Biblical Oddities #10 -- Have You Met Your Match? Quiz

Answer: Korah

Korah and his followers led a revolt against Moses and they were killed in an unusual case of divine retribution. According to Numbers 16, they died when the earth opened up and swallowed them.

The incident took place during the 40-year-long journey of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan, the Promised Land.

Korah and his followers suffered the highly unusual death because they stubbornly refused to follow Moses' leadership.

Numbers 16:32-33 in the NKJV describes the event this way: "...and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly."

Answer: Haman

Haman was unknowingly the architect of the device used for his execution. Scripture tells of Haman following the advice of his wife Zeresh and erecting a massive gallows 50 cubits high to hang his arch enemy Mordecai.

Haman, of course, had a diabolical plan to exterminate all the Jews in the vast Persian empire ruled by King Ahasuerus, as per the NKJV. (In the NIV, the king is known as Xerxes.)

Mordecai was No. 1 on Haman's hate list simply because he was Jewish and refused to bow down before him.

Scripture tells of Mordecai and Queen Esther teaming up to prevent Haman from carrying out his diabolical scheme.

Scripture goes on to tell of Haman being hanged from the very gallows on which he had intended for the execution of Mordecai.

For more details, see the Book of Esther.

Answer: Ishbosheth

Ishbosheth replaced his father Saul as king and Israel was quickly plunged into a civil war with those opposed to his rule favoring David as king. (In the NIV, he is known as Ishbo-Sheth.)

According to Scripture, two of Ishbosheth's army captains -- Rechab and Baanah -- entered his house while he was sleeping and stabbed him in the stomach, killing him.

The two men then cut off his head and took it with them to present as a trophy to David. They apparently expected to receive a reward as they had removed David's rival for the throne.

David, however, was disgusted with their treachery and had both Rechab and Baanah executed. According to Scripture, their hands and feet were cut off and their bodies publicly displayed.

Answer: Ahab

Ahab was a wicked king of Israel who was apparently only surpassed in evil by his wife Jezebel. Both were vehement opponents of any and all prophets of God.

Jehu was a military commander who was strongly opposed to Ahab and Jezebel and when the king and queen died, he took action to make sure Jehu's family would be unable to have any influence on the people of Israel.

To this end, Jehu ordered the killing of 70 sons of Ahab. When all the 70 sons were killed, Scripture tells of their heads being put in baskets and delivered to Jehu. The macabre episode fulfilled the prophet Elijah's prophecy against Ahab.

For more details, see 2 Kings 10:1-11.

Answer: James

James, one of the original Twelve Disciples, was beheaded on the orders of Herod. He was the first disciple to be executed for his belief in a resurrected Jesus Christ.

Minimal information is provided about his execution, however.

Acts 12:1-2, in the NKJV, simply states: "Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword."

To be killed`"with the sword" is the same as stating he was beheaded.

The execution took place in Jerusalem.

James was the brother of John and before becoming a disciple, he was a fisherman.

Answer: Vashti

Vashti was queen of the vast Persian empire ruled by King Ahasuerus, as per the NKJV. (In the NIV, the king is known as Xerxes.)

Ahasuerus banished Vashti from his palace after she refused to obey his request to wear her royal crown and come before him to "display her beauty" to the people and the nobles at a gala banquet.

It was the end for Vashti and a new beginning for Esther who would become queen.

Scripture goes on to tell of Vashti playing a key role in preventing the genocide of all Jews living in the Persian empire. According to Esther 1:1, the empire consisted of 127 provinces, stretching from India in the east to Ethiopia in the west.

Answer: Dinah

Going strictly by Scripture, Jacob had twelve sons, but only one daughter. Her name was Dinah and her mother was Leah one of Jacob's two wives.

Dinah was sexually assaulted by Shechem and there is no indication she ever married.

She was born after Leah gave birth to six sons -- Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

Answer: Joseph

Joseph was warned in a dream to flee to Egypt with his wife Mary and Baby Jesus, according to Scripture.

Matthew 2:13, quotes an angel telling Joseph in his dream: "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."

Scripture goes on to tell of Joseph being informed in a second dream about Herod's death and it being safe to return to Israel.

Herod killed all male infants two years and under in Bethlehem and area to prevent the 'new born King' from replacing him on the throne.

Christians believe with Baby Jesus taken to Egypt, it was the fulfillment of prophecy in Hosea 11:1 which states "out of Egypt, I called my Son".

Answer: Elisha

With a number of reports in the Old and New Testaments about people being raised from the dead, a floating ax head on the Jordan River often gets overlooked.

Yes, the miracle of the floating ax head might appear insignificant by today`s standards, but it was a major event at the time. 2 Kings 6:1-7 tells of Elisha commanding an ax head to float after a prophet was cutting down trees along the riverbank when the head flew off and landed in the river. (Talk about flying off the handle!)

The unnamed prophet was distressed, noting the ax was borrowed. Scripture tells of Elisha asking the prophet where the ax head fell and then throwing a stick into the water at the site.

Miraculously, the ax head floated to the surface and it was retrieved by the grateful prophet.

It all reminds me of a message I once heard from an old country pastor: If God cares about an ax head, imagine how much he cares about you and I.

Answer: Lazarus

Lazarus had been dead for some time and when Jesus ordered the removal of a stone from his tomb there was opposition from Martha.

John 11:39 in the NKJV explains things this way: "Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.' Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, 'Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.'"

However, a few moments after the stone was removed, everyone would be ecstatic. Scripture quotes Jesus as saying. "Lazarus come forth" and the dead man did just that!