A Quick Look at Ten Old Testament Books -- #4 Quiz

Answer: Genesis

The account of Lot being taken captive and his subsequent rescue by Abraham is found in Genesis 14:1-17.

In a nutshell, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, as well as other allies attacked the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Bela (also known as Zoar) and scored some decisive victories. Scripture tells of Chedorlaomer and his allies conquering Sodom and Gomorrah and taking "all their goods". They also took captives, which included Lot and his family.

Scripture goes on to tell of Abram, who would later become known as Abraham, leading three hundred and eighteen armed servants into battle and freeing Lot and his family as well as other people.

According to Genesis 11:27, Lot was the son of Abraham's brother Haran.

Answer: Joshua

The walls of Jericho came tumbling down, enabling the Israelites to easily conquer the city, according to the sixth chapter of Joshua.

Joshua 6:2-5 tells of the LORD giving instructions to Joshua on how to bring down the walls of Jericho. As part of the instructions, the Israelites were to march around the city once for six consecutive days with seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns.

Instructions for the seventh day were distinctly different. Scripture goes on to tell of the LORD instructing the Israelites to march around the city seven times and for the seven priests to blow their seven trumpets. After the priests blew the trumpets, all the people were "to shout with a great shout" and the walls would come tumbling down, the LORD is quoted as saying.

Sure enough, that's exactly what happened, according to Scripture. As documented in Joshua 6:17-25, only Rahab the prostitute and her parents, as well as her brothers and sisters, were spared when the Israelites took possession of Jericho.

Answer: Numbers

Numbers 16:32 tells of the earth opening its mouth and swallowing Korah and his supporters. According to Scripture, Korah and his supporters suffered the unusual death for their stubborn refusal to follow Moses' leadership.

Numbers 16:35 goes on to state that 250 men who were offering incense were consumed when fire came out from the LORD. By the time you read down to Verse 49, no less than 14,700 people had died from a plague "in the Korah incident."

Details are found in only the book of Numbers.

Answer: Ezra

Ezra is the correct answer. The name Cyrus appears a number of times in the Old Testament, but the account of his decision to liberate the Israelites is largely found in the book of Ezra. According to Scripture, Cyrus decided to grant permission to the Israelites to return to Jerusalem after his heart had been moved by the LORD.

Cyrus was the head of the Persian empire and after he defeated the Babylonians, one of his first major decisions was to free the Israelites. According to Wikipedia, his empire extended from the Mediterranean sea and the Hellespont in the west to the Indus River in the east. At that time, it was the largest empire the world had seen.

Answer: Proverbs

The verse, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction," is found in Proverbs 1:7. Much of the book of Proverbs was written by Solomon, king of Israel.

Incidentally, Proverbs 9:10 in the NKJV has a similar message: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

There is a similar, but slightly different, verse in Psalm 111:10 pertaining to the fear of the LORD. The verse states: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever."

Answer: Exodus

Exodus is the correct answer, with Exodus 15:20 describing Miriam as a prophetess. In addition to being a prophetess, she appears to have been musically inclined. The same verse tells of Miriam taking a timbrel in hand and singing praises to God after the Red Sea was miraculously parted and the Israelites were able to make their exodus out of Egypt.

Exodus 15:1-19 tells of Moses leading the men in a musical celebration and the women, led by Miriam, responding in Verses 20 and 21. The verses state:
"Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them:
'Sing to the LORD,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea!'"

Answer: Judges

According to Judges 4:16-21, Jael killed Sisera, the captain of an opposing army, when she hammered a tent peg through his skull while he was in a deep sleep.

With Sisera's troops being wiped out in a lop-sided battle with the Israelites, he had no choice but to run. Scripture states he fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. Sisera's acceptance of Jael's offer of hospitality would prove to be a deadly mistake.

Scripture tells of Sisera asking for water and Jael giving him milk and also offering him a place to sleep. While Sisera was fast asleep, exhausted, Scripture states Jael picked up a tent peg and a hammer and "drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died."

Answer: Deuteronomy

The verse, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength," is from Deuteronomy 6:5.

Tradition holds Deuteronomy was written by Moses but some modern day theologians dispute this belief.

Incidentally, Jesus makes a similar statement in the New Testament. In Mark 12:30, in the NKJV, Christ states, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."

Answer: Psalms

David made the statement, "create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me", in Psalm 51. According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, David wrote Psalm 51 after he was rebuked by Nathan the prophet for committing adultery with Bathsheba and then orchestrating the death of her husband, Uriah.

The words featured in the question are found in Psalm 51:10. To put the verse in context, here's how Psalm 51:9-11 reads in the NKJV:
"Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me."

Answer: 1 Samuel

Details about David, a young shepherd boy, killing the Philistine behemoth Goliath appear in 1 Samuel and no where else in the Bible.

According to 1 Samuel 17:40, David took "five smooth stones" into battle against Goliath but it's abundantly apparent he needed only one. Scripture tells of David taking one of the five stones and putting it in his sling shot and striking the Philistine giant in the forehead with the stone sinking in his skull. Goliath then tumbled face first to the ground with David drawing a sword out of his sheath and cutting off the giant's head. When the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled with the Israelites pursuing them and showing no mercy.

See Chapter 17 of 1 Samuel for complete details.