A Quiz to Work On -- Jobs in the Old Testament

Answer: David

David, of course, is the correct answer. Although he was the second king of Israel, he had humble origins, serving as a shepherd boy before he slew Goliath (1 Samuel 16:11-13). Scripture records that David was an ace with a slingshot as he used it on numerous occasions to kill beasts that attacked the sheep he was attending to.

It was this same skill he used when he slew Goliath, using a slingshot to kill the behemoth of a man who had terrified Israeli soldiers.

Answer: Cain

Yes, Cain is the correct answer. Being described as a tiller of the ground, he's the first person in the Bible to have the occupation of farmer. The same passage, Genesis 4:2, indicates Abel kept flocks. In other words, he was the first shepherd in the Bible.

Answer: Noah

Yes, Noah is the first shipbuilder in the Bible. His story is told in the sixth, seventh and eighth chapters of Genesis. According to Scripture, Noah was commanded by God to build an ark on which he was to take his immediate family as well as a specified list of animals and birds to escape a global flood that was caused by 40 days of continuous rain.

The story of Noah and his ark is one of the best known in the Bible. (I suppose if you really want to stre-e-e-e-e-e-e-tch things, you could say the person who built the basket that accommodated baby Moses on the Nile River was actually another early shipbuilder in the Bible!)

Answer: Nimrod

In addition to being a mighty hunter, Genesis 10:8 states Nimrod was a "mighty warrior." His father was Cush. On top of being a great hunter and warrior, Scipture indicates Nimrod ruled over a vast area. Genesis 10:10-12, in the NIV Bible, states: "The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah -- which is the great city."

Answer: Jubal

Jubal is the first music teacher mentioned in Scripture. The NIV Bible states he was the "father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes." The most common of these instruments would have been the harp and flute. Incidentally, his mother was Adah, the first woman (after Eve) mentioned by name in the Old Testament. His father was Lamech.

Answer: Tubal-Cain

Tubal-Cain is the correct answer. His father was Lamech and his mother was Zillah. He had a sister named Naamah. Incidentally, Tubal-Cain is the first hyphenated name in the Bible.

Answer: Hilkiah

Hilkiah is the correct answer. Scripture states Hilkiah was the high priest during the reign of King Josiah of Judah. He is best known for discovering the book of the law written by Moses. The account of Hilkiah finding the book of the law is found in the 22nd chapter of 2 Kings.

There are seven men in the Old Testament who were called Hilkiah. One of them was the father of the prophet Jeremiah.

Answer: Othniel

Othniel is the correct answer. Scripture states Othniel was the son of Kenaz, and was Caleb's younger brother. His story is told in Judges 3:7-11. Othniel was the first judge of Israel. His wife was Achsah. Judges 3:10-11, in the NIV Bible, states: "The Spirit of the LORD came on him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war.

The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died."

Answer: Nehemiah

Nehemiah was the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. Scripture records he was successful in getting permission from the king to lead a contingent of Israelites out of Persia and back to Jerusalem to re-build the walls around the city. He was the son of Hachaliah.

The job of the cupbearer was to serve drinks at the royal table. In other words, Nehemiah was a butler in the royal palace of King Artaxerxes.

Answer: Rahab

Rahab, of course, is the correct answer. Her story appears in the second and sixth chapters of Joshua. She gained fame because she hid two Israeli spies when they were sent to check out the land around Jericho.

I find it interesting that some refer to prostitution as 'the world's oldest profession' as they seem to think it is the first occupation mentioned in the Bible. However, the first reference to prostitution doesn't appear until Genesis 34:31 where the sons of Jacob expressed their anger at their sister Dinah being treated like a prostitute by Shechem. However, there are a number of other occupations listed before this use of the word 'prostitute'.

The first direct reference to a prostitute is the 38th chapter of Genesis where it tells of Judah mistaking his daughter-in-law Tamar for a prostitute. With this background, there's a strong case to be made that the world's oldest profession is farmer (Cain, Genesis 4:2) or music teacher (Jubal, Genesis 4:21).