Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

• Genesis 3:1

Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’

• 1 Samuel 2:29

Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than those who were before them had done.

• 1 Kings 14:22

The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed.

• 2 Kings 25:16

Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem,

• John 11:18

Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,

• Ephesians 3:8

I have written many times that one of the worst sins that we can commit is the sin of comparison.  Being covetous, the tenth commandment, springs forth from the comparison of what we have and what someone else has.  Then when someone complains that we have sinned, we quickly use a comparison of how small our sin is compared to that obvious “heathen” down the street.  And the words often used in comparisons are less than and more than.

Of course, these two words could both be in the same sentence or the same verse and not be combined in a comparative form or for a comparison of a trait, such as the first Scripture above, which is the first verse containing both more and than in the NIV.

Each question has “more than” or “less than” in the same verse in the context mentioned.  There are more “more than” questions than “less than” questions, since there are a lot more verses that have “more than.”

The questions are in biblical order.  All of the questions are in the Old Testament, but one question has a bonus question from the New Testament.

The Questions:

	Question	Bible References	Answers
1	In the first use of more than as a comparative, who said that God’s punishment of him was more than he could bear?
2	Noah’s Ark was thirty cubits high.  The water covered the mountain tops by more than how many cubits, at the peak of the flood?
3	When God says that if fifty righteous people are found in the city, He will not destroy the city.  Then who asks if there were five less than fifty?
4	In a comparison that led to trouble within a family, which son was loved more than the other sons in Israel’s family?
5	Who is to not give more than a half shekel for the atonement money?
6	I am no dermatologist, but a priest was instructed to look for color and hair color if there was a spot that was more than what?
7	When quail covered the ground, the Israelites each gathered a lot of them.  A homer is said to be about 220 liters, or roughly six and a quarter bushels.  It was said that no one gathered less than how many homers?
8	Judges were to not impose more than how many lashes when flogging someone?  Bonus : How many lashes were administered to the Apostle Paul five times?
9	Who tore his tunic and cloak, pulled hair from his head and beard, and prayed before the people in Jerusalem saying that their punishment was less than they deserved, and he feared they might do the same thing again, and then God’s wrath might be kindled and there would be no remnant left?  Bonus: What was this sin?
10	In two consecutive chapters of Isaiah, he prophesies that something is less than nothing when compared to God.  Can you name either of these two things?  Bonus for getting both.

Considering question 2, the design of sea-worthy ships considers that the draft, or the amount the ship sinks into the water, is crucial for stability in high winds and strong waves.  If the ship sinks deeper into the water, the waves could come onto the ship faster than the bilge pumps can pump the water out and the ship would be easily swamped.

But if the draft was less than this important percentage of the ship’s height, the winds could cause the ship to capsize (flip over).

And the flood was such that the Ark would not run aground or be ripped apart by a mountain peak.

Bible References:

	Question	Bible References	Answers
1	In the first use of more than as a comparative, who said that God’s punishment of him was more than he could bear?	Genesis 4:13
2	Noah’s Ark was thirty cubits high.  The water covered the mountain tops by more than how many cubits, at the peak of the flood?	Genesis 7:20
3	When God says that if fifty righteous people are found in the city, He will not destroy the city.  Then who asks if there were five less than fifty?	Genesis 18:28
4	In a comparison that led to trouble within a family, which son was loved more than the other sons in Israel’s family?	Genesis 37:3-4
5	Who is to not give more than a half shekel for the atonement money?	Exodus 30:15
6	I am no dermatologist, but a priest was instructed to look for color and hair color if there was a spot that was more than what?	Leviticus 13:3, 4, 20, 21, 25…
7	When quail covered the ground, the Israelites each gathered a lot of them.  A homer is said to be about 220 liters, or roughly six and a quarter bushels.  It was said that no one gathered less than how many homers?	Numbers 11:32
8	Judges were to not impose more than how many lashes when flogging someone?  Bonus : How many lashes were administered to the Apostle Paul five times?	Deuteronomy 25:3; for the bonus 2 Corinthians 11:24
9	Who tore his tunic and cloak, pulled hair from his head and beard, and prayed before the people in Jerusalem saying that their punishment was less than they deserved, and he feared they might do the same thing again, and then God’s wrath might be kindled and there would be no remnant left?  Bonus: What was this sin?	Book by the answer’s name, chapter 9, verse 13.
10	In two consecutive chapters of Isaiah, he prophesies that something is less than nothing when compared to God.  Can you name either of these two things?  Bonus for getting both.	Isaiah 40:17; Isaiah 41:24

And in the last Scripture above, Paul claims to be less than the least of the Lord’s people.  This would mean there would have to be a different scale altogether, since Paul was one of the Lord’s people.

Yet, throughout his letters, Paul talks of being the chief of all sinners, most assuming his guilt in persecuting the Lord’s people.

I do not think Paul is stating that he cannot forgive himself, although God has already forgiven him.  Paul is showing his humility.

I have felt like I was the worst of all sinners at times, especially when I made the same mistake again.

I feel we each need to examine ourselves.  It is so easy to casually think of ourselves as being a good person.  You know, we do more than others in the church, or we sin less than most of the members in the church – to relate this to the quiz topic.  But to read how Paul identifies as being lower than the lowest low.  Wow!  I cannot hold a candle to the one who was called to be the Apostle to the Gentiles.

   …

   …

   …

The Answers:

	Question	Bible References	Answers
1	In the first use of more than as a comparative, who said that God’s punishment of him was more than he could bear?	Genesis 4:13	Cain, but Cain had murdered his brother and the Mosaic Law which came later stated “a life for a life.” (Exodus 21:23; Leviticus 24:18)
2	Noah’s Ark was thirty cubits high.  The water covered the mountain tops by more than how many cubits, at the peak of the flood?	Genesis 7:20	More than fifteen cubits.  For sea going vessels designed today, their buoyancy is designed to have the vessel sink into the water halfway to make the vessel stable in heavy winds and waves.  Thus, until the water started to recede some, the Ark would not run aground on a mountaintop.
3	When God says that if fifty righteous people are found in the city, He will not destroy the city.  Then who asks if there were five less than fifty?	Genesis 18:28	Abraham, and Abraham continued the argument until God said that if ten were found…  But the Sodom was destroyed.  Notice that eight were saved on Noah’s Ark, less than ten.
4	In a comparison that led to trouble within a family, which son was loved more than the other sons in Israel’s family?	Genesis 37:3-4	Joseph
5	Who is to not give more than a half shekel for the atonement money?	Exodus 30:15	The rich and the poor not to give less than a half shekel.  It was to be used in the service of the tent of meeting.
6	I am no dermatologist, but a priest was instructed to look for color and hair color if there was a spot that was more than what?	Leviticus 13:3, 4, 20, 21, 25…	More than skin deep
7	When quail covered the ground, the Israelites each gathered a lot of them.  A homer is said to be about 220 liters, or roughly six and a quarter bushels.  It was said that no one gathered less than how many homers?	Numbers 11:32	Ten homers, or 62 and a half bushel baskets of quail.  But before they could get the quail dressed, cooked, and between their teeth, God sent a plague to kill those people who demanded food other than the manna.
8	Judges were to not impose more than how many lashes when flogging someone?  Bonus : How many lashes were administered to the Apostle Paul five times?	Deuteronomy 25:3; for the bonus 2 Corinthians 11:24	Forty lashes.  More than that, you degrade your fellow Israelite.  Yet, Paul was given forty minus one on five occasions.  They were taking him to the brink of being degraded.
9	Who tore his tunic and cloak, pulled hair from his head and beard, and prayed before the people in Jerusalem saying that their punishment was less than they deserved, and he feared they might do the same thing again, and then God’s wrath might be kindled and there would be no remnant left?  Bonus: What was this sin?	Book by the answer’s name, chapter 9, verse 13.	Ezra, and the sin was intermarrying with the local people and not within other Jews.
10	In two consecutive chapters of Isaiah, he prophesies that something is less than nothing when compared to God.  Can you name either of these two things?  Bonus for getting both.	Isaiah 40:17; Isaiah 41:24	In Isaiah 40, Isaiah speaks of the surrounding nations that Judah might go to for help, but would eventually take advantage of them.  Isaiah 41 speaks of false gods, who cannot bring rain, etc.

Whether you did well on this quiz or, ummm, not so well, for the first video, here is the Jakarta Praise Community Church singing More Than Enough.

Here is David Wesley’s Virtual Choir #6 singing The Solid Rock (My Hope is Built on Nothing Less).

Here is Austin Stone Worship singing Less of Me and More of You.

Here is Zach Williams singing Less like Me.

Let me be, each day, a little more like Jesus, and a little less like me.

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.