They Finished Second -- Can You Finish First? Quiz

Answer: Jared

According to Genesis 5:20, Jared lived a total of 962 years. He was the son of Mahalalel. Jared is perhaps best known for being the father of Enoch.

Answer: Adah

Adah is the second woman mentioned by name in the Bible. Genesis 4:19-20 states she was the wife of Lamech and she gave birth to a son, Jabal. Scripture states her son was "the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock."

Answer: Rachel

Rachel and Leah were both daughters of Laban who ended up married to Jacob. Although the two were sisters, they were often at loggerheads with Leah giving birth to children while Rachel was barren. The two sisters were the daughters of Laban, who manipulated Jacob into working for him for 14 years to win their hands. Their story begins in Genesis 29.

Answer: Benjamin

The death of Rachel and the birth of Benjamin is reported in Genesis 35:16-20. According to Scripture, the child's first name was not Benjamin. Just before Rachel died, she called him Ben-Oni, which means Son of My Trouble. However, Jacob, the child's father, opted to call him Benjamin, which means Son of My Right Hand.

Answer: Ish-bosheth

Similar to many people, I had the mistaken belief David was the second king of Israel, replacing Saul. However, before David ascended to the throne, Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, was proclaimed as king, reigning for two years. 2 Samuel 2:8-10, in the NIV Bible, states: "Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-Bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel. Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years." Basically a civil war erupted as the tribe of Judah remained loyal to David. The story continues on into the fifth chapter of 2 Samuel with Ish-Bosheth being killed and David becoming king.

It was a dramatic rise to power for David who was seen simply as a shepherd boy until he slew Goliath. Ironically, Saul spent the latter part of his life attempting to kill David simply out of jealousy. Saul would die by committing suicide on the battlefield. When David became king, Israel enjoyed the beginning of a golden era that would continue through to the end of the reign of Solomon. The story of Saul and David takes up much of the Books of Samuel, but Ish-Bosheth did have his moment in the limelight.

Answer: Solomon

A bit of a trick question here. The correct answer is Solomon, although some people have the mistaken belief he was their first child. However, before Solomon was born, Bathsheba gave birth to an unnamed son who died shortly after birth, in 2 Samuel 12:19.

The child was the result of an adulterous affair between David and Bathsheba, while her husband Uriah was still alive. Shammua, Shobab and Nathan were her children as well.

Answer: Michael

Michael is the correct answer with his first appearance reported in Daniel 10:13. Gabriel, however, is named in Daniel 8:16. A number of incidents involving angels can be found in the Old Testament before the book of Daniel, but the angels are not mentioned by name.

Incidentally, Michael and Gabriel are the only angels mentioned by name in the Old Testament (not counting the Apocrypha) and the New Testament. Both angels are also mentioned in the New Testament. Michael is mentioned in Jude and Revelation while Gabriel is referred to in Luke.

Answer: James

James was put to death by the sword, according to Acts 12:1-2. Scripture states King Herod, a vicious adversary of the early church, ordered the execution. James was a fisherman before becoming one of the original 12 disciples of Christ. His brother was John. Notes in the NIV Study Bible state being 'put to death by the sword' meant to be beheaded.

Answer: Jairus' daughter

Jairus' 12-year-old daughter was the second person Jesus raised from the dead. The first person to be raised from the dead was the widow's son at Nain. Meanwhile, Lazarus was the third person to be raised from the dead. Scripture reports the miracle involving Lazarus led to a series of events which culminated in Christ's crucifixion followed by his resurrection and ascension into heaven.

The raising of Jairus' daughter from the dead is one of my favorite stories in the New Testament. In the accounts in Mark 5:21-43 and Luke 8:40-56, it tells of people weeping for the dead girl outside her home. When Jesus appeared and stated the girl was not dead but was simply sleeping, the 'mourners' laughed at him. A few moments later, however, their laughter turned to total amazement when Christ raised the girl from the dead.

Answer: 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians is the second book you will find in the New Testament that Paul is traditionally credited with writing. The first book is Romans. Fittingly, 1 Corinthians is followed by 2 Corinthians. The two Corinthian books were both addressed to members of the early church in Corinth. Ancient Corinth was part of Greece and a modern-day city bears the name Corinth.