Can I 'Run' this Bible Quiz by You? -- #3

Answer: Abraham

Abraham is the correct answer. This is the first use of the word 'run' or its past tense form of 'ran' in the New King James Version Bible. However, Genesis 14:10 makes mention of soldiers of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fleeing when they were soundly defeated in battle against their adversaries. (Lot ended up being taken captive only to be rescued by Abraham, known as Abram at the time.)

In the account of Genesis 18 and the divine visitors, Scripture also tells of Abraham running to his herd and taking "a tender and good calf" for dining purposes. The chapter goes on to state the LORD told Abraham his wife Sarah would give birth to a son, even though she was "well advanced in age."

Answer: True

According to Scripture, the unnamed young man who ran to Moses with the news was concerned about the prophesying by Eldad and Medad because he thought they were not legally permitted to do so. And Joshua, son of Nun, was in agreement. In Numbers 11:28, Joshua is quoted as saying their actions should be forbidden. Moses, however, responded to Joshua "Oh, that all the LORD'S people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!"

Numbers 11:16-25 tells of the selection of seventy men to serve as assistants for Moses with the LORD taking the Spirit that was upon Moses and placing it on the assistants. For reasons that are not recorded in Scripture, Eldad and Medad did not go with the assistants to the tabernacle to receive the Spirit.

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state: "Nonetheless, the Spirit of God came upon them [Eldad and Medad] and empowered them in their own camp. When the word came to Moses that these men were prophesying even though they were not where they were supposed to be, Joshua was afraid their possible influence in the community would detract from the authority of Moses. Here Joshua showed his loyalty to Moses by deferring to Moses' leadership and authority. Moses responded by wishing that all God's people were Spirit-empowered."

Answer: Ai

The correct answer is Ai. Out of the four options, Jericho is the only other city in Canaan and according to Joshua 6:15-20, the Israelites conquered Jericho when they marched around it seven times and the walls miraculously came tumbling down.

Initially the Israelites experienced bitter defeat during their first attack against Ai. According to Scripture, the defeat was divine retribution as Achan failed to follow express orders from the LORD and stole items during the conquest of Jericho. After Achan confessed his guilt and was stoned, the fortunes for the Israelites changed dramatically for the better and their second attack on Ai was highly successful.

Answer: Solomon

Solomon was basically following a deathbed request of David, as recorded in 1 Kings 2:8-9 in the NKJV: "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."

Shimei's cursing of David is recorded in 2 Samuel 16:5-14.

Scripture goes on to tell of Solomon putting Shimei under house arrest and when he left to retrieve his two run-away slaves, Solomon had the perfect opportunity to fulfill the request of his father, David.

Answer: Saul

The correct answer is Saul. The tenth chapter of 1 Samuel tells of the Israelites, under the direction of Samuel, coming together before the LORD at Mizpah to select a king.

However, when the crucial time came for Saul to step forward, the Israelites could not find him as he was in hiding.

1 Samuel 10:20-24 gives this account in the NKJV about what happened next: "... And Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they sought him, he could not be found. Therefore they inquired of the LORD further, 'Has the man come here yet?' And the LORD answered, 'There he is, hidden among the equipment.' So they ran and brought him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. And Samuel said to all the people, 'Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?' So all the people shouted and said, 'Long live the king!'"

Answer: Goliath

Goliath, of course, is the correct answer. His story is told in the 17th chapter of 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel 17:4-7 in the NKJV Bible says he was a "champion" from Gath and I have included additional information about him in between the brackets: "...whose height was six cubits and a span. [That is, about 9 feet 9 inches or about 3 meters.] He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. [That is, about 125 pounds or about 58 kilograms.] And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels [That is, about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms]; and a shield-bearer went before him."

David, however, did not back down from the challenge. In fact, 1 Samuel 17:48 states David "hurried and ran" toward the Philistine giant.

Scripture states David chose five smooth stones from a stream for his slingshot, but it appears all he needed was one as 1 Samuel 17:49, in the NKJV: "Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth."

After Goliath came crashing to the ground, Scripture tells of David running toward the giant and killing him with a sword. Then he proceeded to cut off Goliath's head. 1 Samuel 17:51 states: "Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled."

Answer: Absalom

According to Scripture, two runners were dispatched from the battlefront to inform David of the latest developments. One of the runners was Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, and the other was an unnamed Cushite. According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, Cush was a remote region of what is today southern Egypt and Sudan.

In a nutshell, David's son Absalom was killed in battle and David learned about his death from the Cushite. Even though Absalom had attempted a coup against David and had engulfed Israel in a bloody civil war, Scripture reports David deeply mourned his death.

Answer: No name is given

No name is given for the Biblical streaker. Mark 14:50-51, in the NKJV, states: "Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked."

Some people have speculated the naked runner was John Mark, also known as Mark, and believed by many to be the author of the book of Mark.

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible support this belief: "Only Mark tells of this incident and many people believe this young man was Mark himself. How else would he have known this story, and why else should he have included it? If it was Mark, and if the Last Supper was at his home that evening, he could have easily risen from bed, pulled on a linen cloth and followed Jesus and the disciples."

However, the correct answer has to be 'no name is given.'

Answer: Paul and Barnabas

The correct answer is Paul and Barnabas. Scripture tells of a crowd marveling at Paul and Barnabas for the healing of a crippled man with the end result they claimed they were the Greek Gods Zeus and Hermes. However, the claim infuriated Paul and Barnabas.

Acts 14:8-18 explains things this way in the NKJV: "And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother's womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, 'Stand up straight on your feet!' And he leaped and walked. Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, 'The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!' And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, 'Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.' And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them."

Answer: Paul

Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, is the correct answer.

Acts 21:27-30, in the NKJV, states: "Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him [Paul] in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, 'Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.' (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut."

Scripture goes on to tell of the commander of the garrison ordering the arrest of Paul, and then giving him permission to address the mob to defend his actions.