'Do Not' Take This Old Testament Quiz

Answer: Cain

After telling God he did not know where his brother Abel was, Cain asked the notorious question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" In fact, Cain had killed Abel in a severe fit of jealousy and apparently thought God wouldn't notice. Scripture goes on to tell of God banishing Cain to the land of Nod, east of Eden, and announcing his life would be filled with hardship.

Answer: Lot

Two angels explicitly told Lot and his family to not look back when they fled Sodom as it was being destroyed by brimstone and fire due to the depravity of its citizens. Genesis 19:17 in the NKJV quotes the angels telling Lot, "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed."

Scripture goes on to tell of Lot and his wife and their two daughters fleeing the destruction. However, Lot's unnamed wife was turned into a pillar of salt when she defied the orders of the angels and looked back at the destruction.

Answer: Abraham

God was talking to Abraham when He made the statement, "do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him," in Genesis 22:12. The statement was made just before Abraham was to sacrifice his only son Isaac, as per a previous command from God. With Abraham about to follow God's exact instructions, the message was served he truly loved and feared God.

Scripture goes on to tell of Abraham lifting his eyes and spotting behind him a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham then took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.

Answer: Moses

God made the statement to Moses in Exodus 3:5. At the time Moses was tending the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro, also known as Reuel, when God appeared before him in the form of a burning bush. Although the bush was in flames, it wasn't consumed by the fire, and Moses went closer to investigate.

It was when Moses started getting near the bush, God made the statement: "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."

Scripture goes on to tell of God appointing Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and to take them to Canaan, known as the Promised Land.

Answer: Samson

Samson was told by his unnamed Philistine wife "You only hate me! You do not love me!" She made the statement after Samson, a noted judge of Israel, posed a riddle to a group of young men, as per Judges 14.

The chapter tells of Samson offering thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing to anyone who could answer his riddle. The riddle, as per Verse 14 in the NKJV, stated: "Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet."

Samson's wife pressured him into giving her the answer to the riddle and then she in turn passed the information on to various people. When the young men successfully answered Samson's riddle, he became furious.

Verses 19 and 20 state that Samson went to Ashkelon and killed thirty men, then took their apparel and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. Then he took his wife and gave her to his companion who had been his best man.

Later, Samson would hook up with another Philistine woman, the notorious Delilah.

Answer: Mara

After the deaths of her husband Elimelech and her two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, Naomi told people, "do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me." According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, Mara means 'Bitter'.

(In the NIV, Elimelech is known as Elimelek and Chilion is known as Killion.)

Answer: David

David was elderly and frail and was not aware his son Adonijah was attempting to become king through a bloodless coup. After being made aware of the development, 1 Kings 1 tells of David stating Solomon should become king. With David's wishes expressed, Scripture tells of Solomon's mother Bathsheba and Nathan, a prophet of God, taking action to make sure Adonijah would not become king.

Answer: Proverbs

The verse in question is from Proverbs 6:30. To put the verse in context, here's how Proverbs 6:30-31 reads in the NKJV: "People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; he may have to give up all the substance of his house." The two verses are part of a passage telling of the folly of adultery.

Proverbs is a collection of witty sayings and the like with the majority of the content written by Solomon. However, Lemuel and Agur were also contributors.

Answer: Psalms

The verse is from Psalm 27:9. The Psalm, similar to a number of others, was written by David, a noted king of Israel. To put the verse in context, here's how Psalm 27:8-10 reads in the NKJV: "When You said, 'Seek My face,' my heart said to You, 'Your face, LORD, I will seek.' Do not hide Your face from me;
do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the LORD will take care of me."

Psalm 27 is regarded by many as an exuberant declaration of faith by David.

Answer: Isaiah

The verse was transcribed by Isaiah and it can be found in Isaiah 44:8. The verse is part of a passage proclaiming there is no other God.

Incidentally, this question should not have been difficult to answer if one twigged to the fact quiz players were asked to name the major prophet of God who penned the verse. Out of the four options, Isaiah is the only major prophet. The works of the three others -- Amos, Nahum and Habakkuk -- are all part of the Minor Prophet section of the Old Testament.