Who Am I? Old Testament Characters -- #5 Quiz

Answer: Cyrus

Cyrus, king of Persia, is the correct answer. In the 36th chapter of 2 Chronicles, it states Cyrus' heart was moved by the LORD to allow the Israelites taken into exile to return to Jerusalem to build a temple. Verse 23 in the NIV Bible states Cyrus credited "the LORD, the God of heaven" for giving him "all the kingdoms of the earth." Cyrus goes on to state the LORD had "appointed" him to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.

The empire of King Cyrus stretched from India in the east to Turkey in the west, according to information from various websites. Persia was in present day Iran. Cyrus' name is mentioned 22 times in the Old Testament of the NIV Bible, showing he played a key role in the scheme of things.

Answer: Jonah

The correct answer is Jonah, the man who was swallowed by a whale only to be regurgitated onto dry land after surviving three days and three nights in the mammal's stomach, according to Scripture. After surviving his ordeal in the whale's stomach, Jonah agreed to go to Nineveh, the place the LORD wanted him to go all along.

His story is one of the best known in the Old Testament and is told in the book that carries his name. Wikipedia states Nineveh "was an ancient city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River in ancient Assyria.

Its ruins are across the river from the modern-day major city of Mosul, in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq."

Answer: Orpah

Orpah left her mother-in-law while Ruth opted to stay with Naomi. The women had been married to Naomi's sons, Mahlon and Kilion. However, the two sons died about ten years after their marriages and their mother Naomi was a widow as her husband Elimelek had died, apparently before her two sons married. (Ruth 1:1-5) Ruth proved to be extremely loyal to Naomi even though Naomi suggested it would be best for the two women to return to their homeland. Ruth 1:16-17, in the NIV Bible, states: "But Ruth replied, 'Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.'"

Answer: Dinah

Dinah is the correct answer. After she was defiled, a bloody massacre took place with Dinah's brothers killing every male in Shechem's hometown. Every woman and child was taken captive and every house plundered. The massacre took place after Dinah's brothers convinced the males in Shechem's city they should circumcise themselves. Genesis 34:25, in the NIV Bible, states: "Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male."

Answer: Rachel

Rachel was the mother of Joseph. She and her sister Leah were both married to Jacob. However, Rachel was largely depressed during her marriage because she couldn't conceive a child while Leah was bearing children. According to Scripture, things changed for Rachel later in her life. Genesis 30:22-23, in the NIV Bible, states: "Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive.

She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, 'God has taken away my disgrace.' She named him Joseph, and said, 'May the LORD add to me another son.'". Later she would die giving birth to Benjamin.

Answer: Ham

Ham is the correct answer. One of the more bizarre stories in the Bible involves Ham seeing his father Noah sleeping naked after Noah had become intoxicated with wine. According to Genesis 9:22-23, Ham told his brothers Shem and Japheth about their father's nakedness and they responded by going into his tent backwards and covering his body. Genesis 9:24-27, in the NIV Bible, states: "When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, he said, 'Cursed be Canaan! the lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.' He also said, 'Praise be to the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. May God extend Japheth's territory; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.'"

Answer: Joshua

The account of the sun and moon standing still can be found in the 10th chapter of Joshua. While in the middle of an intensive battle with the Amorites, Joshua prayed to God the sun and moon would stay put, Scripture states. Some people believe Joshua asked for the extra daylight so the enemies would not overpower his forces at night. Joshua 10:12-14, in the NIV Bible states: "On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: 'Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.' So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a human being. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!"

It's interesting to note that Snopes.com reports there's a false rumor making the rounds that NASA scientists have discovered a "missing day" which corresponds with the sun standing still in the 10th chapter of Joshua. However, Snopes.com goes on to report there is no way of proving, or disproving, if the sun actually stood still some time ago.

Answer: Aaron

Aaron is the correct answer. With his brother Moses, they formed a dynamic duo and Scripture reports they were used by the LORD to lead the Isrealites out of Egypt. According to Exodus 7: 7, Aaron was 83 and Moses was 80 when they requested permission from the Pharaoh to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

After ten vicious plagues -- everything from the Nile River turning into blood and the deaths of the country's firstborn -- the brothers finally received the Pharaoh's permission to leave Egypt and to head to the Promised Land.

Answer: Gideon

According to Judges 6:12 in the NIV Bible, Gideon means "Mighty Warrior." He was a judge of Israel and his story appears in chapters 6 through 8 in Judges. When the LORD told Gideon he would be used to save the people of Israel, Scripture indicates he was filled with doubt. So to make sure what he had been told to him was true, Gideon told the LORD to confirm the fact by giving him a sign. To this end, Gideon announced he would put a wool fleece on the threshing floor and if there was dew only on the fleece and all the ground was dry, he would know that he would indeed be able to save the people of Israel. Scripture reports Gideon rose early the next day and he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew -- a bowlful of water.

But this wasn't enough for him.

Much like a doubting Thomas, he demanded yet another sign. Then Gideon said he would conduct one more test with the fleece, "but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew." Scripture reports Gideon found the fleece was dry and all the ground was covered with dew.

Answer: Naaman

Naaman is the correct answer. His story is found in the 5th chapter of 2 Kings. After coming down with leprosy, Naaman followed the advice of a Jewish slave maid who served his wife. In 2 Kings 5:23, she told him to see the "prophet in Samaria." The end result is this: Elisha the prophet told Naaman to bathe himself seven times in the Jordan River.

Afterward, he was cleansed of the dread disease. 2 Kings 5:15, in the NIV Bible, states: "Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God.

He stood before him and said, 'Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.'" Elisha, however, refused to accept any gift.