Bible Variety Quiz by the BBB

Answer: Jehu

Jehu's name is of uncertain origin, but most likely means something like, "Yahweh is He." Jehu was the son of Jehoshaphat and the grandson of Asa, both kings in their own times.

The wicked king Ahab of Israel and his even more wicked wife, Jezebel, stole, lied, and killed to obtain what they wanted. Each of them was severely dealt with. Once Jehu was anointed to be king, he commanded that Jezebel be pushed out of the window to her death. Her husband had already died in battle, and thus ended the reign of two extremely wicked leaders.

The man that king Ahab had killed was Naboth, and it was all because Naboth wouldn't give the king land that belonged to his family, upon which a vineyard was planted. He was not allowed by Jewish law to give away land that belonged to his family, neither to the king nor anyone else.

The king wanted to plant an herb garden on the land, and following his dear wife's advice, assembled some false witnesses together who claimed that Naboth had blasphemed against God and the king. He then had Naboth and his sons put to death in order to take ownership of the land.

(Claudia suggests that if you wish to read more about the entire sordid account, then please check out the 21st chapter of 1st Kings, along with Jehu's words found in 1 Kings 9:26: "Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD." (King James Version))

Answer: because he was watching by praying and listening to God

"Watchkeeper" has this to say:
"I stand my watch in prayer day by day, bringing people before God, and of course listening to what He may say to me. My one great aim and ambition is to have that fellowship with God that Adam and Eve enjoyed as recorded in Genesis 3."

In Habakkuk 2:1 we read: "I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved." (King James Version)

Answer: it was borrowed

Once some sons of prophets were with Elisha and had decided to make camp, so to speak. As they were preparing the area, we see in the King James Version of 2 Kings 6 that "when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it."

The late evangelist Charles Spurgeon once said that this was how Christians ought to regard their own lives -- as on loan from God -- because, as he reasoned, Christians are bought with a price, and therefore are not their own.

In an extension of this thought, the saving grace of Christ may be seen in the floating of the axe-head itself, representing salvation.

David ended his note to me with this statement: "One of these days I plan to do a full quiz on the little story. It has always been one of my favorites in the Old Testament." Well, David, you're up!

Answer: raven and dove - unclean and clean

The raven left the ark first and did not return, according to Genesis 8:6-12. After a time, the dove was released, returning once with an olive branch (this being indicative of the receding waters, which was a sign that the floodwaters were lower, as olive trees do not grow on high mountains). When she failed to return again, after a third release, then Noah knew that the water had indeed abated, because the dove is a very clean animal, and would never have landed on an unclean surface such as floating carrion.

The King James Version puts it this way:
"And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.
And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.
And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more." (Genesis 8:6-12, King James Version)

Answer: four

In order to fully understand this answer, it is necessary to read the context of the scriptures surrounding the answer. Read 1 Corinthians 15:35-57 for a more complete understanding of eternal life.

Beginning with verse 39 we read that -

"All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory...

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed..."

Marten believes that this is indicative of the various types of "flesh" that were created by God; the text seems to include the glories of the heavenly "bodies" of the stars and planets, as well as men, fish, birds and animals.

Answer: Elijah

In 1 Kings 17, we read that first Elijah was fed by birds, (ravens) during a time of great famine; then late he was fed by an impoverished widow. As she acted in faith, her reward for caring for the man of God was life, for both herself and her son. When her son later died, the prophet Elijah was instrumental in asking God to resurrect him.

In Luke 4:24-26 Jesus said, "...Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was Elias (Elijah) sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow." (KJV)

Heather (PeggyLouisa) finds great interest in studying the life of the prophet Elijah. She hopes that you will become interested in studying about his life and prophecies, too.

Answer: A Cherub

In Ezekiel, we see the rendering of Lucifer being represented physically as the king of Tyre, but from a spiritual perspective, many people view this entity as an incarnation of Lucifer himself.

"Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee."

I believe that this scripture demonstrates how self-pride and arrogance can lead to downfall.

Answer: John 15th chapter

John 15:13-17 in the King James Version of the Bible records Jesus' words to his disciples; "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another."

Luke 11 focuses on Jesus teaching His disciples to pray, among other things; Mark 2 primarily deals with His healing ministry and confrontations with the Pharisees; and Matthew 9 deals with much the same - healings and instructions for the disciples.

Answer: Hoshea - the nation was destroyed

Hoshea ascended to the throne after assassinating the former king, Pekah. Although he was called a king, Hoshea was actually a "puppet leader" under the control of Assyria and he held his appointment only during his own "good behavior".

As a result of his refusal to pay tribute (taxes) to Shalmaneser the Assyrian king, he was taken prisoner, Samaria was besieged, the Kingdom of Israel was eventually overthrown and most of its inhabitants deported to Assyria. (Hoshea's final fate is not recorded.)

While Hoshea was the king, he only ruled over a small portion of the original nation: around the hill country of the tribe of Ephraim. For all practical purposes, Israel as a country ceased to exist at this juncture; most of it had already been overrun with the majority of its population deported to Babylon.

Jimmy suggests that you read II Kings, chapter 17, for a better understanding of these events.

Answer: a weight of money

A talent was a weight of gold or silver. A Roman talent equalled approximately 57 pounds whereas a Babylonian talent was closer to 67 pounds of weight. So 10, four, or even one talent would have been equal to quite a sum of money.

While some have interpreted a talent to mean a skill, or a gift, this was most likely an actual measurement of money. In Rome, an amphora, which was a unit used for measuring liquid goods, would hold one talent-weight, or the equivalent of one cubic foot. In the 18th and the 27th verses, it even refers to the "the lord's money" and "my money."

Dean suggest that you read the account as given in Matthew 25:14-29.