Why Do Good Things Happen To Good People? Quiz

Answer: Abraham

Abraham (originally Abram) was called by God to leave his homeland of Ur and enter into a covenant relationship with Him. In this divine covenant, Abraham was promised not one, but seven blessings contingent upon his faithfulness and obedience to the Lord's calling (Genesis 12:1-3).

Abraham's faith underwent numerous tests, with one of the most profound being God's command to sacrifice his son Isaac, the very child miraculously born to his ninety-year-old wife Sarah (originally Sarai) as a fulfillment of God's promise. When Abraham demonstrated his unwavering faithfulness and willingness to obey even this devastating command, God intervened and reaffirmed His covenant, promising that Abraham's descendants would be as countless as the stars in the heavens or the grains of sand on the seashore. Furthermore, these descendants would prevail over their enemies as a result of Abraham's obedience, an obedience that was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:5-6).

Today, Abraham is revered as the patriarch of three major world religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, collectively known as the Abrahamic faiths. Abraham is considered the founder of the Jewish nation according to Judaism due to him being the first Jew to enter a spiritual covenant with God.

According to Christianity, Abraham is a spiritual ancestor from whom Jesus' lineage can be directly traced. In both Biblical and Qur'anic narratives, Abraham had a son named Ishmael with Hagar, Sarah's handmaiden, of which you can read the account of in Genesis 16. According to Islamic tradition, Ishmael (Ismail in Arabic) is considered the ancestor of the Arab peoples, and through Ishmael's lineage comes the Prophet Muhammad, making Abraham a direct forefather of Islam's final prophet. (The Qur'an 6:83-87)

According to these three faiths, God's covenant promise to Abraham of multitudes of descendants spanning multiple generations has been fulfilled.

Answer: Job

The book of Job recounts the story of Job, a righteous man who was "perfect" and "upright". (Job 1:1) Job was a very prominent man with many riches (in the form of thousands of livestock) described as being the "greatest of all the men of the East" at that time. (Job 1:3) Satan, wanting to usurp God's power, was granted permission by God to put Job's faith to the ultimate test. Satan, wasting no time, proceeded to inflict severe tragedies on Job: all of Job's livestock and servants were either seized by marauders or consumed by a ravaging fire, his 10 children were crushed to death via a collapsed house caused by a mighty tornado and to add insult to injury, Job himself was afflicted with painful sores from head to toe. (Job 1& 2)

Despite this tremendous tribulation and the pleadings of his wife to "curse God and die!" (Job 2:9), Job held fast in this period of suffering and chose to trust in God amidst the uncertainty of the events he was experiencing, with a large portion of the book of Job pondering the ageless question of why bad things happen to good people. God eventually intervenes and appears to Job and essentially explains that sometimes the actions of God are beyond human comprehension and with respect to these human constraints, faith is necessary for these actions to be revealed.

At the end of Job, for enduring this trial, God restores Job two-fold. Job is blessed with 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 donkeys. Job additionally had 7 more sons and 3 more daughters who were considered the fairest maidens in the land. Job was also granted an extension of his life, with 140 years added in which he was able to witness his children bear children unto the 4th generation before he died. (Job 42:1-17)

Answer: Solomon

Considered by many to be the wisest and wealthiest man in all of the Bible's entirety, Solomon, the son of King David, continued his father's reign over Israel. Solomon initially, in the early phases of his life, followed the statutes of God and was a very faithful servant, offering over 1,000 burnt offerings to the Lord at Gibeon. God appeared to Solomon in a dream and as a reward for his faith, posed Solomon to ask and you shall receive of anything Solomon's heart desired. Solomon answered the Lord in a pleasing manner by asking for wisdom to discern judgement over Israel instead of worldly riches or honors and ended up receiving the latter anyways as a token of his faith. (1 Kings 3:3-15)

Wise King Solomon was a prolific writer, poet, and scientist, and is credited with writing much of the book of Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, the book of Ecclesiastes, and two psalms. According to 1 Kings 4:32, Solomon wrote over "3,000 proverbs and his songs were 1,005". Solomon's wealth was truly unfathomable as well. His riches came from gold tributes, trade routes, taxes, and gifts from foreign leaders like the Queen of Sheba. 1 Kings 10:14 claims that Solomon received 666 talents of gold annually through taxes or tributes which is approximately 25 tons of gold. Some modern historians estimate Solomon's net worth to have been anywhere in the vicinity of 100 billion to 3 trillion US Dollars!

Unfortunately, Solomon had a penchant for woman who turned his heart away from the Lord through their idolatry which contributed to the inevitable fall of Israel. At the height of his lust, Solomon had over 700 wives and 300 concubines, talk about options! (1 King 11:3)

Answer: Joshua

Canaan was a fertile area in the region of what is now modern-day Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and parts of Syria. This land was promised to the Israelites after their exodus out of Egypt. "And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8).

Doubting God has its consequences. Joshua and Caleb were the only 2 Israelite spies out of 12 sent on a reconnaissance mission to scout the land of Canaan who didn't doubt that God would deliver the land into Israel's hand. "We be not able to go up against the people... we were in our own sight as grasshoppers" was the fear projected by the 10 other spies who were doubtful that Israel would prevail against their enemies (Numbers 13:31-33). "Doubtless ye shall not come into the land... save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun" (Numbers 14:30).

As a result of their unbelief, the 10 other spies perished before Israel ultimately conquered the land of Canaan. Joshua and Caleb were faithful and confident that God would give them the victory, and they pleaded multiple times emphatically tearing their clothes in a desperate attempt to encourage the IsraelitesFor this continued demonstration of faith, they were granted passage into the land of milk and honey and longevity to their years (Numbers 13,14: 1-38).

Answer: David

David is first introduced in 1 Samuel as the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse. Before David was appointed King of Israel, he was a shepherd boy tending his father's flock of sheep and he was described as being a skilled player of the lyre, a musical instrument. God recognized David's qualities of faith and righteous character and even calls him a "man after his own heart" and identifies him to be the successor to King Saul to the prophet Samuel who ends up anointing the shepherd boy as the future King of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1-13).

David's faith and trust in God is proven on the battlefield when he boldly challenges and slays Goliath the giant champion of the Philistines armed with nothing more than a sling and stones, a stark contrast to the panic-stricken Israelite warriors who refused to engage in battle with Goliath (1 Samuel 17:17-50).

After fending off multiple attempts on his life by King Saul and racking up military victories over the enemies of Israel, David is inevitably anointed King of Judah and eventually all of Israel. Thus begins the promise of an everlasting dynasty of David's throne. The promise of an everlasting dynasty came through God's covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7. In 2 Samuel 7:16, God declared: "And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever."

According to followers of Christianity, this covenant is referred to as the Davidic Covenant which promised that David's descendants would reign forever, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is called the Son of David throughout the New Testament and whose kingdom has no end.

Answer: Hannah

Hannah is only mentioned in the first two chapters of 1 Samuel, however despite this brief cameo in the Christian canon, she is an important biblical figure in the context of faith. According to the biblical narrative, Hannah was one of the two wives of a man called Elkanah with the other being Peninnah. What contrasted these 2 women was their fertility status with the latter being successful in bearing children and Hannah being unable to due to being barren described as the "Lord had shut up her womb" (1 Samuel 1:1-4). Despite this inability to bear children for Elkanah, Hannah was the preferred wife whom Elkanah had a deep love for and for whom he would offer a double portion or offering at the sanctuary of Shiloh every year in an attempt to reconcile for her barrenness (1 Samuel 1:5).

Hannah, desperate for curing her affliction, one day makes a trip to the Tabernacle and despondently prays with great weeping, vowing if God would open her womb, she would dedicate the child to the service of God. Unbeknownst to Hannah, the High Priest Eli observes these pleadings but doesn't hear them and initially suspects that Hannah is drunk; upon further probing, Eli discovers the true source of Hannah's sorrow and blesses her and sends her home. After this encounter, miraculously Hannah gives birth to a child by the name of Samuel (which translates to "Heard by God") whom she brings to the temple to train under Eli as a priest (1 Samuel 1: 9-28). Eventually Samuel is called by God to be a prophet and religious leader for the people of Israel (1 Samuel 3:9,20).

For this tremendous demonstration of Hannah carrying out her vow to the Lord, God through Eli, blesses Hannah and rewards her with 3 more sons and 2 daughters (1 Samuel 2:21).

Answer: Hezekiah

Hezekiah, son of the wicked Ahaz, was a King of Judah who led a spiritual revival of a backsliding Israel through reformations, prominently abolishment of idolatry. Hezekiah was a righteous king who did what was right in the sight of the Lord and, as a result, Israel's enemies were delivered unto his hand. One day a test of faith presented itself to Hezekiah. A grim prognosis was brought to the king: "In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live" (2 Kings 20:1).

A distraught Hezekiah turned to God in prayer and pleaded his case with God citing his faithfulness and devotion. God responded to this vulnerable and sincere request through the prophet Isaiah, who was commanded to appear before the king again and relay the message from God: "Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father, I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears: behold, I will heal you: on the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. And I will add to your days fifteen years; and I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake" (2 Kings 20:1, 4-6).

The healing of Hezekiah was accompanied by a miraculous sign. Hezekiah asked for a sign to confirm God's promise, and Isaiah offered him a choice: should the shadow go forward ten steps or go back ten steps? Hezekiah chose the latter, and God made the shadow on the sundial of Ahaz go backward ten steps as a sign of His promise (2 Kings 20:9-11).

Answer: Enoch

Not much is mentioned in the biblical account of Enoch's life in Genesis. Enoch was a faithful servant of God who had a very intimate fellowship with God described as a "walk". This 300-year walk began after the 65th year of Enoch's life after the birth of Enoch's son Methuselah who holds the distinction of being the oldest documented individual to have lived and died in the Bible (969 years) (Genesis 5: 21-24). Perhaps something stirred Enoch inside after the birth of Methuselah that compelled him to have an intense walk with God?

Regardless of what prompted this walk, Enoch had such a strong relationship with God that instead of having to face death, God took him up into heaven, which is a term known as translation, a fate shared by only one other individual in the Bible, Elijah. (2 Kings 2:11).
Hebrews in the New Testament references this event and provides some explanation as to why it happened: "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God" (Hebrews 11:5).

Answer: Elisabeth

Elisabeth is described as being righteous and blameless and is indeed the elderly and barren mother of John the Baptist, the prominent prophet who preached the coming of Jesus (Luke 1:6).
"And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias (Elijah), to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17).
When Mary visited Elisabeth after the annunciation, Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (and evidently so was John who "leaped in her womb") and blessed Mary, recognizing her as "the mother of my Lord" (Luke 1:41-45).

Answer: Ruth

The Book of Ruth tells the story of a Moabite widow by the name of Ruth who proclaims to her mother-in-law Naomi that she will go with her wherever she decides to go following the death of her husband. "... for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God" (Ruth 1:16). This simple act demonstrated loyalty and Ruth & Naomi's close relationship.

Ruth accompanies Naomi on the move to her homeland of Bethlehem, which happened to coincide with the time of barley harvest. The poor and destitute Ruth takes advantage of an Israelite provision that allows the poor to glean the leftover grain to provide for both her and Naomi. The field that Ruth is harvesting from also happens to belong to the wealthy Boaz, who is described as a relative of Naomi's late husband.
"And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech" (Ruth 2:1-3).

Boaz takes notice of Ruth and instructs his servants to not deter her from gathering the grain after taking compassion on her after learning she chose to travel with her mother-in-law Naomi. Ruth relays this kindness to Naomi, who recognizes Boaz as a potential kinsman-redeemer. The kinsman-redeemer was a provision in Israelite law. This law had several provisions: a close relative could redeem family property that had been sold due to poverty and could also marry a deceased relative's widow to preserve the family name and inheritance, with any children considered heirs of the deceased.

Naomi gives Ruth advice in Ruth 3:3,4 in how to proceed with broaching this subject with Boaz: "Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do." The request of Boaz spreading his garment over Ruth was in essence a marriage proposal.

Boaz was willing but noted there was a closer relative with first rights. At the city gate, Boaz met with this nearer kinsman, who initially agreed to redeem Naomi's land but declined when he learned it included marrying Ruth, fearing it would endanger his own estate. Boaz then redeemed both the property and Ruth as his wife. Ruth ends with the lineage traced from Boaz & Ruth who have a son together named Obed who is the father of Jesse, who became the father of David, establishing Ruth as King David's great-grandmother. (Ruth 4:1-22)

The Book of Matthew explicitly includes Ruth in Jesus's genealogy, one of only four women mentioned. (Matthew 1-16)