A Quick Look at Ten Old Testament Books -- #3 Quiz

Answer: Genesis

The account of Asenath, daughter of Poti-Phera, priest of On, becoming the wife of Joseph is found in only the book of Genesis. Not much is known about Asenath as she is largely mentioned in passing reference with Genesis 41:45 telling of her becoming Joseph's wife. According to Genesis 46:20, Joseph and Asenath were the parents of Manasseh and Ephraim. At this time, Joseph was the second most powerful man in Egypt, surpassed by only the Pharaoh. As a result, Asenath would have been one of the most influential women in Egypt.

(In the NIV, the name of Joseph's father-in-law is spelled Potipherah.)

Answer: Leviticus

According to Leviticus 10:1, fire from the LORD "devoured" Nadab and Abihu after they both took a censer, put fire in it and put incense on it and then offered profane fire before the LORD. Nadab and Abihu were the sons of Aaron and they were "devoured" by fire in the tabernacle of meeting. (The NIV states the men were killed because they offered "unauthorized fire".)

Details about their deaths can be found in only Leviticus 10:1-3, although their deaths are mentioned in passing reference in 1 Chronicles.

According to notes in the NIV Study Bible, 'censers' were "ceremonial vessels containing hot coals and used for burning incense."

Answer: Ruth

Mahlon was the first husband of Ruth, a Moabite woman, with details found in only the book of Ruth. He was the the son of Elimelek and Naomi and the brother of Chilion. (In the NIV, Chilion's anme appears as Kilion.) According to Scripture, Nahlon died, as well as his father and his brother, leaving their wives as widows. However, Scripture does not indicate how the three men died.

Later, Ruth would marry Boaz and they would become the parents of Obed. Scripture goes on to state Obed was the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David. Ruth's name appears in the genealogy of Christ, as per Matthew 1:5.

Answer: Esther

Esther is the correct answer. Haman had a diabolical plan to kill all the Jews in the vast kingdom ruled by King Ahasuerus and it appears his wife Zeresh was just as evil. (In the NIV Ahasuerus is known as Xerxes.) According to Scripture, she's the wicked woman who counseled her husband Haman to build a gigantic gallows to hang Mordecai.

Esther 5:14-15 tells of Zeresh urging him to construct a gallows fifty cubits high on which to hang Mordecai, a cousin of Queen Esther.

According to the NIV Study Bible, fifty cubits is about about seventy-five feet or about 23 meters. It is believed Zeresh wanted the gallows extra high so Mordecai's demise could be seen from a considerable distance. In other words, the gallows would be about as high as a seven story building, making it visible from all parts of the city where the king reigned.

Zeresh's name appears in only Esther and nowhere else in the Bible.

Answer: Proverbs

Proverbs is the correct answer with the words coming from Chapter 3, Verse 5. To be in context, Verse 5 should appear with Verse 6. The two verses in the NKJV state, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

For me, reading Proverbs 3:5-6 sparks fond memories as they were among the first Bible verses I memorized.

Tradition holds most of the book of Proverbs was written by Solomon, but some modern day theologians dispute this belief.

Answer: Exodus

Exodus is the correct answer, with details about the ten plagues being unleashed on Egypt appearing in Chapters 7 through 12. The plagues involved everything from the Nile River being turned into blood to the death of the firstborn. Finally, after the tenth plague, the Pharaoh relented and granted permission to the Israelites to leave Egypt. According to Scripture, the Israelites were led out of Egypt by Moses with the assistance of his brother Aaron and his sister Miriam.

Answer: Psalms

The correct answer is Psalms, with the words coming from Psalm 121:1-2. Psalm 121 has long been one of my favorites. I remember once, while going though an extremely difficult trial, finding extreme comfort by memorizing the words to the Psalm and repeating them over and over in my mind.

The book of Psalms consists of one hundred and fifty chapters with many of them written by David. It's impossible to come up with an exact total as a number of the Psalms do not have any credit lines. The numbers vary, with different websites giving a different total for David's contributions. However, the consensus appears to be that David wrote more than 70 Psalms at the very least. According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, some of the other Psalmists include Ethan, Heman, Asaph and Moses, as well as Solomon, who is credited with writing two of the Psalms -- Numbers 72 and 127.

Answer: Ėsaiah

Isaiah is the correct answer, with the words in the question coming from Chapter 43, Verse 5. Isaiah's father was Amoz and according to Isaiah 1:1 he prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah (or Azariah), Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah. According to the website Biblical-Baby-Names.com, Isaiah means 'Jehovah Has Saved'.

Isaiah's prophecies tell of impending judgment on the Israelites followed by better times ahead. Many Christians believe the book of Isaiah contains a number of prophecies pertaining to Jesus Christ, with Chapter 53 being an example.

Answer: Zechariah

The words in the question are part of Zechariah 3:8. The entire verse in the NKJV states:
"'Hear, O Joshua, the high priest,
You and your companions who sit before you,
For they are a wondrous sign;
For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH'."

(While the KJV and the NKJV use capital letters, the NIV has only a capital 'B', stating "I am bringing forth My Servant the Branch".)

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state the term 'BRANCH' is in regards to the coming of Christ, the Messiah.

The book of Zechariah is part of the Minor Prophet section in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible and part of the Twelve Prophet section in the Hebrew Bible. The book consists of fourteen chapters.

Many Christians believe the book of Zechariah contains a number of prophecies pertaining to the Lord Jesus Christ. According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, passages such as 9:9-10, 11:11-13, 12:10 and 13:7 are all in reference to Christ. Meanwhile, it is believed by many Chapter 14 prophesies about Jesus coming as a "Judge" and "righteous King."

Answer: 2 Kings

According to 2 Kings 6:1-7, Elisha caused an axhead to float on the Jordan River. The story is found in only 2 Kings. In a nutshell, Elisha and a group of prophets were cutting trees along the Jordan River to build a new place to live when suddenly an axhead fell into the water.

The prophet who lost the axhead was apparently filled with distress as it was borrowed. When Elisha asked the man where the axhead fell, the spot was pointed out to him. 2 Kings, 6-7, in the NIV Bible, states: "Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. 'Lift it out,' he said.

Then the man reached out his hand and took it."