Zondervan's Great Bible Trivia Workout

INTRODUCTION

Hello, and welcome to Zondervan’s Great Bible Trivia Workout, where you build brain mass while toning your Methuselah muscles. (They’re the oldest muscles in your body.)

Here, your knowledge of Old and New Testament people, places, and things will shape up, as you laugh, ponder, and enjoy! As your personal temple trainer, I’ll put you through your paces, including:

Matching: Husbands and wives, people and towns, and more.

True/false: Nothing like having a 50-50 chance!

Arrange/correct the story: You be the hero!

Fill in the blank: Challenging, but I have faith in you!

Parts of the story: Isn’t it amazing what we can forget?!

And of course, my trademark multiple guess (I mean, multiple choice), along with Top Ten Lists, jokes, cartoons, and everything you’d expect from an entertaining and ambitious Bible Trivia challenge bearing the Zondervan name. Oh, I probably should mention there might be a few surprises as well.

In case you’re wondering, all Scripture references are found in the New International Version of the Bible. It’s an outstanding translation, and if you’re not using it, well…you’re part of a shrinking minority. So get one if you don’t have one already—you’ll thank me later!

Now, the workout stands before us…thanks for coming along. Grab that duffel bag and let’s head for the gym!

1

PUTTIN’ ON THE SWEATS

PIOUS PAIRINGS:

Matches Made in Heaven (or Possibly Israel)

Pair the following spouses with their respective mates:

(For extra credit, name at least fifty of Solomon’s wives and/or concubines.)

Now see if your answers pair up with the ones on page 38.

JUST THE FACTS, MA’AM! (OR SIR!)

Which of these were part of Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth and early childhood?

(Y = yes; N = no—I like to keep things as simple as possible!)

_____ 1. Magi from the east follow a star

_____ 2. An angel of the Lord appears to Mary in a dream

_____ 3. A decree from Pontius Pilate

_____ 4. A trip to Egypt

_____ 5. A visit from John the Baptist

_____ 6. Joseph’s plan to divorce Mary

_____ 7. The angel Gabriel’s visit with Mary

_____ 8. A manger in Bethlehem, and shepherds who search for it

_____ 9. The circumcision of the baby Jesus

_____ 10. Joseph’s abstinence from sexual relations with Mary until after Jesus is born

_____ 11. Herod’s interest in Jesus’ whereabouts

_____ 12. The killing of all male children in Bethlehem aged two and under

_____ 13. An edict by Caesar Augustus requiring a census

_____ 14. The Christ Child’s blessing in the temple by Simeon

_____ 15. A problem with Blue Cross of Bethlehem, which claimed it wanted maternity benefits to remain stable

Here’s a fact that requires less thinking: answers are on page 38.

MIRACLE MATCH

Ready? Let’s begin with some Bible miracles. Match the act with the person(s) responsible.

_____ 1. Bitten by a poisonous viper with no ill effect

_____ 2. Led the people across a temporarily divided Jordan River

_____ 3. Produced water from a rock

_____ 4. Made the head of an ax float in the Jordan River

_____ 5. Turned water into wine

_____ 6. His donkey spoke to him

_____ 7. He died after lying about proceeds from a sale

_____ 8. He was fed by ravens

_____ 9. He was rescued from prison by an angel of the Lord

_____ 10. This idol could not survive when placed next to the Ark of the Covenant

_____ 11. Jesus raised him from the dead (he had crashed permanently!)

_____ 12. He killed a lionl

_____ 13. Almonds grew on his staff. (Though he preferred plain.)

_____ 14. Turned computer software into a multibillion-dollar empire

A. Elijah

B. Lazarus

C. Bill Gates

D. Moses

E. Peter

F. Aaron

G. Balaam

H. Jesus

I. Paul

J. Samson

K. Dagon

L Ananias

M. Joshua

N. Elisha

Smaller miracle: the answers appear on page 39.

TOTAL RECALL

(Hey, at least it’s not your CAR that’s being recalledl) Do your very, very best to fill in the blank with the correct answer. We’re going to try one interesting fact from each book of the Bible in succession. Good luck!

1. Noah’s ark landed on the mountains of__________.

2. When the Israelites grew tired of waiting for Moses to return from Mt. Sinai, they melted their gold earrings into an idol in the form of a __________.

3. Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, were destroyed for making an improper offering of __________.

4. When the Israelites complained about not having meat, God eventually sent __________ (along with a great plague).

5. God commanded Moses to utterly destroy all of the __________ nations in the promised land.

6. When Joshua sent spies to scout Jericho, they were aided by a prostitute named __________.

7. _______________, a prophetess who judged Israel, instructed Barak to do battle with the Canaanites, and accompanied him.

8. Ruth told Naomi, Where you go I will go. Naomi was Ruth’s ____________________.

9. God told Samuel that he was grieved that he had made __________ king of Israel.

10. After David’s sins of adultery and murder, the prophet __________ came to tell David of God’s impending judgment.

11. When King David was dying, he told Solomon, Do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace. He was referring to __________. (Get this and I’m impressed!)

12. The prophet Isaiah told King __________ that the Babylonians would eventually carry off all the wealth stored up by his fathers.

13. Saul’s death was ultimately caused by ______________________________.

14. The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. This was said to King Solomon by ___________________________________.

15. While the Israelites were in captivity, ____________________________ issued a decree that the temple of Jerusalem should be rebuilt.

16. When Nehemiah was attempting to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, one of his detractors said that if as much as a __________ ran across the wall, it would break down.

17. Because of Mordecai and Esther’s righteousness and courage, the Jews survived Haman’s plot to destroy them. The celebration that commemorates their victory is known as the Feast of __________.

18. Job’s three friends came to visit him, but when they saw how great his grief was, no one spoke for _____ days.

19. Psalms is a collection of __________ (how many?) songs.

20. Proverbs says that it is better to have _______________ than great riches.

21. The Teacher of Ecclesiastes says that Everything is ____________________.

22. The woman in Song of Solomon is referred to as the _______________.

23. In chapters 46 and 47, Isaiah predicts the destruction of this empire and its idols. It is _______________.

24. God told the prophet Jeremiah not to __________.

25. Ezekiel was instructed by God not to grieve after ____________________.

26. By interpreting the dreams of King ____________________, Daniel achieved rank and power in Babylon.

27. Hosea married Gomer, who was a _______________, because God told him to.

28. When Joel asked the elders if anything like this had ever happened in their days, he was referring to a _______________.

29. According to the book of Amos, his prophecies came two years before a significant _______________.

30. Obadiah, the shortest book of the Old Testament, is a judgment against the land of _______________.

31. The men on the ship on which Jonah was a passenger decided by _______________ (what process?) that he was the cause of the tempest.

32. The only element that was capable of killing Superman was _______________.

33. Micah says that the country of __________ will be left a heap of rubble, a place for planting vineyards.

34. Nahum predicts the fall of ___________, the capital of Assyria, where Jonah preached more than a century earlier.

35. Habakkuk is concerned that although Judah is guilty of sinful behavior, justice would not be served if they were conquered by the _______________, who were even more evil.

36. Zephaniah referred to Jerusalem’s officials as roaring lions, and her rulers as evening __________.

37. Haggai questioned the people about living in paneled houses while the ____________________ remained in ruins.

38. Zechariah’s third vision involved a man with a measuring line, who told Zechariah that he was going to measure _______________.

39. Through Malachi, God says the people have corrupted his covenant with __________.

40. ________________________________ asked Jesus, Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?

h41. After Jesus walked on water and got into the boat with his disciples, they crossed and landed at ____________________.

42. Buzz Lightyear’s favorite saying is, To infinity…and __________!

43. In the parable of the Lost Son, after wasting all of his money, the young man goes into the fields to _____ __________.

44. When Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Jewish __________, he drove the vendors and moneychangers out of the temple.

45. While Stephen was being stoned to death for preaching about Jesus, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named __________.

46. Paul tells the Romans that everyone should submit himself to the _________________________.

47. Paul told the Corinthian believers, I planted the seed, __________ watered it, but God made it grow.

48. Paul tells the Corinthians that they should not be yoked together with _______________.

49. The Galatians are instructed to not become weary in ____________________.

50. The final article in the full armor of God is the __________ of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

51. Paul told the Philippian believers, For to me, to live is Christ and to die is __________.

52. Paul warns the Colossian believers about the fallacy of worshiping __________.

53. Although Paul and Timothy wanted to return to their friends at Thessalonica, they were hindered by _____.

54. The second letter to the Thessalonians admonishes the people that If a man will not work, he shall not _____.

55. Yogi the Bear can sleep ‘til noon, but before it’s dark, he’ll have every picnic basket that’s in _________ ______.

56. In order for a widow to be supported by the church, she should be at least __________ years old.

57. Timothy’s mother is a lady named __________. (Extra credit if you know Timothy’s grandmother’s name, too.)

58. Titus had been left by Paul to lead the church on the island of __________.

59. Philemon had been the owner of a slave named ________________.

60. The author of Hebrews reiterates how Abraham gave a tithe to _______________, the king of Salem and priest of God Most High.

61. James compares the _______________ to a fire, a world of evil.

62. Peter says that the wife’s role in a marriage is to be _______________.

63. Second Peter (First Peter’s identical twin brother) reminds us that with the Lord a day is like a _______________ years.

64. First John tells his readers that this is the last hour…and the __________ is coming.

65. In the Broadway hit Fiddler on the Roof, the instrument played by the fiddler was the __________. (This is NOT a trick question. It is what we call a gimme. If you get it wrong you may want to consider going back to comic books as your primary source of literature.)

66. Second John is addressed to the chosen __________, which may be a reference to a specific person or church.

67. John says in book three that _______________ (who?) is well spoken of by everyone.

68. Jude identifies himself as a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of __________.

69. Between the opening of the sixth and seventh seals, the apostle John saw an angel preparing to put a seal on the foreheads of __________ (number?) Israelites.

70. After taking this Total Recall challenge, I need to __________. (Fill this in according to your own feelings at this time.) Some options might be:

■ grab a snack

■ say a quick prayer

■ take a long vacation

■ get some counseling

■ stick with Wheel of Fortune

■ enter a monastery

Congratulations on finishing. Recall questions tend to be the most challenging, and while I realize you’re pretty brilliant—you will discover how much so by checking out the answers on page 40.

So pat yourself on the back, take a deep breath, and let’s head on to…

CORRECTION, PLEASE!

There seems to be a problem with this version of Solomon’s time for every purpose soliloquy found in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. I tried to write it strictly from memory, but I guess my memory ain’t what it used to be! See if you can make the necessary corrections before you look it up!

(Hint: You may want to start by marking each statement that doesn’t belong.)

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the sun:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to walk and a time to run,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to pray and a time to refrain from praying,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to get your driver’s license and a time to sign up for Social Security,

a time to gain and a time to lose,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to tend the vineyard and a time to drink the wine,

a time to water the flocks and a time to slaughter the lambs,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace,

a time to work and a time to read another Bible trivia book,

a time to share a lime with a mime and a time in your prime when you would climb in grime for a dime.

As I said, I have some real doubts about the accuracy of this. Are you finished with your corrections? Okay, let’s turn to page 42 and see what the real version says.

Now it must be time for…the very first Top Ten List! (Trumpet fanfare.)

TOP TEN THINGS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL RESENTED ABOUT MOSES

10. Could never summon up Coney dogs

9. Discovered that he really meant skimmed milk and ant honey

8. Could part the sea with his staff, but couldn’t part his hair with a comb

7. His tri-level tent

6. Got tired of seeing him wear a T-shirt that said Pharaoh bites

5. When he set up a tollbooth halfway across the Red Sea

4. Stoning people for failing to floss

3. Finding out that the supposed dove sacrifices he was releasing to the Lord were actually homing pigeons, which returned later when no one was around

2. Threatening to have Aaron’s rod turn into Barney the Dinosaur

1. Every time they had a picnic, Moses always let a cloud show up

LOOKS TO ME LIKE YOU’VE GOT A STAFF INFECTION, MOSES.

SAYS WHO? (GENESIS)

The following multiple guess (rats! I keep saying that! I mean multiple CHOICE) questions are all quotes taken from the book of Genesis. Your job is simply to name the speaker. For instance, if the