Nine out of Ten: Old Testament Trivia -- #7 Quiz

Answer: Zipporah

Zipporah became Moses' wife when he fled to Midian after killing an unnamed Egyptian man, as per the second chapter of Exodus. (In the NIV, her name is spelled Zippora while it is spelled Zipporah in the KJV and the NKJV.) She was the daughter of a priest in Midian and she had six sisters, as per Exodus 2:16.

Moses and Zipporah were parents of Gershom and Eliezer. Exodus 18:3-4, in the NKJV Bible, gives this explanation of the names of the two sons: "...the name of one was Gershom (for he said, 'I have been a stranger in a foreign land') and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, 'The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh')"

Answer: Elisha

The correct answer is Elisha. 2 Kings 4:8-10, in the NKJV, explains things this way: "Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. And she said to her husband, 'Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.'"

The woman's benevolence to Elisha paid off in major dividends, Scripture indicates. The fourth chapter of 2 Kings goes on to tell of the woman of Shunem giving birth to a son who died some time later.

Verses 32-34 tells of Elisha miraculously bringing the child back to life: "When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm. He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes."

Answer: Pharaoh

The correct answer is the Pharaoh. The fates of the chief butler and the chief baker were accurately predicted by Joseph who was imprisoned with the two men. Joseph, of course, was able to predict the fates of the two men when he interpreted their dreams.

Genesis 40:20-22, in the NKJV Bible, states: "Now it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them."

Later, Joseph would be called upon to interpret the Pharaoh's dreams. The Pharaoh ended up being so impressed with Joseph's interpretations that he made him the second most powerful man in Egypt.

Answer: Hosea

The correct answer is Hosea. In Hosea, 1:2-3, in the KJV Bible, God tells Hosea to marry a wife of whoredom as an illustration of Israel's infidelity to God. (In the NKJV, Hosea is told to marry a woman of harlotry and in the NIV to marry a promiscuous woman.) According to verse 3, the woman's name was Gomer, and she was the daughter of Diblaim.

Answer: Asa

Asa is the correct answer. According to 1 Kings 15:11 in the NKJV, Asa did "what was right in the eyes of the LORD." Scripture states he reigned 41 years in Jerusalem.

According to 2 Chronicles 16:12, Asa became diseased in his feet during the 39th year of his reign. Scripture states "his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians." The following chapter tells of Asa being replaced as king by his son Jehoshaphat.

Answer: Nadab and Abihu

Nadab and Abihu were both consumed by fire from the presence of the LORD because of their unholy worship practice. Leviticus 10:1-2, in the NKJV Bible, records their demise this way: "Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD."

According to Numbers 3:4, Nadab and Abihu had no sons, so their brothers, Eleazar and Ithamar, served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.

Answer: Ishbosheth

Ishbosheth is the correct answer. It's a bit of a long story, but Ishbosheth was the son of Saul and after his father died he became king of Israel. However, the people of Judah enthroned David as their king and the Israelites were involved in a bloody civil was a result. The war came to an end with Ishbosheth's death.

2 Samuel 4:4-8 in the NKJV explains Ishbosheth's gruesome death this way: "Then the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came at about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who was lying on his bed at noon. And they came there, all the way into the house, as though to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. For when they came into the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; then they struck him and killed him, beheaded him and took his head, and were all night escaping through the plain. And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, 'Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul your enemy, who sought your life; and the LORD has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and his descendants.'"

Scripture goes on to state the assassination angered David and he reacted by ordering the execution of the killers.

The chapter concludes by stating David's "young men" executed the assassins, cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them by the pool in Hebron. Then they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.

Answer: Amos

Amos is the correct answer with the condemnation coming from Amos 6:4. In the Hebrew Bible, Amos is part of the Twelve Prophets and in the Old Testament of the English Bible, it is part of the Minor Prophets.

Amos 6:3-7, in the NKJV states:
"Woe to you who put far off the day of doom,
Who cause the seat of violence to come near;
Who lie on beds of ivory,
Stretch out on your couches,
Eat lambs from the flock
And calves from the midst of the stall;
Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments,
And invent for yourselves musical instruments like David;
Who drink wine from bowls,
And anoint yourselves with the best ointments,
But are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
Therefore they shall now go captive as the first of the captives,
And those who recline at banquets shall be removed."

Answer: Hezekiah

Hezekiah is the correct answer. He was the 14th king of Israel, according to Wikipedia. The prophet Isaiah told Hezekiah to get his house in order "because you are going to die, you will not recover," as per 2 Kings 20:1. Hezekiah then pored out his heart to the LORD immediately after Isaiah left and Scripture reports the prophet promptly received a message from the Lord. 2 King 20:4-5, in the NKJV Bible, states: "And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 'Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: 'I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD.'" Scripture goes on to report 15 more years were added to Hezekiah's life.

Answer: Zephaniah

Zephaniah is the correct answer. He was a prophet and one of the books in the Minor Prophet section of the Old Testament bears his name.

According to Wikipedia, Zephaniah prophesied in the days of Josiah, king of Judah (B.C. 641-610), and was contemporary with Jeremiah, with whom he had much in common.

Wikipedia goes on to state this about Zephaniah: "The prophet spoke boldly against the religious and moral corruption, when, in view of the idolatry which had penetrated even into the sanctuary, he warned that God would 'destroy out of this place the remnant of Baal, and the names of the ... priests' (Zeph 1:4), and pleaded for a return to the simplicity of their fathers instead of the luxurious foreign clothing which was worn especially in aristocratic circles (1:8)."