Lately my people have risen up
    like an enemy.

• Micah 2:8

Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)

• Acts 23:6-8

The first letter of each answer, except the lines marked by asterisks, spells out a mystery message – that I personally hope is not a mystery to you.  The asterisks delineate the end of a word.

I tried to keep the questions easy this week.  There is one that may be obscure, but I hope you can get it.

The Questions:

#	Question	Answer	1st Letter or *
1	Who was a good king who begged God for more life, and although being granted the additional 15 years, he became prideful, showing ambassadors from Babylon the gold in the treasury?
2	Which prophet modeled Jerusalem out of clay and then was told to lie down on one side for 390 days and then was to lie down on the opposite side for another 40 days?
*			*
3	Which prophet claimed to be undone due to having unclean lips, but a seraphim took a hot coal and placed it against his lips so that he could have his sins atoned?
4	When young, the future judge, priest, and prophet was instructed by the priest to answer, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Who?
*			*
5	Who was the younger daughter of Laban who was tending sheep when Jacob arrived and watered her sheep for her?
6	What name was Jacob given after he had “struggled with God” at Peniel?
7	Who was always the first of Daniel’s friends who Daniel requested become administrators in Babylon (always first mentioned)?  His Hebrew name was Hananiah.
8	Which prophet asked for a double portion of the spirit that indwelled the prophet before him?
9	After David had an affair with Bathsheba and had Uriah killed, which prophet confronted King David with a rebuke, leading to the death of Bathsheba’s child?

As for the holiday, many would say that the holiday is over, although for the Eastern Orthodox, the quiz is just about on time (celebrating Easter on 24 April 2022).

I have written in a short story about the name “Easter.”  While there are different words in ancient languages that Easter could come from, I agree with many people that Resurrection Sunday is a much better name.  It gets to the point and the infernal bunny has run amuck with the original holiday like Santa Claus has taken the focus away at Christmas time.

But is that not the way of our sin nature.  Give us the chance, and we can mess up anything that is sacred.  The Scriptures speak of how the Israelites had one failure after another in trying, if there was even a thought at trying, to be faithful to God.  We today are hardly even better.

They found the book (scroll) of the Law of Moses during the reign of Josiah.  If Josiah compared what the Scriptures said versus how we worship today, would he not tear his robes yet again?

Bible References:

#	Question	Bible Reference	1st Letter or *
1	Who was a good king who begged God for more life, and although being granted the additional 15 years, he became prideful, showing ambassadors from Babylon the gold in the treasury?	2 Kings 20
2	Which prophet modeled Jerusalem out of clay and then was told to lie down on one side for 390 days and then was to lie down on the opposite side for another 40 days?	The answer, chapter 4
*			*
3	Which prophet claimed to be undone due to having unclean lips, but a seraphim took a hot coal and placed it against his lips so that he could have his sins atoned?	The answer, chap:verses 6:5-9
4	When young, the future judge, priest, and prophet was instructed by the priest to answer, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Who?	The answer, book 1, chap:ver. 3:9
*			*
5	Who was the younger daughter of Laban who was tending sheep when Jacob arrived and watered her sheep for her?	Genesis 29:6-12
6	What name was Jacob given after he had “struggled with God” at Peniel?	Genesis 32:28
7	Who was always the first of Daniel’s friends who Daniel requested become administrators in Babylon (always first mentioned)?  His Hebrew name was Hananiah.	Daniel 1:7, 2:49
8	Which prophet asked for a double portion of the spirit that indwelled the prophet before him?	2 Kings 2:9
9	After David had an affair with Bathsheba and had Uriah killed, which prophet confronted King David with a rebuke, leading to the death of Bathsheba’s child?	2 Samuel 12

And Jesus revealed that He was alive by letting the women know first.  There has been a lot spoken about the unreliability of women as witnesses in those days.  They were not allowed to give testimony in court.  On and on, the sermons talk about the least likely witnesses, the lowliest among the disciples, etc. etc. etc.

But I have seen gypsy women in India live like their ancestors probably did in the time of Jesus.  They wash the clothing before dawn.  They gather wood on their next journey, probably waking their husband upon their return.  This is about dawn (the photo above).  Then, while their husband starts a fire with the wood, on their third long trek of the morning, they fetch water in pots on their heads.  Three treks, possibly miles each way, and they have not had a cup of coffee yet, and their husbands might slip back to sleep as the fire dances before them.  Probably chai (the Indian word for tea) instead of coffee if they could afford it.

Why do I mention that?  With all the theological arguments about the unlikely first witnesses that Jesus was no longer in the tomb, may I offer a more practical reason that these faithful women were the first witnesses?!?!?!?

They were the only ones awake at that hour!!!!!

   …

   …

   …

The Answers:

#	Question	Answer	1st Letter or *
1	Who was a good king who begged God for more life, and although being granted the additional 15 years, he became prideful, showing ambassadors from Babylon the gold in the treasury?	Hezekiah	H
2	Which prophet modeled Jerusalem out of clay and then was told to lie down on one side for 390 days and then was to lie down on the opposite side for another 40 days?	Ezekiel	E
*			*
3	Which prophet claimed to be undone due to having unclean lips, but a seraphim took a hot coal and placed it against his lips so that he could have his sins atoned?	Isaiah	I
4	When young, the future judge, priest, and prophet was instructed by the priest to answer, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Who?	Samuel	S
*			*
5	Who was the younger daughter of Laban who was tending sheep when Jacob arrived and watered her sheep for her?	Rachel	R
6	What name was Jacob given after he had “struggled with God” at Peniel?	Israel	I
7	Who was always the first of Daniel’s friends who Daniel requested become administrators in Babylon (always first mentioned)?  His Hebrew name was Hananiah.	Shadrach	S
8	Which prophet asked for a double portion of the spirit that indwelled the prophet before him?	Elisha	E
9	After David had an affair with Bathsheba and had Uriah killed, which prophet confronted King David with a rebuke, leading to the death of Bathsheba’s child?	Nathan	N

The message: He is Risen!!!!

On Easter Sunday, the pastor would say, “He is Risen!”  The congregation would reply, “He is Risen, Indeed!”  But, maybe the year our former pastor retired, maybe the year before, a week later he said, “He is Risen.”  Two or three in the congregation replied, not at the same time, “He is risen, indeed!”  The pastor then explained that on the ecumenical calendar, not that many Presbyterian churches spent a lot of time focusing on the calendar, the Easter season lasted until Pentecost Sunday.  Then he said we would try that again.  I knew the pastor’s point.  We sometimes need reminding that Jesus is alive fifty-two weeks of the year, not just on Easter morning.

So, having this reminder on the Saturday after Easter is not too late or out of season.

He is Risen!

He is Risen, Indeed!!!!

And regardless of how you did on the quiz, here is a song, sung by Paul Baloche, He is Risen.

Here is the Joslin Grove Choral Society singing Christ the Lord has Risen Today.

And what of this song from First Baptist in Atlanta, GA, Christ Arose.

If you like these Saturday morning Bible quizzes, but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Saturday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.