A Quick Look: Teachers & Their Students Quiz

Answer: Joshua

Joshua, the son of Nun, was selected to replace Moses as leader of the Israelites. According to Scripture, Moses and Joshua had a special relationship, with Moses serving as mentor.

In fact, Joshua got his name from Moses. According to Scripture, the man who led the Israelites into the Promised Land became known as Joshua after Moses gave him that name. Joshua's original name was Hoshea, as per Numbers 13:16. In the NKJV, it simply states: "These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua."

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible offer this explanation of the name change: "Changing Hoshea's name to Joshua probably indicated great esteem on Moses' part. As God often changed the names of people who had a special relationship with Him, so Moses changed the name of the one who would eventually become his spiritual heir. This was an act of ritual adoption. Hoshea means 'Salvation'; Joshua means 'the Lord Saves'. Joshua and Jesus are two forms of the same name."

Answer: Moses

Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, provided indispensable advice which apparently made life much easier for Moses as he led the Israelites toward the Promised Land. In a nutshell, Jethro instructed Moses to install rulers under him to assist in the daily running of operations in the Israelite community. Jethro provided the instructions after Moses explained that, when it came to making decisions and the like, he was doing everything by himself.

Exodus 18:15-23 explains things this way: "Then Moses said to his father-in-law, 'The people come to me and ask me to ask for God's decision for their problem. If people have an argument, they come to me, and I decide which person is right. In this way I teach the people God's laws and teachings.'

"But Moses' father-in-law said to him, 'This isn't the right way to do this. It is too much work for you to do alone. You cannot do this job by yourself. It wears you out. And it makes the people tired too. Now, listen to me. Let me give you some advice. And I pray God will be with you. You should continue listening to the problems of the people. And you should continue to speak to God about these things. You should explain God's laws and teachings to the people. Warn them not to break the laws. Tell them the right way to live and what they should do. But you should also choose some of the people to be judges and leaders. Choose good men you can trust -- men who respect God. Choose men who will not change their decisions for money. Make these men rulers over the people. There should be rulers over 1000 people, 100 people, 50 people, and even over ten people. Let these rulers judge the people. If there is a very important case, then they can come to you and let you decide what to do. But they can decide the other cases themselves. In this way these men will share your work with you, and it will be easier for you to lead the people. If you do this as God directs you, then you will be able to do your job without tiring yourself out. And the people can still have all their problems solved before they return home'."

Scripture goes on to tell of Moses following Jethro's advice and appointing a number of men to serve as leaders under him.

Answer: Balak

Numbers 23 and 24 are devoted to seven messages Balaam gave to Balak, the king of Moab. According to Scripture, Balak sent Balaam to curse the Israelites who were trekking to the Promised Land.

After hearing a donkey speak to him, as per Numbers 22:31-35, Balaam presented the messages to the king.

Here's a breakdown of the messages, as per Wikipedia:

"The first, Numbers 23:7-10, prophesies the unique exaltation of the Kingdom of Israel, and its countless numbers.
"The second, Numbers 23:18-24, celebrates the moral virtue of Israel, its monarchy, and military conquests.
"The third, Numbers 24:3-9, celebrates the glory and conquests of Israel's monarchy.
"The fourth, Numbers 24:14-19, prophesies the coming of a king who will conquer Edom and Moab.
"The fifth, Numbers 24:20, concerns the ruins of Amalek.
"The sixth, Numbers 24:21-22, concerns the destruction of the Kenites by Assyria.
"The seventh, Numbers 24:23-24, concerns 'ships of Kittim' coming from the west to attack Assyria and Eber."

Answer: Samuel

Samuel was taken at a very young age by his mother Hannah to live with Eli, as Scripture states Hannah had vowed she would dedicate the boy's life to the LORD.

Going strictly by Scripture, Samuel was less than five years old, possibly about three, when he was taken to Eli, who was both the high priest and judge of Israel. 1 Samuel 1:24 states Samuel was taken to the House of the LORD in Shiloh after he was weaned. According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, weaning often didn't end until a child was three years old in Biblical times.

Hannah, who was barren at one time, made a vow that if she gave birth to a boy she would give him to the LORD "all the days of his life."

Here's how 1 Samuel 1:24-27 in the NKJV tells of Hannah taking Samuel to live with Eli: "Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli. And she said, 'O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the LORD. For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.' So they worshiped the LORD there."

Answer: Elisha

Elisha is the correct answer, with Scripture indicating he had a special relationship with Elijah, his mentor.

1 Kings 19:16 tells of Elijah receiving a command from God to anoint Elisha as his replacement. Scripture is short on details, simply stating Elijah was to anoint "Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah" as prophet in his place. Elijah served as Elisha's mentor for a while before Elijah was taken up to heaven, as per 2 Kings 2:11.

Here's how 1 Kings 19:19-21 reads, Scripture telling of Elisha's decision to follow Elijah:

"So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, 'Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.' And he said to him, 'Go back again, for what have I done to you?' So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen's equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant."

Answer: Jehoash

Jehoiada, the high priest, provided instruction to King Jehoash who followed his advice, as per 2 Kings 12:2. However, Jehoash did not destroy high places, sites where people made offerings to false gods, according to Scripture.

2 Kings 12:1-3 explains things this way in the NKJV: "Joash began to rule during Jehu's seventh year as king of Israel. Joash ruled 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Zibiah of Beersheba. For as long as he lived, Joash did what the LORD considered right. He did what Jehoiada the priest taught him. But he did not destroy the high places. The people still made sacrifices and burned incense at those places of worship."

Answer: Solomon

With King David on his deathbed, he gave his son Solomon instructions on what to do when he became king of Israel. David's instructions to Solomon can be found in 1 Kings 2:1-11. In a nutshell, David told his son to follow the LORD in all his ways and to show kindness to the sons of Barzillai, who showed kindness to David when he was embroiled in a civil war with the rival forces led by his son Absalom. David also instructed Solomon to execute Joab and Shimei for their past actions.

Here's how the passage reads in the NKJV:

"Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: 'I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; that the LORD may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,' He said, 'you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'

"'Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed. And he shed the blood of war in peacetime, and put the blood of war on his belt that was around his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet. Therefore do according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in peace.

"'But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother.

"'And see, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.' Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood.'

Scripture goes on to tell of the death of David and the reign of Solomon as king of Israel.

Answer: Paul

Saul, who later become known as Paul, studied under Gamaliel, according to Acts 22:3.

In Acts 22:3-4, Paul, while addressing a mob in Jerusalem, states in the NKJV: "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in the country of Cilicia. I grew up in this city. I was a student of Gamaliel, who carefully taught me everything about the law of our fathers. I was very serious about serving God, the same as all of you here today. I persecuted the people who followed the Way. Some of them were killed because of me. I arrested men and women and put them in jail."

Paul goes on to tell of his dramatic encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ while traveling on a road to Damascus, and his subsequent disavowing of what had been taught to him by Gamaliel.

Answer: The Ethiopian eunuch

The Ethiopian eunuch is the correct answer. According to Scripture, Philip was told by an angel of the Lord to go south to a desert road which ran from Jerusalem to Gaza. After Philip started on his journey, Scripture says he met an Ethiopian eunuch "of great authority" under Queen Candace. The eunuch was traveling in a chariot and reading Scripture. After Philip was invited to inform the eunuch about the Scripture he was reading, a teacher-student relationship quickly developed.

Acts 8:30-35 explains things this way in the NKJV:

"So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, 'Do you understand what you are reading?' And he said, 'How can I, unless someone guides me?' And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read was this:
'He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
And who will declare His generation?
For His life is taken from the earth.'

"So the eunuch answered Philip and said, 'I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?' Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him."

Scripture goes on to tell of the eunuch being baptized by Philip.

The verses the eunuch was reading are from Isaiah 53:7-8.

A comment about the use of the term 'eunuch': notes in the NKJV Study Bible state eunuch is technically a term used for a man who has been emasculated. "However, by the first century, the term had become a government title used for important military or political officials," the notes state.

Answer: Apollos

Apollos was tutored by Priscilla and Aquila, the dynamic husband-wife team in the New Testament. Acts 18:24-26, in the NKJV, describes Apollos as a "an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures." Verses 27-28 go on to state that in Achaia "he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ." Achaia is an area in Greece.

The passage also states Apollos was born in Alexandria, and linked up with Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus.