Wild Life & Weird Nature
Elisha and his friends were chopping down trees, A borrowed tool sinks in the Jordan River, only to be made to float by a stick. What part of the tool floated to the surface?
Axe Head
(2 Kings 6:1-7)
Elisha and his friends were chopping down trees by the Jordan river to build a house., As one of the men was chopping down a tree, the axe head flew off and sank in the river. He cried out in sorrow because it was a borrowed axe. So Elisha broke off a stick, set it on the surface of the water, and the axe head miraculously floated to the top.
This queen was banished for refusing to appear at the the kings banquet and show her beauty.
Vashti
She was a queen of Persia and the first wife of Persian King Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther. She was banished for her refusal to appear at the king's banquet to show her beauty as the king wished, and Esther was chosen to succeed her as queen.
Some Jewish traditions suggest that the refusal was because she was ordered to appear naked. Ellen White also suggested that the King was intoxicated.
This woman lived in Jericho and helped hide Caleb and Joshua while they were spying.
Rahab
She was a woman who lived in Jericho, in the promised Land and assisted the Israelites in capturing the city. She hid two men who had been sent to scout the city prior to their attack. In the book of Hebrews, she is lauded as an example of a person who lived by faith. Rahab is also a great grandmother of Jesus.
This man died and came back to life after Jesus visited him
Lazarus
John 12:9-11
Most Christians know that Jesus was #1 on the Pharisees’ list of Israel’s Most Wanted to get rid of. But do you know who #2 was? Lazarus. After Jesus raised his friend from the dead, Lazarus became a local celebrity, telling people about Jesus’ miraculous power over life and death. The religious leaders couldn’t have that, so they schemed to kill him too. Or re-kill him, as the case might be.
What physical characteristic was used to describe both Elijah and Esau?
Hairy/Hairy Men
And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
2 Kings 1:8
And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:
Gen 27:11
Out of rage, this person used 300 foxes and torches to commit agricultural arson when they gave his wife away to another man. Who did this?
Samson
(Judges 15:4-5)
Basically, Samson took out his rage on some Philistines when they gave away his wife to another man. This might be the only recorded case of fox arson.
This Israelite led a revolt against Moses and died.
Korah
The story of Korah is found in Numbers 16. Korah led a revolt against Moses; he died, along with all his co-conspirators, when God caused "the earth to open her mouth and swallow him and all that appertained to them
David was going to murder this man and his entire family for denying him help when he needed it most until he was stopped by his brave wife, named:
Abigail
1 Samuel 25:
A wealthy but stingy man named Nabal, denies David supplies when he's in a serious position of need. After the unhappy exchange, David is enraged, cursing Nabal and his family. His wife Abigail uses her wisdom to plead with David to spare her husband’s household. She apologizes for her husband’s behavior and begs that he take out his vengeance on her instead. Viewing her as a more humble and diplomatic figure, he spares them. This ends up being a blessing in disguise because it saves David from backlash related to the murders. David and Abigail later wed after her husband’s sudden death.
This man had a place named after him by King David after accidentally touching the ark of the covenant.
Uzzah
2 Samuel 6:3–8 and 1 Chronicles 13:7–11
With his brother Ahio, Uzzah drove the cart on which the ark was placed when David sought to bring it up to Jerusalem. When the oxen stumbled, making the ark tilt, Uzzah steadied the ark with his hand, in direct violation of the divine law, and he was immediately killed by the Lord for his error. David, displeased because God had killed Uzzah, called the place where this occurred "Perez-uzzah", which means "to burst out against Uzzah".
This young man was the grandson of one of Israel's King. He was left disabled after a terrible fall.
Mepiboshet
2 Samuel 9: King Saul tries to kill King David several times and later dies as a result of it, leaving his grandson Mephibosheth to fend for himself. For years, he finds himself in his own wilderness place, especially when he loses his ability to walk. But much to his surprise, Mephibosheth is looked upon with favor by King David. He learns later that King David and his father Jonathan were friends before his death. He inherits his grandfather Saul's kingdom back and even becomes a part of the royal family. In this turn of events, He discovers God’s love in King David.
A group of rowdy kids was bullying Elisha the Prophet when the Lord sent two of these animals to attack the group.
Bears
(2 Kings 2:23-24)
Elisha the prophet was travelling, when a gang of teenagers surrounded him and started harassing him, yelling insults and calling him “baldy.” Proving that the Lord doesn’t take mockery lightly, he answered Elisha’s prayer for justice with two angry bears who attacked the group and mauled over 40 of the young men. If people don’t respect the prophet, they won’t respect the message he brings and that’s a serious, life-or-death matter.
This person was sent by God to assassinate the Moabite King with his foot and a half long sword.
Ehud
The story of Ehud comes right out of Judges 3, but would fit in nicely to the plot of a James Bond movie.
Israel was under the oppressive rule of Eglon the king of Moab and cried out to the Lord for deliverance. The Moabites were idol worshipers who did evil in the sight of the Lord. God sent Ehud and his cubit-long (about a foot and a half) sword to assassinate the king and liberate God’s people from his rule.
Ehud told the servants of the king that he had a “secret message” for him (Judges 3:19), they left Ehud all alone with the king. Ehud’s “secret message” was the sword that he brought — and the “special delivery” was a stab to the belly of the grossly overweight king which killed him!
Then Ehud quietly locked the doors to the roof to keep the guards out and made a quick getaway.
When Ehud returned to the people of Israel, he led Israel in conquering their enemies the Moabites.
DAILY DOUBLE
These two women saved millions of baby boys from being unjustly killed in ancient Egypt.
Shiphrah and Puah
Exodus 1
Shiphrah and Puah were two of the midwives assigned to attend Israelite women during childbirth in the years preceding the exodus. As the Israelites’ population increased, the Egyptians felt increasingly threatened and feared the Israelites would take over the nation. To limit their population growth, the king of Egypt gave the midwives a chilling order:
"When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live" (Ex. 1:16).
But Shiphrah and Puah feared God. They refused to do what the king of Egypt ordered. Deliberately disobeying their leader’s command, they delivered each tiny newborn with all the skill and ability they possessed.
Before long, their disobedience came to the attention of the king, and he summoned them to stand before him.
“‘Why have you done this?’ he asked. ‘Why have you let the boys live?’" (v. 18).
This is where Shiphrah and Puah shine on the pages of biblical history:
Not only were they God-fearing, they were also wise. While they recognized their responsibility to obey their leaders, they also understood that God’s law supersedes man’s law. They knew they could not sin against God by killing the Hebrew babies.
“‘Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women,’ they said to Pharaoh. ‘They are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.’"
Scripture tells us God smiled on their courage and commitment to do what was right. He “was kind to the midwives... and because the midwives feared God” (v. 20-21).
Shiphrah and Puah are powerful, though obscure, examples of doing what’s right no matter what the cost.
This prophet lied to another prophet about a message he had received from God, resulting in the other prophet getting killed. This event gave the first prophet the nickname the _____ Prophet.
Deceptive Prophet
1 Kings 13
A prophet of God was given a message to deliver to King Jeroboam. After which, God told the prophet that he should not stay there, neither should he eat or drink anything. The king tried to convince him to stay and dine but he refused and left to go home.
Another old prophet heard of the events and went after him. The old prophet invited him to follow him back home to have a meal. The old prophet lied and said an angel delivered a message from the Lord that he should invite him home for food and drink.
The prophet of God believed the deceptive prophet and followed him home for a meal. In the middle of the meal, God spoke through the deceptive prophet to the lying prophet that he would die because of his disobedience.
On his way back home a lion saw him and killed him. He was eventually found and buried by the deceptive prophet.
How many toes did the giant that David's brother, Jonathan slayed have?
24 Toes
2 Samuel 21:20-21
Did you know that there was a sequel to David and Goliath story? In part two of this exciting adventure, A giant with 24 toes and fingers falls to Jonathan, the brother of David. We don't know if he used a slingshot this time, but he joined his brother in the rank of giant slayers.
20 And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.
21 And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimeah the brother of David slew him.
The ungrateful Israelites got a large amount of the meat of this animal causing a plague, after complaining about manna.
Quail meat
(Numbers 11)
The children of Israel complained about eating Manna every day. They cried for meat so the Lord sent a strong wind to blow an enormous flock of quail over the camp. For about a days walk in any direction and three feet deep. Those who craved the meat gathered quail but never enjoyed their meal because it brought upon them a severe plague.
Another name for King Ahasuerus.
Xerxes
Xerxes is another name for King Ahasuerus, the ex-husband of Queen Vashti and the husband of Queen Esther.
This woman used camping supplies to kill a Canaanite general.
Deborah
Deborah the prophetess and the Israelite army drove Sisera, the Canaanite general, to a frantic retreat. He took refuge with a desert-dwelling tribe that was an ally of his nation. Unfortunately for him, he chose Jael’s tent, and she was a double agent. She fed Sisera, promised to stand guard, and told him to go to sleep… and then she drove a tent peg through his head.
This famous wife saved her husbands life after God set out to kill him for not circumcising his s on.
Zipporah
(Exodus 4.24-26)
After being commissioned by God from the burning bush, Moses is on his way back to Egypt when the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. Then [Moses’ wife] Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.
This man gave Moses the advice to divide his labor into many parts and to give command over each segment to others, to lessen his load.
Jethro
Exodus 18:13-27
Jethro was the father-in-law of Moses. In Exodus 18, Moses was overwhelmed with his task to lead Israel. It seemed like everyone who had a problem came to Moses to mediate!
Jethro’s wise suggestion for Moses to divide his labor into tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands to reduce his leadership burden and delegate responsibility to the people of Israel.
Jethro said if Moses followed his suggestion, “God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace”. Like a good son-in-law, Moses obeyed! This allowed Moses not to be held up with trivial matters but rather have a better system where they work themselves out.
In a miracle similar to Jesus's own, Elisha feeds 100 men with only this amount of bread.
20 loaves
(4 Kings 4:42-44)
Elisha preceded Jesus in feeding a large number of people with limited bread. He caused 20 loaves of bread to be shared with 100 men and there was bread leftover at the end.
This King lost their sight as a result of ignoring Jeremiahs Warning
Zedekiah
Zedekiah's Demise -
Lost his eyes because of disobedience.
This young widow was forced to seduce her father in law in order to escape poverty.
Tamar
Genesis 38
A young widow was in a tricky place. The law required that she marry her deceased husband’s brother so she could have children to provide for her and carry on the family name… but her father-in-law Judah absolutely forbid it, basically condemning her to poverty. So she took matters into her own hands, and dressed up like a prostitute, seduced her father-in-law, and had twin sons by him (yes, really). When she was about to be stoned for adultery, she produced proof that Judah was the father. He admitted his guilt, and Tamar was spared.
Less Weird When You Remember: The law requiring a man to marry his brother’s widow was intended to protect childless widows, who were vulnerable to poverty and abuse. Yes, it was totally misused in this case… but even with that, Tamar is mentioned in the line of Jesus, one of three foreign women of questionable past included there to point to God’s grace.
What was the name of the story where the prophet was told to give a message to a rebellious King?
Yoke of Jeremiah
The Lord spoke to Jeremiah and told him to deliver a message to Zedekiah the King saying: "I will give the entire country over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, you must serve him. If you choose not to submit to the king of Babylon or bow your neck under his yoke, I will punish your land with the sword, famine and plague, declares the Lord, until I destroy it by his hand. Also do not listen to your false prophets who will lie to you."
A false prophet named Hananiah told the king that the Lord said, "I will break the yoke of the King of Babylon and in two years he will bring back everything king nebuchadnezzar "
In this parable a ____ (one in a high position of power) rejects a woman seeking justice repeatedly before obliging her, teaching people to be persistent in prayer.
Judge/Unfair Judge
Luke 18:1–8
This is one of the parables of Jesus. In it, a judge who lacks compassion is repeatedly approached by a woman seeking justice. Initially rejecting her demands, he eventually honours her request so he will not be worn out by her persistence.
Jesus then encourages the people to be persistent in prayer because he is more willing to offer justice than an unjust Judge.