Rock On: A Bible Quiz About Stones -- #1

Answer: Jacob

Jacob is the correct answer. Genesis 28:11 tells of Jacob being at Bethel and taking a stone and using it as a pillow. It was here Jacob had a vision of angels of God ascending and descending on a ladder from heaven, as per Genesis 28:10-19. According to Scripture, he was on his way from Beersheba to Haran. Bethel was west of Ai.

Scripture goes on to tell of Jacob awaking from his sleep and stating, 'Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.' The passage also describes Jacob as being afraid and stating, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!'

Answer: An unnamed woman

An unnamed woman in a besieged tower dropped a millstone on Abimelech, striking him on the head, according to Scripture. (In the NIV, he is known as Abimelek.) According to Judges 9, Abimelech was as evil as they come, and when a group of men, women and children had taken refuge in a tower in Thebez, he responded by drawing near the tower to set it on fire. Judges 9:53 states an unnamed woman in the tower dropped "an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull."

Scripture goes on to state Abimelech asked his armorbearer to kill him with his sword, so no one could say a woman had killed him. The armorbearer fulfilled Ambimelech's wish, but no further details are given.

Judges 9:56 states Abimelech's death was divine retribution. According to Scripture, Abimelech was so evil he even killed seventy of his brothers as part of his insatiable desire for power. He had ruled over Israel for three tyrannical years.

Answer: Samuel

1 Samuel 7:12 states Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called it Ebenezer, stating, "thus far the LORD has helped us." Scripture states Samuel set up the commemorative stone after the Israelites defeated the Philistines in a military battle. According to notes in the MKJV Study Bible, Ebenezer meants 'Stone of Help'.

Answer: Five

David took "five smooth stones" into battle against Goliath, but it's abundantly apparent he needed only one. Scripture tells of David taking one of the five stones and putting it in his sling shot and striking the Philistine giant in the forehead, with the stone sinking in his skull. Goliath then tumbled face first to the ground with David drawing a sword out of his sheath and cutting off the giant's head. When the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled, with the Israelites pursuing them and showing no mercy.

See Chapter 17 of 1 Samuel for complete details.

Answer: Elijah

Elijah built an altar of stone that was consumed by fire, Scripture states. It was all part of a showdown between Elijah, a leading prophet of God in his day, and four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. According to notes in the New King James Study Bible, Baal was the male god of the Phoenicians and the Canaanites, and the counterpart of the female Ashtaroth.

According to 1 Kings 18, Elijah and the prophets of Baal had a showdown to see who could call upon a higher power to ignite a sacrificial offering on Mount Carmel. The 450 prophets called on Baal and Elijah called on the LORD, with Elijah being the clear winner.

Elijah is well known for many things, but perhaps the best known story involving him is his duel with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.

For details about the altar of stone being consumed by fire, see 1 Kings 18:31-38.

Answer: Moses

Moses is the correct answer, as per Exodus 17:6. The incident happened when the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness as part of their forty-year-long journey from Egypt to Canaan, known as the Promised Land. Exodus 17:3 tells of the people thirsting for water, with many of them accusing Moses of leading them out of Egypt only "to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst."

After crying out to the LORD for help, Scripture states Moses received divine instructions to strike a rock in Horeb and water would gush out. And sure enough, that's what happened, as per Exodus 17:6.

Answer: Satan

Satan made the suggestion when he was tempting Jesus, Scripture states. Jesus was fasting in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights when Satan unsuccessfully attempted to tempt Jesus.

In Luke 4:3, Satan is quoted as telling Jesus to turn stones into bread to alleviate His hunger. In Verse 4, Jesus responds by stating, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God'." The Scripture Jesus quoted is found in Deuteronomy 8:3.

Answer: Jesus

Jesus made the statement about a rejected stone becoming the chief cornerstone, as per Matthew 21:42. Christ's statement appears as part of a passage known as the Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers, as well as the Parable of the Landowner.

In the passage, Jesus is likening Himself to the rejected stone that would become the chief cornerstone. When Jesus made the statement, he was quoting Old Testament Scripture with the words found in Psalm 118:22-23.

See Matthew 21:33-46 for more details.

Answer: Joseph of Arimathea

This may have tripped up some players, as the correct answer is Joseph of Arimathea. Jesus, of course, was buried in a tomb provided by Joseph of Arimathea who had gone to Pilate to obtain permission to bury Christ's body, as per Matthew 27:57-61. Verse 60 tells of Joseph rolling a stone against the door of the tomb after Jesus was buried.

Meanwhile, Verses 62-66 tell of Pilate ordering a seal to be put around the stone at the door of the tomb and guards to stand at the scene to prevent anyone from stealing Christ's body to create the illusion He had risen from the dead. Pilate's efforts, of course, were in vain, with the four Gospels telling of Jesus triumphantly rising from the dead on the third day.

Answer: The Pharisees

Jesus made the comment to the Pharisees, as part of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, as per Luke 19:40. As Jesus entered the city riding on a colt, citizens showed immense adoration with some of them even spreading their clothes on the road. Scripture goes on to state, "the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice... saying 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!'" The statement 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord' is seen as fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, as per Psalm 118:26.

The Pharisees, however, were enraged by the show of affection, with Luke 19:39 stating they told Jesus to rebuke His disciples. Verse 40 contains Christ's response: "'I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out'."

Despite the massive show of affection, a short time later Jesus would be betrayed by Judas Iscariot, arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and put on trial in what amounted to a kangaroo court. He would be mocked, humiliated, tortured and crucified with two common thieves, only to rise triumphantly from the dead, according to the four Gospels.