In other words, he did not die, but was taken away by God, similar to Elijah.

Incidentally, Hebrews 11:5, in the New Testament, has this to say about Enoch and his departure: "By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: He could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God." According to Wikipedia, Enoch means initiated, dedicated and disciplined.

According to Scripture, Elijah was the second person who did not experience death. Elijah's sudden departure is recorded in 2 Kings 2:11-13, while he was walking along with the prophet Elisha. The NIV Bible records Elijah being taken up to heaven in this way: "As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, 'My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!' And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart." Elijah is well known for many things, but perhaps the best known story involving him is his duel with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, as recorded in the 18th chapter of 1 Kings.

Answer: Tubal-Cain

The first hyphenated name in Scripture is Tubal-Cain. According to Genesis 4:22 in the NKJV, he was the son of Lamech and Zillah and was the "instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron." The same verse reports he was a brother of Naamah who has the distinction of being the first daughter mentioned specifically by name in Scripture.

Answer: Noah

Noah is the first person reported to be drunk in Scripture, as per the ninth chapter of Genesis. According to Scripture, he became a farmer and after planting a vineyard, he became drunk after consuming wine. One of the more bizarre stories in the Bible involves Ham seeing his father Noah sleeping naked after Noah had become intoxicated with wine.

According to Genesis 9:22-23, Ham told his brothers Shem and Japheth about their father's nakedness and they responded by going into his tent backwards and covering his body. Genesis 9:24-27, in the NKJV Bible, states: "So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. Then he said: 'Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren.' And he said: 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth and may he dwell in the tents of Shem; and may Canaan be his servant.'"

Answer: Cornelius

Cornelius appears in the 10th chapter of Acts while Julius, another centurion, appears in the 27th chapter. Centurions are mentioned a number of times in the New Testament, but Cornelius and Julius, are the only ones identified by name. Although centurions were part of a ruthless killing machine, they are portrayed in remarkably good light in the New Testament.

Incidentally, Cornelius was among the very first of the Gentile believers in a resurrected Jesus Christ.

Answer: Death of Jesus on the cross

The first earthquake in the New Testament took place during the death of Jesus on the cross, as per Matthew 27:51-54.

In addition to an earthquake, some other mind-boggling events took place, including dead people coming back to life. Matthew 27:51-54, in the NKJV, states: "Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, 'Truly this was the Son of God!'"

According to Scripture, the second earthquake in the New Testament happened after Christ rose from the dead. Matthew 28:1-2 tells of Mary Magdalene and a woman known as "the other Mary" visiting Christ's tomb when the earthquake struck. The ninth verse tells of Jesus appearing with the two women bowing at His feet and worshipping Him.

There is a third report of an earthquake in the New Testament. It is reported in the 16th chapter of Acts. According to Scripture an earthquake took place while Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi.