Welcome and thank you for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word.
This week's question:

The prophets, inspired messengers of God (Ezra 5:2), men (2 Peter 1:21) united in their testimony (Acts 3:21-24), who are confirmed by Jesus Christ as He tells His disciples, "'O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer th3ese things and to enter into His glory?' And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the scriptures.' & Now He said to them, 'These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." (Luke 24:25-27 & 44)

Jesus also tells the scribes and Pharisees, "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in the shedding the blood of the prophets.' Consequently you bear witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up the measure of the guilt of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell? Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation." (Matthew 23:29-36)

That brings us to our question, "Who is the first prophet mentioned?". Jesus told the multitudes concerning His role upon this earth, "Do you think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:17-20)

Now, that would be quite an eye opener for those that were measuring and hoping they could even come somewhat close to the scribes and Pharisees in what they felt was righteousness and now be told by the Christ that they must exceed it! The lives of the prophets did take great courage as the writer of Hebrews proclaims, "And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourging, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect." (Hebrews 11:32-40)

So then, for the answer to our question we turn and read, "'Now therefore restore the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.' So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and all the men were greatly frightened. Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done." (Genesis 20:7-9)

So there we have the answer to our question, as the first mentioned prophet is none other than Abraham! There is no doubt one might look to Enoch or Noah (Genesis 5:22 & 6:13) as earlier possible prophets, but Abraham is identified as such.

May we strive to be as courageous and as worthy as these men who carried out the commands of their God and ours for life eternal, "But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11:16)