The Life and Times of King David Quiz

Answer: Shepherd

David was not just an ordinary boy, but one who trusted in God to help him slay the lions and bears who came to attack the sheep. 1 Sam 17:34 "But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep."

Answer: 8 sons, youngest

1 Samuel 17:12b "Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul's time he was old and well advanced in years." Samuel originally thought that the oldest son, Eliab, would be the one who was to be king, but God replied in 1 Samuel 16:7 "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Meaning to say God did not choose the oldest, but the most faithful.

The listing in 2 Chronicles implies that David was one of seven sons rather than eight.

Answer: lion, bear, hand

This is what David said when Saul felt that David could not fight Goliath. The reason for David to bring in the lion and bear was because David was a shepherd, and many times he had slain lions and bears to protect the sheep with just a slingshot. So, he believed that the Lord who helped him defeat the lion and bear would defeat Goliath for him as well, and of course, David did defeat Goliath.

Answer: The people said David had killed more enemies than Saul did

1 Samuel 18:7-9 "As they danced, they sang: 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.' Saul was very angry; this refrain (chorus) galled him. 'They have credited David with tens of thousands,' He thought, 'but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?' And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David."

Answer: Jonathan

1 Samuel 18:1 "After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself." Ironically, he was David's worst enemy's (Saul's) son. Uriah was one of David's soldiers, but we see his relation with him is more complicated than that a few questions later. And Nathan may not have been David's best friend, but he was a prophet who was vital in pointing David the right way after he sinned.

Answer: All of the other answers

David was not very scrupulous in his choice of wives. Michal - 1 Sam 18:27c "Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage." Michal was a gift by Saul, in fact Michal was Saul's daughter which was meant to trap David. 2 Samuel 11:27 "After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son." Bathsheba was married, and David indirectly 'killed' her husband to marry her. 1 Sam 25:42 "Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five maids, went with David's messengers and became his wife." As for Abigail, her husband Nabal had insulted David, and Abigail was determined to atone for it. Nabal was struck dead by God, and after that, Abigail married David.

Answer: Uriah - he was put in the frontline

2 Samuel 11:3 "...The man said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" 2 Samuel 11:15 "In it he wrote, "Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die." When he found out that Uriah the Hittite was her husband and that Bathsheba was pregnant, he ordered uriah to give a note to Joab, David's general, telling him to put Uriah in the frontline and then withdrawing from him so that Uriah would surely die.

Answer: Nathan - he gave a parable about a rich man and a poor man

Nathan told David a parable about how a rich man with many sheep and cattle once had a traveler visit him. Living next to the rich man was a poor man, who had only one lamb which he had bought. Rather than killing any of his sheep, the rich man took the little ewe lamb and killed it to give to his visitor. David was angry at the rich man when he heard the parable, but it was only when Nathan pointed it out that David realised he had done the same - taking someone else's wife when he had so many. Scripture reference: 2 Samuel 12:1-13

Answer: The first son born to David through Bathsheba died.

2 Samuel 12:14 "But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the Lord show utter contempt, the son born to you will die."
Although the son born to David did die, we know that this was not Bathsheba's only son. Solomon, a king famous for his wisdom was also brought forth through Bathsheba. Matthew 1:6 says, "David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife." More importantly, Christians believe that one of the greatest men ever known was also born through this bloodline - Jesus. Just goes to show that even through sin God can work wonders.

Answer: A man after God's own heart

Acts 13:22 "After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'" It is interesting how God would call David a man after His own heart even after David's adultery with Bathsheba and his indirect murder of Uriah.

Then again, in many parts of the Bible, God has used sinners for his purpose. Moses was a murderer, and yet he led the Israelites out of Egypt. Abraham lied twice that his wife was his sister to get out of trouble, yet God promised him a son through whom Jesus would be born, and he is the one called 'the father of many nations'. Rahab was a prostitute, yet she was the one who hid and thus saved two Israelite spies.