Biblical Oddities #34 - Have You Met Your Match? Quiz

Answer: Hagar

Hagar is the correct answer. Scripture tells of Hagar and her son Ishmael being banished by Abraham, largely because of Sarah's insistence. The two were wandering in the Beersheba desert with limited supplies with Hagar coming to the point she believed the end was near.

So she placed her son Ishmael under a bush and moved a short distance away so she would not see him die. While Hagar was weeping, an angel appeared and miraculously provided a cool, refreshing well of water for both of them.

For details, see Genesis 21:8-21.

Answer: Joseph

Joseph, the son of Jacob and Rachel, was mockingly called a dreamer by his eleven brothers.

According to Genesis 37:19, his brothers used the term with disdain after they saw the young man approaching them. The verse in the NKJV quotes them as saying, "Look, this dreamer is coming."

Joseph's brothers were intensely jealous of him as he was the clear favourite of Jacob.

The brothers' dislike for Joseph escalated when he told them he had a dream indicating there would come a day in which they would bow down to him. A number of years later, the details in the dream would fall into place, with Joseph ascending to become the second most powerful man in Egypt while his brothers were desperate for food in a time of famine.

Answer: Joshua

Joshua was originally known as Hoshea. However, Moses renamed him Joshua, as per Numbers 13:16.

According to various Websites, Hoshea means 'salvation' while Joshua means 'Yahweh is salvation' or 'May God save you.'

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state changing Hoshea's name to Joshua "probably indicated great esteem on Moses' part."

Answer: Cain

Cain has the distinction of being one of a very few men in the Bible who answered a question from God by asking another question.

After Cain killed his younger brother Abel, Scripture tells of God asking Cain
about his brother's whereabouts.

In Genesis 4:9, in the NKJV, Cain answers the question by asking a question: "Am I my brother's keeper?"

There are other examples in the Bible of people asking a question by God with another question.

For example, in response to God's questions regarding creation and authority, Job questioned God, by asking a series of questions, as documented in Job 7.

Answer: Rahab

Rahab, a prostitute in Jericho, played a key role in helping two Israelite spies in carrying out a successful mission.

According to Scripture, the two unnamed spies were commissioned by Joshua to scout the city of Jericho. However, the king of Jericho caught wind of the two spies visiting Rahab and he dispatched a group of men to investigate.

Scripture tells of Rahab being asked to "bring out the men" who visited her. Rahab's response to the demand is recorded in Joshua 2:4-5 In the NKJV: "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them."

In reality, the two spies were hidden beneath flax on the roof of Rahab's house.

The spies were able to safely return home and file a complete report to Joshua about Jericho.

Answer: Apollos

Apollos was a worker in the early church who hailed from Alexandria in Egypt, according to Acts 18:24.

Scripture tells of Apollos being a dynamic speaker with Priscilla and Aquila taking him under their wings to educate him about the teachings of Christ.

According to various websites, Alexandria was a major centre for learning.

Answer: Lazarus

According to John 12:9-11, the Pharisees were plotting to kill Lazarus after he was miraculously raised from the dead by Jesus.

Jesus, of course, was the One they wanted removed from the scene, but the thinking was if Lazarus was dead people would stop believing in Christ.

John 12:10-11 explains things this way in the KNJV: "But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus."

There is no account in the Bible about the Pharisees being successful in their quest to kill Lazarus. And while the Pharisees thought they had killed Jesus when He was crucified, they were sadly mistaken, as Scripture tells of Christ rising from the dead three days after His death.

And people say the Bible is boring!

Answer: Samuel

Samuel is the correct answer.

1 Samuel 3:10 tells of God addressing Samuel and stating, "Samuel, Samuel" before informing him that Eli, the high priest, and his wicked sons would experience divine punishment.

In the Old Testament God addressed three other people, stating their names twice in one breath. Those three people are Abraham, Jacob and Moses.

In Genesis 22:11 He states, "Abraham, Abraham", in Genesis 46:2 He states "Jacob, Jacob" and in Exodus 3:4, He states "Moses, Moses".

Answer: Jacob

There are a number of incidents in the Bible involving people kissing, but the first incident involving a man kissing a woman is found in Genesis 29:11. The verse tells of Jacob meeting Rachel at a well, kissing her and weeping.

When it comes to kissing in the Bible, most of the incidents are between family members of the same sex or same-sex friendships. Some examples are Isaac and Jacob, Jacob and his sons as well as David and Jonathan.

And let's not forget the most notorious kissing incident in the Bible which involved Judas betraying Jesus with a kiss.

Answer: Jedidiah

According to 2 Samuel 12:25, God had declared the second son of David and Bathsheba was named Jedidiah, meaning 'beloved of the LORD.'

The first son of David and Bathsheba died shortly after child birth and was not named.

Scripture is a bit vague on the issue, but 2 Samuel 12:24-25 explains things this way in the NKJV: "Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. Now the LORD loved him, and He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD."

According to various Websites, Solomon primarily means 'peace', 'peaceful', or 'peaceable'.