To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. And so they will purify themselves.

• Numbers 8:7

and put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month, then you may go to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife.

• Deuteronomy 21:13

When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.”

• Joshua 11:35

Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.

• 1 Samuel 27:9

So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table.

• 2 Kings 25:29

Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel.

• Zechariah 3:3

This quiz is about the word “clothes”.  I was thinking of a quiz about sandals, a robe, a cloak, or a tunic.  Any one of those articles of clothing (which clothing could be used too) have enough mentions in the Bible to be a legitimate quiz.  But we can start simply with clothes.

The questions are in biblical order, and all the questions are from the Old Testament.

The Questions:

	Question	Bible References	Answers
1	Who did Rebekah dress in his brother’s best clothes in order to receive a blessing?	Genesis 27:15	Jacob
2	What immediately preceded Jacob making a vow to God that God would be His God if God protected him on his journey with food to eat and clothes to wear?  And a bonus for: where was he going?	Genesis 28:10-22	Jacob had a dream about angels ascending and descending a staircase (or “ladder”).  Jacob was escaping Esau’s wrath, going to his mother’s homeland, Paddan Aram.
3	After Jacob met Esau after returning home, Jacob tells his household to get rid of foreign gods, purify themselves, and change their clothes.  Where are they going to build an altar?	Genesis 35:1-3	To Bethel where Jacob had seen the dream (the answer to question 2).
4	In the first reference of tearing one’s clothes, we see the practice twice.  Why did Reuben tear his clothes, after seeing an empty cistern?  And a bonus for who else tore his clothes a few verses later.	Genesis 37:22, 29-34	Reuben told his brothers to put Joseph in a cistern, but after his brothers sold Joseph, Reuben saw that the cistern was empty.  They concocted the story of a wild animal tearing Joseph to pieces, and Jacob tore his clothes when he saw the blood on Joseph’s coat.
5	When Shelah was not given to her as her husband, who removed her widow’s clothing and dressed as a shrine prostitute?	Genesis 38:14	Tamar, tricking Judah into sleeping with her, thus maintaining the family line from Abraham to King David.
6	The Israelites needed to be consecrated and have their clothes washed.  God was about to descend onto Mount Sinai and give Moses something.  What?	Exodus 19:10-15, 20:1-17	Although God will give them the entire law, the next chapter starts with the Ten Commandments.
7	Whose clothes did not wear out for forty years?	Deuteronomy 8:1-4	The people of Israel while they wandered in the wilderness.
8	Why did the Gibeonites wear patched sandals and old clothes, carrying bread that was old and moldy?	Joshua 9:5	They tricked Joshua into thinking they were from a land far away and needed protection, when they were really from the next city on Joshua’s list of cities to be destroyed.
9	Why did Jephthah tear his clothes when he saw his daughter come out to greet him after the battle?	Judges 11:35	Jephthah had sworn he would sacrifice whatever came from his house – thinking an animal would emerge.
10	When David lived among the Philistines and attacked the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites, he would take the cattle, sheep, donkeys, camels, and clothes, but what would he ensure all were killed?	1 Samuel 27:9	All the men and women.  The old saying is true here, “Dead men tell no tales.”

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society.”

• Mark Twain

Mark Twain is just poking fun at the old saying.  The concept is that a well-dressed man will go far in business.

But I was pleased when a member of our Sunday school class confessed that they had always thought that they had to succeed in business, being defined by that success.  But only a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ can define who we are in an ultimate sense.

And the old saying of “putting lipstick on a pig” applies also.  Dressing up a dull person in a fancy business suit does not make him the CEO of the company, but among a few highly qualified candidates, the person that looks comfortable in the finest of clothes might just get the job.  Sad, but often true.  From a business perspective, the look of confidence exudes from this person and makes the potential customers feel confident.  But also note that this person was among the few who were highly qualified.  He was not qualified only by his appearance.

And sadly, I have had a few bosses over the years that got where they were on the basis of appearance.  In some cases, they got promoted by not being very good at what they did, and “maybe they won’t screw things up if we make them the boss.”  I think about a couple of my bosses, and I think the pig with lipstick would have been preferable.

Bible References:

	Question	Bible References	Answers
1	Who was told by God that the animals would now be given fear of the humans, and “now” all animals are given to them as food “just” as all plants had been given?	Genesis 9:4
2	Who followed Isaac across the desert because he could tell the Lord was with Isaac and this king feared Isaac might attack him?  Hint: Isaac’s servants found water where they met and the well was called Beersheba, since a treaty had been signed there.	Genesis 26:29
3	Who says to whom that “now” your sons born to you in Egypt are mine, Ephraim and Manasseh both mine, “just” as Reuben and Simeon are mine?	Genesis 48:5
4	Two “now just” statements are made in the book of Numbers, within a span of three verses.  Now show the Lord’s Strength and just as God had pardoned us before, from the time we left Egypt until now.  Did God grant them another pardon, and at what prompted this exchange between God and the people of Israel?	Numbers 14:17-19
5	Now the people of Israel passed by just as Moses had directed Joshua (before Moses died); the ark, held by the priests, stood in the middle as the Israelites passed.  The middle of what?	Joshua 4:10
6	Forty-five years after the events in question 4, who makes three “just now” or “now just” statements before, as an old man, he drives the Anakites from the hills at Hebron, relying on God’s strength?	Joshua 14:10-12
7	Who was shown a piece of his garment by David, after David had cut it off while this man slept in a cave?	1 Samuel 24:18
8	When Elisha prophesied that grain could be bought at a gate of the city during the Aramean siege of Samaria, an officer mocked him.  Then Elisha said that within a day’s time the officer would see it, but never eat it.  Why?	2 Kings 7:17
9	Before Paul tells what people that the wages of sin is death, at least by a few verses, he gives an example that just as they were slaves to wickedness, now they should offer themselves as slaves to holiness and righteousness?	The book gives away the answer, chapter 6, verse 19.
10	In one of Paul’s letters, Paul is in Athens and he sends Timothy back to the church identified in this letter.  And “just now” Timothy has returned with a good report of their faith.  Which church (city, or book in the Bible)?	The book gives away the answer, chapter 3, verse 4, but it is the first of two letters to that church.

My wife was a gentle wearer of clothes.  She had clothing that she bought thirty years ago.  She had clothing through several sizes as her body shape changed in one direction or another, but it was mostly in two sizes.  I gave roughly forty full kitchen trash bags of clothing to the Vietnam Veterans.  Since she was a Vietnam Veteran and she often gave to them, I thought it fitting.  I wonder if they could tell that many of the dresses had only been worn once or twice and one blouse had never been worn.  I took the tags off the blouse before putting it with the rest.  I think she set it aside for Pentecost Sunday, a bright red blouse.

But my wife also used me as cannon fodder when it came to clothes.  She said that I was totally inept at clothing until she taught me how to dress for success.  Odd, I guess I was the pig with the lipstick.  Earthly success never came my way, but at one time my wife asked me to look at my coworkers.  I had not noticed, but she had.  When I started with the company, everyone wore business suits and white dress shirts with a bland tie, except for one electrical engineer who had what others called “drapery patterned ties.”  My wife bought me some pastel shirts.  I was already known for my “interesting” ties.  I then found ties that had prints of paintings or wild splashes of color.  I matched one of the colors in the tie with the shirt.  Then an appropriate complementary color of Argyle socks, and I went to work.  My wife noticed that it took over six months, but just over six months, and almost everyone in the company was wearing some type of pastel colored shirt.  The ties were still drab, but my wife was telling me that I was a trend setter.  I still didn’t get promoted, but I had my influence on others nonetheless.

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   …

   …

The Answers:

	Question	Bible References	Answers
1	Who was told by God that the animals would now be given fear of the humans, and “now” all animals are given to them as food “just” as all plants had been given?	Genesis 9:4	Noah.
2	Who followed Isaac across the desert because he could tell the Lord was with Isaac and this king feared Isaac might attack him?  Hint: Isaac’s servants found water where they met and the well was called Beersheba, since a treaty had been signed there.	Genesis 26:29	Abimelek
3	Who says to whom that “now” your sons born to you in Egypt are mine, Ephraim and Manasseh both mine, “just” as Reuben and Simeon are mine?	Genesis 48:5	Jacob (Israel) to Joseph, essentially giving Joseph a double portion of the inheritance.
4	Two “now just” statements are made in the book of Numbers, within a span of three verses.  Now show the Lord’s Strength and just as God had pardoned us before, from the time we left Egypt until now.  Did God grant them another pardon, and at what prompted this exchange between God and the people of Israel?	Numbers 14:17-19	The people heard bad reports from 10 of the 12 spies who first entered Canaan and did not trust God that they could overcome the Canaanites.  God granted a partial pardon.  He allowed their children to enter the Promised Land, but none who saw the wonders performed in Egypt, except for Joshua and Caleb.
5	Now the people of Israel passed by just as Moses had directed Joshua (before Moses died); the ark, held by the priests, stood in the middle as the Israelites passed.  The middle of what?	Joshua 4:10	The Jordan River which, at flood stage, had dried up.
6	Forty-five years after the events in question 4, who makes three “just now” or “now just” statements before, as an old man, he drives the Anakites from the hills at Hebron, relying on God’s strength?	Joshua 14:10-12	Caleb, relying on God’s promises made 45 years before.  Just as God said before, now it will come to pass.
7	Who was shown a piece of his garment by David, after David had cut it off while this man slept in a cave?	1 Samuel 24:18	King Saul
8	When Elisha prophesied that grain could be bought at a gate of the city during the Aramean siege of Samaria, an officer mocked him.  Then Elisha said that within a day’s time the officer would see it, but never eat it.  Why?	2 Kings 7:17	The Arameans had fled and the starving people rushed out to plunder the empty camp, trampling the officer, who then died.
9	Before Paul tells what people that the wages of sin is death, at least by a few verses, he gives an example that just as they were slaves to wickedness, now they should offer themselves as slaves to holiness and righteousness?	The book gives away the answer, chapter 6, verse 19.	The Romans with Romans 6:23 speaking of the wages of sin is death but the gift of life is in Christ Jesus.
10	In one of Paul’s letters, Paul is in Athens and he sends Timothy back to the church identified in this letter.  And “just now” Timothy has returned with a good report of their faith.  Which church (city, or book in the Bible)?	The book gives away the answer, chapter 3, verse 4, but it is the first of two letters to that church.	The Thessalonian church in Thessalonica

Whether you did well on this quiz or, ummm, not so well, for the first video:  Here is Maverick City Music featuring Jessica Hitte and Montel Moore singing Grave Clothes. 

Here is Dante Bowe and Naomi Raine singing Ring and Robe.

And here is Courtney Patton singing Take Your Shoes Off Moses.

Here are Hoppers singing Putting On Your Armor.

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.