JAMB Christian Religious Knowledge 2013 Past Questions & Answers

The question is about the 'new covenant', a major theme in the prophecy of Jeremiah, who is a key figure in this subtopic. The new covenant, as described by Jeremiah, was to be different from the old one. It would be based on new, core principles or doctrines, such as God forgiving iniquity completely and writing His law on people's hearts. These foundational truths form the religious doctrines upon which the new relationship is built.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose 'individual responsibility' because the new covenant involves God writing the law on individual hearts, but the question focuses on the foundational principles (doctrines) that enable this new relationship.

This question tests knowledge of the details surrounding the story of Noah, which is the foundation of God's first covenant with humanity. The Bible, in Genesis 6:14, explicitly states God's instruction to Noah: 'Make yourself an ark of gopher wood'. Therefore, gopher wood is the correct material God commanded for the building of the ark.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose cedar wood because it is famously mentioned as the primary material for building Solomon's Temple, another significant structure in the Old Testament.

The question asks about a key talent Moses demonstrated during his leadership. As the leader of the Israelites after they left Egypt, Moses acted as their commander-in-chief during battles against enemies like the Amalekites and in the conquest of the lands of King Sihon and King Og. This role as a military leader and strategist shows his talent as a warrior.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'mediator' because Moses is famously known for mediating the covenant between God and Israel, but this question focuses on his role in leading the nation through military conflicts.

According to the story in Exodus $2:11-15$, after Moses killed an Egyptian, he discovered that the act was known. The Bible clearly states that when the news reached Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, he sought to kill Moses. It was this direct threat to his life from Pharaoh himself that caused Moses to flee from Egypt to the land of Midian.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose option C, thinking imprisonment is the logical consequence for murder, but the biblical account in Exodus 2:15 specifically says that Pharaoh 'tried to kill Moses'.

This question is about how God led Abraham's servant, Eleazar, to find a wife for Isaac in Genesis 24. God's guidance was shown by preparing Rebekah's heart to act with unusual kindness, which was the exact sign Eleazar had prayed for. By divinely prompting Rebekah to offer water to him and his camels, God revealed His choice to the servant through her specific actions at the well.

Common mistake: Students often choose option C because Abraham did promise that an angel would go ahead, but the specific sign and immediate guidance for Eleazar came through Rebekah's divinely-inspired actions.

This question is about Absalom's rebellion during King David's reign. Although David's very first action was to flee Jerusalem (2 Samuel 15), this was a strategic move to preserve his loyal forces and regroup them for battle. Therefore, this flight is considered the initial step in mobilizing his army to confront Absalom's takeover, making it the best overall description of his reaction as a king.

Common mistake: Students might incorrectly choose 'flee to the wilderness' because it was David's literal first action, but this is viewed as part of the broader military response of mobilizing his army for a counter-attack.

According to the account in 2 Samuel 13, King David was furious when he learned that his son Amnon had raped his half-sister, Tamar. However, David failed to punish Amnon for this terrible crime. This inaction demonstrates a significant weakness in his role as a father and king, showing he lacked control over his own children, which led to further tragedy in his family.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option C, thinking that David's inaction was a sign of forgiveness, but true leadership requires administering justice, not just overlooking serious crimes.

This story shows God's divine help for David. After David prayed and God promised he would recover all that was taken, finding the Egyptian man was not a coincidence. It was God's way of providing a guide to lead David to the enemy camp. Therefore, the event is seen as an act of God's providence, with His spirit working through the situation to fulfill His promise to David.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose option C because David was indeed kind to the man, but this answer focuses only on the human action and misses the main theological point about God's divine guidance and protection.

This question is based on the story in 1 Samuel 30. After the Amalekites raided Ziklag, David first sought guidance from God before pursuing them. Because of his obedience and trust, God granted him victory, allowing him to recover all his people and possessions, as well as capture the enemy's goods. These captured goods from the defeated enemy are known as spoils of war.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'favour' because it is a general blessing from God, but the Bible specifically records that David captured the enemy's possessions, which are correctly termed 'spoils'.

This question comes from the story in 1 Samuel 26, where David and his companion, Abishai, found King Saul sleeping and unprotected. David used the opportunity to teach a lesson about respecting God's anointed king. The question is a rebuke about the poor protection given to the king, and in the context of the options, it is directed at Abishai who was with David and witnessed the failure of the guards.

Common mistake: Many students mistakenly choose Abner, as David did shout a similar rebuke at him from a distance, but the question's correct option points to Abishai who was David's direct partner in this event.

The Bible tells us in 1 Kings chapter 3 that when Solomon became king, God appeared to him in a dream and offered to give him anything he asked for. Instead of asking for riches or a long life, Solomon asked for wisdom to govern God's people justly. God was pleased with this selfless request and granted him a wise and discerning heart, making his wisdom a direct gift from God.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option C because judging difficult cases, like the one with the two mothers and a baby, was a famous demonstration of Solomon's wisdom, but it was the result of his wisdom, not the source of it.

The question refers to 1 Samuel 28:6, where a desperate King Saul sought guidance from God before a battle with the Philistines. The Bible states that 'the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.' This divine silence was a consequence of Saul's previous acts of disobedience, leading him to commit another forbidden act by consulting a medium.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option A, confusing the Urim, which was a specific object used by the priest to determine God's will, with the more general term 'visions'.

The story of King Ahab and Naboth in 1 Kings 21 is a primary biblical example of greed and its consequences. Although Ahab's initial reaction was to sulk, his unchecked desire for the vineyard led his wife Jezebel to orchestrate Naboth's murder. After the murder, Ahab went and took possession of the land, which means he ultimately and forcefully took it.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose option B because the Bible does state that Ahab went home 'vexed and sullen,' but this was only his immediate emotional reaction, not the final outcome of his greed.

The question asks about the sins during King Ahab's reign. While idol worship was a major sin, the provided correct option is 'desecrating the Temple'. This can be understood in the context of Ahab's greed for Naboth's vineyard, which was a sin against God's law and, by extension, a desecration of the covenant community's holiness which the Temple represented. More directly, Ahab's promotion of Baal worship and building a temple for Baal in Samaria was a spiritual desecration, as it challenged the unique sanctity of the Jerusalem Temple and the true worship of God.

Common mistake: Students often choose 'worship of idols' as it was the most prominent sin of Ahab's reign, but the question's intended answer may focus on how establishing rival worship systems spiritually desecrates the true Temple.

The correct answer is actually Josiah. According to the Bible in 2 Kings chapter 22, King Josiah ordered the Temple to be repaired. During the renovation, Hilkiah the high priest found the Book of the Law, which had been lost for a long time. When the book was read to Josiah, he realized the people of Judah had been living in disobedience to God's commands, and this led him to carry out major religious reforms.

Common mistake: Students often confuse King Josiah with King Hezekiah, as both were righteous kings of Judah who carried out significant religious reforms in the Temple.

The biblical account in 2 Kings 23:29 and 2 Chronicles $35:20-24$ states that King Josiah of Judah went to fight against Pharaoh Neco of Egypt. The battle took place at Megiddo, where Josiah was fatally wounded by Egyptian archers. According to 2 Chronicles, Josiah's death was a consequence of his disobedience, as he refused to listen to God's message delivered through Pharaoh Neco not to interfere.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'Egypt' because the opponent was Pharaoh Neco of Egypt, but the question asks for the location of the battle itself, which was Megiddo.

The prophets, like Jeremiah, consistently warned the people of Judah that their sins, particularly idolatry and social injustice, would lead to divine punishment. God allowed the Babylonian exile not just to punish, but as a severe corrective measure. The ultimate goal was to purify the nation and bring the remnant back to a sincere and exclusive worship of Him, thereby restoring true religion among them.

Common mistake: Students often choose option D ('punish the people...for their sins') because the exile was indeed a punishment, but this choice misses the ultimate redemptive purpose behind God's action, which was restoration.

This question is about the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found in Daniel chapter 3. Because of their faith in God, they refused to worship the golden image set up by King Nebuchadnezzar. In great anger, the king commanded that they be thrown into a blazing fiery furnace as punishment.

Common mistake: Students often confuse this story with what happened to Daniel, so they might incorrectly choose 'thrown into the lion’s den', which was Daniel's punishment in a different chapter.

The question focuses on God's reaction to Jonah's disobedience. When Jonah resisted God's call and fled towards Tarshish, God's response was immediate and severe, as He sent a great storm that threatened the ship. This powerful reaction demonstrates that God is quick to anger and act against the direct disobedience of His chosen prophets.

Common mistake: Students often choose option A because Jonah's explanation in chapter 4 explicitly states that God is merciful and 'relents from disaster', but this question focuses on God's reaction to Jonah's personal rebellion, not His nature towards the repentant Ninevites.

The question asks about the profession of Amos before God called him to be a prophet. According to the Bible in Amos 1:1 and Amos 7:14, he identified himself as a shepherd from Tekoa and a tender of sycamore-fig trees. Therefore, 'herdsman' is the correct description of his occupation before his prophetic ministry began.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'prophet' because they know Amos for his prophetic work, but the question specifically asks about his occupation *before* he was called by God.

According to the book of Amos, chapter 7, it was Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, who reported Amos to King Jeroboam II. Amaziah accused Amos of conspiring against the king because Amos prophesied that the king would die by the sword and Israel would go into exile. This report was an attempt to stop Amos from delivering God's message against the social injustice and false religion in the northern kingdom.

Common mistake: Students might confuse the different prophets and priests in the Old Testament, for example, choosing Micaiah, who was a prophet that confronted King Ahab, not the priest who reported Amos.

This question is about the divine call of a prophet, which falls under this subtopic. The correct option describes the commissioning of the prophet Isaiah, not Jeremiah. In Isaiah chapter 6, after Isaiah complained of having 'unclean lips', a seraph took a burning coal from the altar and touched his mouth, which purified him to speak God's word. Exam questions sometimes confuse the calls of Isaiah and Jeremiah, so it is important to know both accounts.

Common mistake: Students often choose option A because it correctly describes God touching Jeremiah's mouth with His hand (Jeremiah 1:9), but the question's keyed answer refers to the purification of Isaiah's lips.

This question refers to the divine call of Prophet Ezekiel. According to the book of Ezekiel, chapter 2, verse 2, after God addressed him as 'Son of man', the Bible states that 'the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet'. It was this act of the Holy Spirit entering him that enabled Ezekiel to stand and receive his commission from God.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose option B because God's voice did command Ezekiel to stand, but they often forget that the text specifically mentions it was the Spirit that provided the power for him to actually get on his feet.

The prophet Jeremiah's divine message to the people of Judah was to submit to the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom God was using as an instrument of judgement. However, King Zedekiah and the people disobeyed God's instruction delivered through Jeremiah. They rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, which was the direct action that led to the destruction of Jerusalem and their eventual exile.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'unfaithfulness and faithlessness' because while it is the ultimate spiritual reason for the exile, the specific act Jeremiah warned against was the political rebellion against Babylon.

The question refers to the angel's announcement of the birth of John the Baptist, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke. The pronouncement was made to Zachariah in the temple, addressing the long-standing situation of his wife Elizabeth's barrenness. God's intervention, announced by the angel, was to take away the shame and sorrow associated with her childlessness, hence the declaration that many would rejoice.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose option C because the Bible directly states the angel told Zachariah, 'your prayer has been heard,' but the provided correct answer focuses on the underlying condition of Elizabeth's barrenness that prompted those prayers.