They Finished Second -- Can You Finish First? (#5) Quiz

Answer: Cain

Cain was part of the second incident in Scripture in which God addressed a human who is named in the text. Genesis 4:6-7, in the NIV Bible, states: "Then the LORD said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.'" Shortly afterwards, Cain would kill his brother Abel in a field. According to Scripture, God would address Cain once again.

It's in that conversation Cain utters the famous words "Am I my brother's keeper?" (See Genesis 4:9)

Answer: Perez and Zerah

Perez and Zerah were the second set of twins in the Bible. Judah was the father and Tamar, his daughter-in-law, was the mother of the boys. Genesis 38:28-30, in the NIV Bible, tells of the births: "As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, 'This one came out first.' But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, 'So this is how you have broken out!' And he was named Perez. Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah.'"

According to notes in the NIV Study Bible, Perez means breaking out while Zerah can mean scarlet or brightness.

Answer: Rachel

The second kissing incident in the Bible involved Jacob and Rachel, as per Genesis 29:11.

Genesis 29:10-12, in the NIV Bible, tells what happened when Jacob arrived in Paddan Aram, the home of his mother Rebekah: "When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban's sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father."

In verse 13, Jacob is involved in yet another kissing incident when Laban embraces him and then kisses him.

Answer: Gihon

Gihon is the name of the second river, according to Scripture. The second chapter of Genesis states the third river was the Tigris and the fourth was the Euphrates. While the Tigris and the Euphrates are well known rivers today, there is much conjecture about the Pishon and the Gihon. Some say they are two rivers that originate in the marshlands shared with the Tigris and the Euphrates. However, shooting down this belief is the fact Genesis 2:13 states the Gihon "winds through the entire land of Cush," a name associated with present-day Ethiopia. (I guess you could say the water is a little muddy on this issue.)

Meanwhile, the Web site Christiananswers.net offers this explanation about the confusion: "In all probability the Gihon and all the other rivers were destroyed by the worldwide Flood cataclysm described in Genesis."

The same Web site also reports Gihon is also the name of "the only natural spring of water in or near Jerusalem".

Answer: Plague of frogs

The second plague involved countless numbers of frogs covering Egypt and causing unbelievable turmoil. Exodus 8:3-4, quotes the LORD about the coming catastrophe: "'The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials'."

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state "frogs, which in moderate numbers were signs of life, renewal and happiness, would now become pests."

It was only after ten plagues that the Pharaoh would grant permission to leave Egypt, according to Scripture. The final plague involved the deaths of firstborn Egyptians as well as the firstborn livestock. It's from this event the Israelites instituted the observance of Passover.

Answer: Naphtali

The correct answer is Naphtali. He was a founder of one of the 12 tribes of Israel and according to Genesis 46:24, Naphtali was the father of Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem. When Jacob blessed his sons, he had this to say about Naphtali, as per Genesis 49:21, in the NIV Study Bible: "Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns."

Although Jacob's blessing augered well for Naphtali's future, not much is known about him as he is seldom mentioned in Scripture.

When Bilhah bore a second son for Jacob, Scripture states Rachel gave him the name Naphtali because she had a great struggle with her sister Leah and she was the winner. Notes in the NIV Study Bible state Naphtali means my struggle.

According to Scripture, Rachel felt immense shame because she was unable to bare children while her sister Leah was bearing sons for Jacob. For example, in Genesis 30:1, she is quoted as saying "give me children, or I'll die!". As a result, she came up with the scheme calling on Jacob to sleep with Bilhah to bear children for her.

In Genesis 30:22, however, it states "God remembered Rachel" and she was able to conceive. She would give birth to two sons -- Joseph and Benjamin.

Answer: A lying tongue

The correct answer is a lying tongue.

Proverbs 6:16-19, states: "These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren."

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state: "This passage is a numerical proverb that describes seven things that the LORD hates. The use of the numerical progression -- six, even seven -- is a rhetorical device that embellishes the poetry, provides a memory aid and builds to a climax. The progression involves not just the numbers but also the words that describe God's response; the word hate progresses to abomination. The word abomination is the Bible's strongest expression of hatred for wickedness."

Answer: Love your neighbor as yourself

Matthew 22 tells of the Sadducees and the Pharisees getting together to come up with a question to apparently stump Jesus. To this end, an expert in the law tested Jesus by asking "which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Matthew 22:37-40 states: "Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.'"

Answer: Paul and Silas

Paul and Silas were the two workers in the early church who were able to leave imprisonment because of an earthquake, according to Acts 16:26. Just prior to the earthquake at around midnight, Scripture states Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns, this even though they had both been savagely beaten by a mob. Acts 16:26 states "at once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose." Paul and Silas, however, did not flee. Instead, they remained in their cells and used the occasion to convert the jailer to Christianity. Acts 16:34 states: "The jailer brought them (Paul and Silas) into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God -- he and his whole household."

In other words, Paul and Silas were not involved in a jail break in the strictest sense of the word. However, many Christians firmly believe they were able to leave jail because of divine intervention.

Answer: Ananias

Ananias is the correct answer. According to Scripture, Ananias was instructed by the Lord to go to meet with Saul, who had been a vehement opponent of the early church.

Acts 9:10-13, in the NKJV Bible, recounts the events: "Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, 'Ananias.' And he said, 'Here I am, Lord.' So the Lord said to him, 'Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.' Then Ananias answered, 'Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.' But the Lord said to him, 'Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake.'"