Wine in the Old and New Testaments Quiz

Answer: Gideon

According to Judges 6:11, Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide his crop from the Midianites when an angel of the LORD appeared before him. Although Scripture doesn't state why Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, many scholars believe it was to prevent the Midianites from confiscating his wheat. According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, a winepress was usually a square or circular pit carved into rock in which grapes were crushed.

Scripture goes on to tell of the angel proclaiming Gideon as "a mighty man of valor". Despite his initial reluctance, Gideon would lead the Israelites to miraculous military victories over the Midianites.

Answer: Those who start early in the morning

Isaiah, in Isaiah 5:11, condemns people who start drinking early in the morning. The verse in the NKJV states, "Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine."

In Isaiah 5:8-30, Isaiah announced a series of woes and judgments against Israel due to the disobedience of the people to God.

Isaiah was the son of Amoz and he prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Answer: Proverbs

The statement, "It is not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to crave beer" is from Proverbs 31:4. While Solomon, the son of David, is credited with writing most of the Book of Proverbs, Chapter 31 was written by King Lemuel. However, no one knows for certain who exactly King Lemuel was. There is a school of thought Lemuel was a symbolic name for Solomon. Others, however, dispute such a belief.

For the record, Proverbs 31:4, in the NKJV, states: "It is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink."

Answer: Isaiah

Isaiah is the correct answer as per Isaiah 63:1-4. Verse 2 tells of garments being as red as those of one treading the winepress. Then Verses 3 and 4 go on to state: "I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing. It was for me the day of vengeance; the year for me to redeem had come."

Isaiah was the son of Amoz. He was the writer of a major book of prophecy in the Old Testament bears his name.

Answer: Gideon's army

According to Scripture, Gideon, a judge of Israel, led the Israelites to spectacular victories over the Midianites who had been oppressing the Jews for a number of years.

Judges 7:25 tells of Gideon's army capturing and killing Zeeb, a Midianite leader, at his winepress. No further details are given. However, it must've been a major turning point in the battle as Scripture goes on to tell of the Israelite army pursing the Midianites who fled, filled with immense fear.

Answer: The Holy Spirit

Rather than getting drunk on wine, Paul urged believers in Ephesus to be filled with the Holy Spirit, as per Ephesians 5:18.

To put the verse in context, here's how Ephesians 5:18-20 reads in the NKJV: "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

In Biblical times, Ephesus was the capital of Ionia. The city is in present day Turkey.

Answer: Myrrh

Myrrh is the correct answer. According to Wikipedia, myrrh is a natural gum or resin extracted from a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus commiphora. Notes in Wikipedia go on to state myrrh resin has been used for thousands of years as a perfume, incense, and medicine. Myrrh mixed with wine can also be ingested.

According to Scripture, Jesus declined the drink He was offered. Mark 15:23 in the NKJV states, "...they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it."

Answer: Timothy

Timothy is the correct answer, as per 1 Timothy 5:23. In the verse, Paul tells Timothy to "stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses." No details are given about Timothy's stomach condition or his frequent illnesses.

Timothy came from Lystra and he was the son of Eunice, a Jewish woman, and an unnamed Greek man. In addition to being young, Timothy was known for being timid.

Answer: old

Jesus made the comment about old wine being preferred when He was asked about fasting by the Pharisees, as per Luke 5:33-39.

According the passage, the Pharisees pointed out the disciples of John the Baptist fasted, while the disciples of Jesus "go on eating and drinking."

In response, Jesus told the Pharisees: "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast."

Then in verses 36-39, Jesus tells a parable about new wine not being poured into old wineskins and concludes by stating: "...no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, 'The old is better.'"

Answer: 6

According to John 2:1-11, Jesus turned six stone jars filled with water into wine at a wedding feast in Cana. It would be His first of many miracles over the three years of His ministry.

Verses 6-8 tell of Jesus instructing people to fill six stone jars with water and then to draw some out and give a sample to the master of the banquet. The wine won praise, with the master of the feast stating in the NKJV: "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!"

The passage states the six "water pots of stone" each held from twenty to thirty gallons, or from about 75 to about 115 liters.