A proclamation was then issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they should bring to the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God had required of Israel in the wilderness.

• 2 Chronicles 24:9

Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.

• Nehemiah 5:4

“His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle.

• Daniel 11:20

Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

• Luke 3:12

This quiz is about the word “tax.”  It appears 48 times in the NIV, rarely in the Old Testament (10 times).  And most of the references in the New Testament are in the synoptic gospels, thus duplicates of the same story in many cases.

The Questions:

	Question	Bible Reference	Answers
1	The first mention of taxes in the NIV is an exemption for this person’s family from paying the king’s taxes.  He will also get the king’s daughter in marriage and be made wealthy.  What did you have to do to get all this?
2	Jehoiakim taxed the people regarding what to keep Pharoah Necho happy after Necho captured Jehoahaz and took him to Egypt in chains?
3	What did the servants of King Artaxerxes say regarding taxes to try to prevent the wall of Jerusalem being built?
4	After Jeroboam II puts a straw tax on the poor and taxes their grain, what will happen to Jeroboam regarding his stone mansions?
5	When Jesus preaches to love your enemies, he talks about loving the people that love you.  Then he claims that even what group of despised people did that much?
6	When the collectors of the temple tax come to collect the tax, they do not ask Jesus, but instead which disciple?  Bonus for what Jesus told this disciple to do.
7	Who was the tax collector who is called by Jesus and the tax collector leaves everything and follows Jesus?
8	Who was the short tax collector who climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Jesus?
9	In trying to trick Jesus, the teachers of the law asked if it was right to pay taxes to Caesar.  What was the reply from Jesus?
10	Why does Paul say to the Romans is the reason for them paying taxes?

This is not tax season, but audits happen throughout the year.  I got a nasty bill, but my tax consultant said I had nothing to fear.  It just has not been rechecked.  Hopefully, I will get a letter within the next couple of months saying that I owe nothing.

Benjamin Franklin wrote that the only things that are certain are death and taxes.  But it seems some people know how to circumvent taxes.  If you look up on the internet the only certainty in life, most sites point to uncertainty.  The world has certainly become cynical, but the uncertainty probably stems from the belief that there is no objective truth.

Knowing Jesus, we know that there is objective Truth found in Him.  Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Now, since some people might cheat the government and not pay taxes, Benjamin Franklin’s statement is left with death being the only thing that is certain.  But even then, that is the first death (excluding Enoch and Elijah).

If we accept Jesus as our Savior, we will live forever with Jesus.  He will not let us go.  If our names are not written in the Book of Life, we will experience a second death, into the Lake of Fire.  The choice is ours and ours alone.  Accept Jesus.  Trust Him with everything in your life.  Be His disciple, and then you will have another certainty, that the first death will be the only one.

Bible References:

	Question	Bible Reference	Answers
1	The first mention of taxes in the NIV is an exemption for this person’s family from paying the king’s taxes.  He will also get the king’s daughter in marriage and be made wealthy.  What did you have to do to get all this?	1 Samuel 17:23-25
2	Jehoiakim taxed the people regarding what to keep Pharoah Necho happy after Necho captured Jehoahaz and took him to Egypt in chains?	2 Kings 23:35
3	What did the servants of King Artaxerxes say regarding taxes to try to prevent the wall of Jerusalem being built?	Ezra 4:13
4	After Jeroboam II puts a straw tax on the poor and taxes their grain, what will happen to Jeroboam regarding his stone mansions?	Amos 5:11
5	When Jesus preaches to love your enemies, he talks about loving the people that love you.  Then he claims that even what group of despised people did that much?	Matthew 5:46
6	When the collectors of the temple tax come to collect the tax, they do not ask Jesus, but instead which disciple?  Bonus for what Jesus told this disciple to do.	Matthew 17:24-27
7	Who was the tax collector who is called by Jesus and the tax collector leaves everything and follows Jesus?	Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:13-14; Luke 5:27-28
8	Who was the short tax collector who climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Jesus?	Luke 19:1-4
9	In trying to trick Jesus, the teachers of the law asked if it was right to pay taxes to Caesar.  What was the reply from Jesus?	Luke 20:25
10	Why does Paul say to the Romans is the reason for them paying taxes?	Romans 13:1-7

Question 7 has three Bible references.  The reason for this is that you get a different answer for the question with each, sort of.  Matthew’s Gospel uses one name.  Mark uses a different name, but identifies the father, the same father as a different member of the Twelve.  And Luke just mentions the name Mark mentions without the familial connection.

To investigators, this is great evidence that the Gospels are true eyewitness accounts.  Common Tradition says that all three stories are about the same person.  There are more than one disciple among the Twelve that went by two names, similar to the Apostle Paul being called Saul in the first chapters of Acts.  For this person, the answer to question 7, there are a variety of ideas about the different names.  Since one matches a name of one of the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel – another person with two names), it is thought that one name might be the tribe name.  With people like Paul (Saul), it is thought that one name was a Roman name and the other a Hebrew name.  For a tax collector, that might be necessary.

This does not point to a controversy.  It points to the richness of Scripture.  When I meet these people in Heaven, they may be known by yet another name, but I will know them by name.

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The Answers:

	Question	Bible Reference	Answers
1	The first mention of taxes in the NIV is an exemption for this person’s family from paying the king’s taxes.  He will also get the king’s daughter in marriage and be made wealthy.  What did you have to do to get all this?	1 Samuel 17:23-25	A simple task… Kill Goliath, the Philistine Giant
2	Jehoiakim taxed the people regarding what to keep Pharoah Necho happy after Necho captured Jehoahaz and took him to Egypt in chains?	2 Kings 23:35	Jehoiakim taxed the land based on its assessment.
3	What did the servants of King Artaxerxes say regarding taxes to try to prevent the wall of Jerusalem being built?	Ezra 4:13	If the wall is built, the Jews will no longer pay taxes, tributes, or duties and the king’s revenue will suffer.
4	After Jeroboam II puts a straw tax on the poor and taxes their grain, what will happen to Jeroboam regarding his stone mansions?	Amos 5:11	He will not live in them.
5	When Jesus preaches to love your enemies, he talks about loving the people that love you.  Then he claims that even what group of despised people did that much?	Matthew 5:46	Tax collectors
6	When the collectors of the temple tax come to collect the tax, they do not ask Jesus, but instead which disciple?  Bonus for what Jesus told this disciple to do.	Matthew 17:24-27	They asked Peter.  Jesus, being the Son of God should not have to pay the tax, but he told Peter to throw out a line and the first fish Peter catches will have a four drachma coin in its mouth, enough for the tax for Peter and Jesus.
7	Who was the tax collector who is called by Jesus and the tax collector leaves everything and follows Jesus?	Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:13-14; Luke 5:27-28	Matthew, Levi Son of Alpheus, or just Levi.  Common tradition has all three of these being the same person, but a slightly different name in each case.  Was Matthew a Levite?  Is he the brother of another disciple, James, son of Alpheus?  Common tradition would say “Yes.”
8	Who was the short tax collector who climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Jesus?	Luke 19:1-4	Zacchaeus
9	In trying to trick Jesus, the teachers of the law asked if it was right to pay taxes to Caesar.  What was the reply from Jesus?	Luke 20:25	After asking whose picture was on the coin (a picture of Caesar), he replied to give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.
10	Why does Paul say to the Romans is the reason for them paying taxes?	Romans 13:1-7	We should submit ourselves to earthly authorities.  The authorities are God’s servants and work full time in governing.

Whether you did well on this quiz or, ummm, not so well, … Here is Tim Hawkins singing The Government Can.  And note that he does not mention any particular party.

And while we are on a funny note, or to recover a funny note after a song meant to be funny, but was too close to the truth … Here is Matt Hobbs with The Cheese Tax.

And here is Zacchaeus from Christian.net

Here is Ayo Davies singing God of Abundance.  Giving to God and paying our taxes without stretching the truth can be done with Joy, if only, if we believe in a God who meets our needs and even gives gifts with abundance.  Trust in God in everything.

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.