This Month’s Quiz

  1. Who was “guilty of a greater sin,” Pontius Pilate or Caiaphas? Why?
  2. Why was Esau unable to repent, even though he sought “the blessing” anxiously with tears?
  3. The prophetess Huldah told king Josiah that he would be “buried in peace,” yet he was killed by an arrow at the famous battle of Carchemish. Did Huldah make a mistake?
  4. How many times is the wicked city of Sodom mentioned in the Bible? 20, 9, 29, 49 or 69?
  5. Which people are described as “arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy”? What happened to them?
  6. What was the sin of Achan son of Carmi? He made a full confession to Joshua. So why was he stoned to death?
  7. King David said to Gad the seer, “I have done a very foolish thing”? What was it, and why was it foolish?
  8. Which first-century brother was told, “Repent of this wickedness!” What wickedness was it, and did he repent?
  9. Elihu said Jobe added something to his sin which made it much worse. What was it? Was Elihu right?

Answers

  1. Caiaphas. John 19:11. Pilate was guilty of a miscarriage of justice, Caiaphas of envy, which is worse. Jesus’ words at the time also suggest another difference: Pilate was the legal Roman governor and chief justice of Judaea-Samaria; Caiaphas was a self-appointed usurper of the position of high priest, and therefore had no God-given authority to be speaker of the Jewish council and chief justice of Israel.
  2. Like so many people, Esau was a “profane person” who just could not bring himself to see his fault or admit that he had done anything wrong. He­brews 12:17.
  3. There are three possibilities: a) Huldah’s prophecy was conditional on Josiah remaining faithful, and when he foolishly involved himself in a war between Egypt and Babylon, God changed His mind; b) “Buried in peace” might simply mean that he died before God’s judgment fell upon Judah; c) “Peace” is meant in an ultimate, eternal sense, which would not be affected by Josiah’s involvement in the war (II Chron. 34 and 35).
  4. 49.
  5. The people of Sodom. Ezekiel 16:49. They were destroyed by burning sulfur from the Lord out of the heavens. Genesis 19:24.
  6. Covetousness (Josh. 7:19-26). He was stoned because he knew perfectly well that there as an absolute ban on looting from the ruins of Jericho (Josh. 6:18). Also he confessed only when found out as a result of the lot. [During wartime, looting of ruins by civilians can be a capital offence subject to sum­mary execution. It was certainly the case throughout World War II].
  7. Numbering the people of military age (1 Chron. 21). Perhaps because it displayed lack of faith in God’s protection, which is why Joab deliberately fudged the statistics.
  8. Simon of Samaria (Acts 8:14-24). He appeared to repent, but the record suggests some insincerity about it. He was told to pray, but he asked Peter to do it for him instead.
  9. Rebellion. Elihu was seriously mistaken in his judgment. A warning to us. Job 34:37 and 42:7