When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.

• Genesis 48:2

“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.

• Genesis 49:3

I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt.

• Ezekiel 30:25

I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

• Ezekiel 34:16

I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will live securely,” declares the Lord.

• Zechariah 10:12

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

• Romans 4:20

But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.

• 1 Corinthians 14:3

May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

• 1 Thessalonians 3:13

In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

• Revelation 5:12

saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

• Revelation 7:12

I was feeling at a low ebb when I started thinking of the next quiz topic. I have already done a quiz on “power”, so I decided on strength.

The questions are about Bible verses containing the word “strength.”  That could include “strengthen.”  “Strong” is not part of this quiz.

The questions are in Biblical order, and the first six questions are from the Old Testament.

The Questions:

	Question	Bible References	Answers
1	In the first reference to strength in the Bible, who tells his two wives that he has worked for their father with all his strength and his father has changed his wages ten times?
2	In what song, after starting with praising the Lord for hurling horse and rider into the sea, says this: “’The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”
3	In Numbers 14, Moses asks that the Lord’s strength be displayed, but why was it not displayed?
4	Balaam tried several times to curse the Israelites, but his messages ended up being blessings.  In his second and third “messages,” to what wild beast does Balaam compare the strength of the Israelites?
5	Who was the prophetess who ended her song with: “So may all your enemies perish, Lord! But may all who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.”
6	When Samson lost his strength and was made a spectacle. Samson prayed that his strength would be restored to provide vengeance for the loss of what?
7	The teacher of the law asked Jesus for the greatest commandment and Jesus asked him.  He mentioned loving God with all of four things.  One is strength, but name at least two of the other three.
8	After the Hall of Fame of Faith mentioned in Hebrews 11, the author mentions David, Samuel, the prophets, and four judges.  Name at least one of these four judges as honorable mentions.
9	Which of the churches was told that the door is always open.  They have kept God’s word, have not denied Him, but they have little strength?
10	The third of the three angels speaks of God’s fury being powered full strength into the cup of His wrath against what people?

There are about 176 references to strength in the Bible, not counting the 56 references to strengthen, strengthens, and strengthening.

The message is quite clear.  Any strength that we have is puny compared to God, and we get our strength from God.  While Philippians 4:13 is widely quoted out of context, much of the strength that we show as Christians is not our strength at all.  Philippians 4:13 has nothing to do with building a house or running a race, but it has to do with Paul’s endurance of hardship and persecution.  But all strength, even the house building and race running comes from God.

As question 6 above hints, God can restore strength that was lost.  In the case of Samson, without enduring the exercise to beef up.

And some of the strongest people that I know were those ravaged by disease, yet they came to church each Sunday with a smile on their faces.  They might be in a wheelchair, but they exhibited strength a body builder would have no clue how to tap into.  The strength comes from God.

Bible References:

	Question	Bible References	Answers
1	In the first reference to strength in the Bible, who tells his two wives that he has worked for their father with all his strength and his father has changed his wages ten times?	Genesis 31:4-7
2	In what song, after starting with praising the Lord for hurling horse and rider into the sea, says this: “’The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”	Exodus 15:2
3	In Numbers 14, Moses asks that the Lord’s strength be displayed, but why was it not displayed?	Numbers 14:17
4	Balaam tried several times to curse the Israelites, but his messages ended up being blessings.  In his second and third “messages,” to what wild beast does Balaam compare the strength of the Israelites?	Numbers 23:22 and Numbers 24:8
5	Who was the prophetess who ended her song with: “So may all your enemies perish, Lord! But may all who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.”	Judges 5:31
6	When Samson lost his strength and was made a spectacle. Samson prayed that his strength would be restored to provide vengeance for the loss of what?	Judges 16:28
7	The teacher of the law asked Jesus for the greatest commandment and Jesus asked him.  He mentioned loving God with all of four things.  One is strength, but name at least two of the other three.	Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27
8	After the Hall of Fame of Faith mentioned in Hebrews 11, the author mentions David, Samuel, the prophets, and four judges.  Name at least one of these four judges as honorable mentions.	Hebrews 11:32-34
9	Which of the churches was told that the door is always open.  They have kept God’s word, have not denied Him, but they have little strength?	Revelation 3:8
10	The third of the three angels speaks of God’s fury being powered full strength into the cup of His wrath against what people?	Revelation 14:10

I am tempted to look for those kitchen gadgets that help you open a jar.  I have a plastic cloth, but I need more leverage these days.  I doubt if the manufacturers are sealing the jars better than they used to, but it takes a great love of pickles to get into the pickle jars, and the spaghetti sauce is right behind the pickles.

I think that it is my lack of strength.  I deny that I am getting old, but the arthritis in my hands does not help either.

But I always seem to succeed.  Will I fail at some point?  Maybe that is when I buy the fancy gadget.

But I think prayer works better than the fancy gadget.

   …

   …

   …

The Answers:

	Question	Bible References	Answers
1	In the first reference to strength in the Bible, who tells his two wives that he has worked for their father with all his strength and his father has changed his wages ten times?	Genesis 31:4-7	Jacob
2	In what song, after starting with praising the Lord for hurling horse and rider into the sea, says this: “’The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”	Exodus 15:2	The Song of Moses and Miriam
3	In Numbers 14, Moses asks that the Lord’s strength be displayed, but why was it not displayed?	Numbers 14:17	The people sided with the ten spies instead of Caleb and Joshua, and God declared that only Caleb and Joshua would enter the Promised Land among those who saw God’s wonders in Egypt.
4	Balaam tried several times to curse the Israelites, but his messages ended up being blessings.  In his second and third “messages,” to what wild beast does Balaam compare the strength of the Israelites?	Numbers 23:22 and Numbers 24:8	A wild ox
5	Who was the prophetess who ended her song with: “So may all your enemies perish, Lord! But may all who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.”	Judges 5:31	Deborah
6	When Samson lost his strength and was made a spectacle. Samson prayed that his strength would be restored to provide vengeance for the loss of what?	Judges 16:28	Samson’s two eyes that were lost.
7	The teacher of the law asked Jesus for the greatest commandment and Jesus asked him.  He mentioned loving God with all of four things.  One is strength, but name at least two of the other three.	Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27	Love God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength. NOTE: Luke flips the order of the last two.
8	After the Hall of Fame of Faith mentioned in Hebrews 11, the author mentions David, Samuel, the prophets, and four judges.  Name at least one of these four judges as honorable mentions.	Hebrews 11:32-34	Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah.
9	Which of the churches was told that the door is always open.  They have kept God’s word, have not denied Him, but they have little strength?	Revelation 3:8	Philadelphia
10	The third of the three angels speaks of God’s fury being powered full strength into the cup of His wrath against what people?	Revelation 14:10	The ones with the mark of the Beast.

Whether you did well on this quiz or, ummm, not so well, for the first video, here is Anne Wilson singing Strong.

Here is Blessie Grace Asidor with His Strength is Perfect.

Here is Chris Tomlin singing Strength Will Rise.

We will wait upon the Lord.  When our strength is gone, God gives us perfect strength.

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.