Bible Headlines: Heroes of the Old Testament Quiz

Answer: Moses

The Israelites had been slaves for over 400 hundred years. God had sent Moses to tell Pharoah to let the Israelites be free. However, Pharoah was stubborn and refused, even when God sent many horrible plagues upon Egypt. Pharoah finally gave up when God killed his only son.

He told Moses and the Israelites to get out as fast as they could. When Moses and his people got to the Red Sea, Pharoah sent an army to trap them. God didn't forget his people! He told Moses to stretch out his rod, and the sea opened up on both sides.

The Israelites walked across on dry ground, while the Egyptian army was blocked by a wall of fire. When the Egyptians came after them, God drowned them in the Red Sea. Moses and the Israelites sang and danced about God's miracle! (Exodus 14, NIV)

Answer: David

When David found out the Israelite army was being bullied by a giant named Goliath, he was very angry! King Saul had offered to reward any man that would fight Goliath, but all the soldiers hid behind rocks because they were so afraid. David had enough! He went to King Saul and volunteered to fight Goliath. Everyone laughed because David had no army experience; he was just a shepherd boy. David told King Saul that God would be with him to kill Goliath, just like God helped him fight a lion and a bear.

He picked up five smooth stones from a river and decided to use his slingshot. He told Goliath, "You come to me with a sword, but I come to you with the name of the Lord!". With one stone, David killed Goliath, and then cut off his head! Later the ladies threw a parade and sang, "Saul has killed his thousands, David has killed his ten thousands!" (1 Samuel 17, 1 Samuel 18:1-7, NIV)

Answer: Rahab

Joshua sent spies into the city of Jericho to see the city before the great battle. Rahab saw the spies and hid them from soldiers in her house. She told the spies that the city was very afraid because they had heard stories of the Israelites' God, and how they had been delivered from Egypt.

She asked the spies to save her family when God gave them the city. The spies told Rahab if she protected them and hung a red cord out her window, they would return and bring her safely to Israel when the battle happened. Rahab listened and did as they said.

When God brought the walls of Jericho down, the spies saved her entire family. Later she married an Israelite and became an ancestor of King David and Jesus Christ. (Joshua 2, NIV)

Answer: Daniel

While Daniel was serving as a wise man in the king's court, the king made a law that no one could pray to anyone but him. Daniel still prayed to God every day even with the law. Some of the other wise men reported it to the king and told him that he could not change the law to save Daniel.

The king was very sad when he had to throw Daniel in the lion's den for praying. The king could not sleep all night worrying about Daniel. He went to the den the next day to see what had happened. To his amazement, Daniel was alive! Daniel said, "O King, live forever! The God who I serve sent an angel and shut the lion's mouths". Daniel did not have a scratch! The king was so happy he freed Daniel and put the wise men that tried to hurt Daniel in the den instead.

The lions ate the other wise men in seconds. (Daniel 6, NIV)

Answer: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

The king made a law that everyone in Babylon had to bow to a giant idol or be thrown in a fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused. When the music played, everyone in the kingdom bowed, but the three Hebrews were left standing. Outraged, the king gave them another chance.

The three Hebrews told him they would never bow. The king told the guards to throw them in the furnace and make it hotter than ever before! It was so hot it killed the guards. However, the Hebrews praised God in the furnace.

The king looked and saw four men in the fire. He told the guards that the fourth looked like the son of God! He called the Hebrew men out. They did not smell like smoke or fire. They were not even burned. God had delivered them. (Daniel 3, NIV)

Answer: Samson

Samson was a strong man who did many acts for God with his strength. He killed a lion with his bare hands and defeated hundreds of men with the jawbone of a donkey. However, he fell in love with a woman who betrayed him to the Philistines. They blinded him and made him work in chains. Samson cried to God for mercy for his mistakes.

He asked God to give him one more victory. At a temple party, the Philistines brought him out to laugh at him. Samson placed his hands on two pillars and prayed. Then he pushed hard. God brought the temple down and killed all the Philistines because of Samson's prayer. (Judges 13-16, NIV)

Answer: Solomon

King David died and left his young son Solomon to be king in his place. God loved David very much and granted Solomon one request. God told Solomon that he could ask for anything and it would be given. Solomon was nervous about ruling the kingdom in his father's place.

He asked God to give him wisdom. God was impressed! God told Solomon that because he did not ask for gold, a long life, or victory in battle, He would bless him with wisdom like no other king before. He also told Solomon there would be no other king like him. (1 Kings 3:1-15, NIV) Many people came to see Solomon for his wisdom. Solomon became one of the richest kings in the world and built a temple for God that many came to see.

He lived a long life and is believed to have written the book of Proverbs.

Answer: Elijah

King Ahab and Jezebel were strict rulers who had caused the Israelites to serve Baal, who their leaders considered to be a false god. Elijah told Ahab that it would not rain until he said so. For three years, Israel went without water. Finally, Elijah challenged Ahab and the royal prophets to a contest.

He told the king to gather Israel on a mountain and make two altars. The royal prophets would make one to Baal and Elijah would make one to the Lord God. The God who answered by fire would be the God of Israel.

The Baal prophets tried all day and did not succeed. Elijah prayed a simple prayer, "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself." (1 Kings 18:36-37, NIV) God answered Elijah with fire from heaven.

It burned the entire altar, stones, and sacrifice. All the Israelites fell on their face and declared, "The Lord, He is God!" They chased after all the king's prophets and killed them. Later Elijah prayed and God brought rain on Israel again. (1 Kings 18, NIV)

Answer: Esther

A king was very grieved when he had to send his wife away for disobeying him. He sent out many men to search for the most beautiful women in the land through a beauty contest. Esther didn't want to leave her uncle for the king's palace, but her uncle convinced her to go.

Her uncle told her to keep her Jewish heritage a secret. Esther was so beautiful, the king loved her and made her his new queen. Esther was not queen long before she faced trouble. A royal advisor hated the Jews because they did not bow down to him.

He made a law to kill all the jews and take their property. Esther's uncle pleaded with her to go to the king. Esther was afraid that going to the king could have led to her being killed or sent away like the previous queen. Her uncle told her to be brave because God had chosen her for such a time as this. Esther pleaded with the King and told her about the man named Haman.

The king was angry! He asked his advisor why he was trying to kill his queen and her people. The king loved Esther and had Haman taken away.

He wrote a new law protecting her people. Esther's bravery saved the Jews. (Book of Esther, NIV)

Answer: Joshua

When Moses died, Joshua became the leader of all the Israelites. He prayed to God for direction on how to lead the Israelites into the promised land. Jericho was a huge walled city that no one had ever defeated before.

God sent an angel to tell Joshua the battle plans. God told Joshua, "See, I have given you Jericho, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have everyone shout as loud as they can! The wall of the city will collapse. Go in with the army and have everyone else follow!" (Joshua 6:2-5, NIV)

The people of Jericho laughed at Joshua and the Israelites for six days while they marched around the walls quietly. Joshua and the Israelites shouted with the priests on the seventh day and the walls fell flat! God kept his promises and gave them the victory because they obeyed.