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

God chose the smallest nation on the earth, the remnant, Israel, to bring the Messiah through them to this earth. When Elijah cried out that God's chosen people had killed His prophets and that he alone was left to fend for God within Israel, God responded that there were seven thousand others that had not bowed to Baal (Romans 11:1-4). Under the New Testament things are not much different as God has chosen the remnant of people that will accept His way for salvation:

 Romans 11:5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according

the God's gracious choice.

And so to find our answer to our question of "What did God choose to confound the wise?" we turn to First Corinthians chapter one where we find the Christians there divided by calling themselves after the one who baptized them such as "'I am of Paul' and 'I of Apollos' and 'I of Cephas' and 'I of Christ.'" (Verse 12). The division came by the pride that enveloped the importance of the name who baptized them, the more importance they placed on that individual the more pride was held by the one who he baptized and so Paul correctly states, "I thank God I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius" (Verse 14).

 Proverbs 16:(5) Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will not

go unpunished.

(18) Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.

(25) There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Man devises plans in his heart that seem right to him and often pride can seep into the plan. God knows what man looks up to and chooses

 The simple things of this earth to confound the wise.

1 Corinthians 1:18-24 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us

who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and

the cleverness of the clever I will set aside." Where is the wise man? Where is the debater of this age?

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through

its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the of the

message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for

wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, top the Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but

to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

God chooses things to destroy the wisdom of the world as Jews ask for signs (Matthew 12:38) after Jesus had performed great miracles before their very eyes, but they wanted a heavenly sign that met their requirements, even though God did speak from heaven to His Son on Earth (Matthew 3:17 & John 12:28-30 & Luke 9:36). The wisdom of the world taught that the world was flat, that the earth was the center of the universe, that man would never be able to fly, that he would never go to speeds beyond sixty miles per hour, that he would never cross the oceans, that everything that could be discovered had been discovered many different times and as late as one hundred ten years ago that creation took millions and millions of years, that evolution brought us from the ape and also the three toed and four toed and five toed horse took thousands of years to evolve, but now in the ash falls of north central Nebraska they have found all of them killed in the same volcanic ash! "Hhhhhhmmmmmmm, got to think about that one, ye-ah." The Gentiles think that a God that would send His son to be killed by the very ones He created is foolishness. Isn't it time to recognize the wisdom of God and His word that says "But the foolishness of God is wiser than men" (verse 25). Then look at the people that follow Him that are called Christian, you will not find many "wise" as the world looks to the wise, you will not find many "mighty" or "noble" (verse 26).

1 Corinthians 1:25-31 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is

stronger than men. For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the

flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the

wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things that are strong, and the base

things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He May nullify the

things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who

became to Us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that , just as

it is written, "Let him who boasts, Boast in the Lord."

And so there we have the answer to our question. God has chosen the foolish things to shame the wise, and the weak things to shame the strong, and the despised and the things that are not to "nullify the things that are" (verse 26-27), so no one can boast before God.

Just as Naaman said, "Behold I thought!" when Elisha the prophet sent out his servant to tell him to wash seven times in the river Jordan to cleanse his leprosy. Naaman thought that Elisha himself would "surely come out to me and stand and call on the Lord his God , and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper." (2 Kings 5:1-14). After being convinced that what he thought was not as important as being cleansed, he then went down to the Jordan and did as he was commanded to do and was cleansed of his leprosy! What a great lesson for us today to lay aside our pride and if we have not called on the Lord's name in that watery grave of baptism and heed His word, why not now? Our time is still opportune while He lends us breathe because of His longsuffering that all men should repent and be saved.