WAEC Christian Religious Knowledge 2008 Past Questions & Answers

According to the creation story in Genesis chapter 1, on the third day, God commanded the waters to gather in one place, allowing dry land to appear, which He called 'Earth' and 'Seas'. On that same day, He commanded the land to produce vegetation, including plants and trees. Therefore, the land, the sea, and vegetation were all created on the third day.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose the second day because they remember it involved separating water, but that was the creation of the sky to separate the waters above from the waters below, not the formation of the sea.

According to the creation story in Genesis $2:2-3$, God finished all his work of creating the heavens and the earth in six days. On the seventh day, He rested from all the work He had done. It was for this specific reason, His resting, that God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy (hallowed it), setting it apart from the other days.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option A because God did complete His work, but the Bible specifically states that the day was blessed *because* He rested, not just because the work was finished.

The correct answer is B. According to Genesis chapter 41, when Pharaoh made Joseph a ruler, he dressed him in fine linen, put a gold chain on his neck, and had him presented to the people. The land of Goshen was given much later to Joseph's father, Jacob, and his entire family when they came to Egypt to escape the famine, as recorded in Genesis chapter 47.

Common mistake: Students often confuse the honours given directly to Joseph upon his appointment with the provisions made for his family later, leading them to think the land of Goshen was part of his initial reward.

In the book of Exodus, when God called Moses from the burning bush, Moses gave several excuses because he felt inadequate for the task. One of his main concerns was that the Israelites would not believe that God had actually sent him. He specifically asked God, 'What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, "The Lord did not appear to you"?', which directly shows his fear that his people would not listen to him.

Common mistake: Students often choose option A because they remember Moses fled Egypt after killing an Egyptian, but his main stated reason for hesitating before God was his fear that the Israelites would not believe or accept him as their leader.

According to the book of Exodus, after God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He guided them through the wilderness on their journey to the Promised Land. The Bible states in Exodus 13:21 that God went before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them. At night, He led them in a pillar of fire to give them light, so they could travel by day or by night.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'fire' because they remember God also led the Israelites with a pillar of fire, but they forget that this was specifically at night, while the cloud was for the day.

This question is about the incident of the golden calf in Exodus 32. When Moses delayed coming down from Mount Sinai, the people of Israel became impatient and disobeyed God's commandment against idolatry. They gathered their gold, gave it to Aaron, and he made a golden calf for them to worship, which was a grave sin of disobedience.

Common mistake: A student might choose 'returned to Egypt' because the Israelites often grumbled about returning, but their specific action in this instance was to create and worship an idol, not to physically start a journey back.

This question refers to the event in Exodus $17:1-7$ where God provided for the Israelites in the desert. After leaving the Wilderness of Sin, the people camped at Rephidim and had no water. God showed his divine providence by instructing Moses to strike a rock to bring forth water, saving the people from thirst.

Common mistake: Students often choose 'Rephidium' because it is the specific campsite mentioned in Exodus 17:1, but the question asks for the 'wilderness of', and the journey to Rephidim was from the Wilderness of Sin, making it the correct broader location.

The Bible passage in 1 Samuel 16:14 clearly states that after King Saul disobeyed God's command regarding the Amalekites, the Spirit of the Lord departed from him. As a direct consequence of his disobedience, the scripture says 'an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him'. This shows the serious result of disobeying God's instructions, making option B the correct answer.

Common mistake: Students may wrongly choose option C, confusing this event with Saul's later decision to consult the witch of Endor when he was desperate before his final battle.

This event is recorded in 1 Samuel chapter 26. David and Abishai found King Saul and his army in a deep sleep, and David had the chance to kill him. Instead of harming God's anointed, David took Saul's spear and his jar of water as proof that he had been close enough to kill him but chose to spare his life, trusting God's timing and providence.

Common mistake: Students often confuse this second incident with the first time David spared Saul's life in a cave, where he cut off a piece of Saul's robe.

The question is about a key event at the beginning of King Solomon's reign. According to 1 Kings 3, after God granted Solomon wisdom at Gibeon, the first recorded test of this wisdom was the case between the two women fighting over a baby. Solomon's clever judgment to divide the child revealed the true mother and demonstrated to all of Israel that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'utterances of proverbs and parables' because Solomon is famous for them, but the judgment of the two harlots was the specific first event where he applied his judicial wisdom after the Gibeon encounter.

The question is about King Josiah's religious reforms as recorded in 2 Kings chapter 23. After the Book of the Law was found, Josiah was determined to obey God's commands and restore holiness to the nation. His first major action was to purge the land of idolatry, starting with the main Canaanite gods, Baal and Asherah, whose idols and altars had been set up in Judah.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option D because they confuse King Josiah's reform with Jesus cleansing the temple of traders and money changers.

King Asa of Judah is the correct answer because he demonstrated great responsibility by leading the nation back to God. He was obedient to God's law and destroyed the idols his ancestors had worshipped, even removing his grandmother Maacah from power for her idolatry. This action shows his commitment to correcting the disobedience of his predecessors and guiding his people in righteousness.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose Rehoboam because he was King Solomon's son, but he was a poor leader whose harshness and disobedience to wise counsel caused the kingdom to divide.

The prophet Hosea's marriage to Gomer was a powerful symbol of the relationship between God and Israel. Gomer was unfaithful to her husband, which represented Israel's unfaithfulness to God by worshipping idols. This story contrasts Israel's behaviour (false religion) with God's desire for a loving and faithful relationship (true religion).

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'God’s love for Israel' because the story does show God's love, but this was symbolized by Hosea's actions, not Gomer's unfaithful attitude.

The correct answer is Nineveh. The story of Jonah shows God sending him to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh, who were not Israelites but were their enemies. When the Ninevites listened and repented, God forgave them and did not destroy their city. This act demonstrates that God's mercy and salvation are not limited to one nation but are available to all people, proving His universal nature.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose Tarshish because it is the famous destination Jonah tried to flee to when disobeying God's command to go to Nineveh.

The correct option is A. After the fall of Jericho, Joshua placed a curse from God on anyone who would rebuild the city, stating they would lose their firstborn and youngest son (Joshua 6:26). During the wicked reign of King Ahab, a man named Hiel defied this curse and rebuilt Jericho, and the curse came to pass exactly as prophesied. Ahab was condemned because this open defiance of God's word happened under his leadership, reflecting the overall godlessness and evil, including greed and idolatry, that defined his time as king.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option D because they generally associate Canaanite cities with pagan practices like human sacrifice, but the specific reason for the curse on Jericho was Joshua's prophetic declaration.

The prophet Amos's main message was that religious ceremonies are meaningless to God if the worshippers are not living righteously. In Amos $5:21-24$, God explicitly states that He hates their feasts and sacrifices because there is no justice in the land. He demanded that they should instead 'let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!', which shows that their injustice and unrighteousness made their worship unacceptable.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option D, 'luxurious and arrogant', because Amos did condemn the rich, but the core reason God rejected their worship was the injustice and unrighteousness that their luxury was built upon.

According to the book of Ezekiel, chapter 1, the prophet's call began with a powerful vision from God. He saw a great cloud with fire and brightness, and from it came the likeness of four living creatures and wheels. The Bible concludes this description by stating, 'This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD' (Ezekiel 1:28), making 'God's glory' the correct answer.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'power of God' because the vision described with a whirlwind and fire is very powerful, but the Bible specifically identifies the vision as a manifestation of God's glory.

The prophet Jeremiah was called by God to warn the people of Judah about their sins and faithlessness. A central part of his message was that despite their sins, God offered them hope for restoration. This hope was not automatic; it depended on them turning away from their evil ways and sincerely returning to God, which is the meaning of repentance.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'show favour to strangers' because social justice was an important theme for the prophets, but Jeremiah's primary message for national restoration was a call to repent from idolatry and return to God.

The Gospels, particularly Matthew chapter 3, narrate how Jesus came from Galilee to the River Jordan for the specific purpose of being baptized by John. Although John felt unworthy and initially refused, Jesus insisted, stating it was necessary 'to fulfill all righteousness.' This event was an act of humility and obedience that officially began His public ministry, not to make a personal proclamation.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option A because the voice from heaven after the baptism did proclaim Jesus as God's Son, but Jesus' own stated reason for coming was simply to be baptized like others.

This question is taken directly from the Beatitudes, which are the blessings Jesus taught at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5. In this teaching, Jesus lists different characters and the rewards that follow. Specifically, in Matthew 5:9, Jesus states, 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God', because making peace reflects the nature of God Himself.

Common mistake: Students often mix up the different blessings in the Beatitudes and might wrongly choose option A, which is the blessing for the 'poor in spirit', not the 'peacemakers'.

The question is about the Mosaic law, which is the set of rules God gave to the Israelites through Moses as part of the Sinai Covenant. According to the laws in Leviticus chapters 13 and 14, it was the specific duty of the priest to examine a person suspected of having leprosy and to officially declare them clean if they were healed. This declaration allowed the person to rejoin the community, so the priest was the sole authority in this matter.

Common mistake: Students often choose 'Jesus Christ' because they remember stories of him healing lepers, but they forget that even Jesus told the healed lepers to go and show themselves to the priest to follow the law.

The correct option is B because Joseph of Arimathea's removal of Jesus' body did not happen immediately. According to the Gospels, he first had to go to Pontius Pilate to ask for permission to take the body, which took some time. In contrast, the tearing of the temple curtain, the earthquake, and the opening of the tombs are all recorded as supernatural events that happened at the very moment Jesus died.

Common mistake: Students may confuse the sequence of events, thinking that Joseph of Arimathea's request for the body was an instant event, when it actually required him to first go and get permission from Pilate.

This question refers to the instructions Jesus gave his twelve disciples when he sent them on their first missionary journey, as recorded in Matthew $10:5-6$. In this passage, Jesus specifically commanded them, 'Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.' The correct answer is therefore Samaritans, as they were one of the two groups the disciples were told to avoid at this initial stage.

Common mistake: A common mistake is to choose 'Unbelievers' because it seems like a correct general category, but the biblical text is very specific in naming the Samaritans as the group to be avoided.

The correct option is 'Walking on the sea' because this miracle shows Jesus's control over the laws of nature, specifically water and gravity. Jesus commanded the natural world to do something it does not normally do. The other options show his power over sickness (healing the leper and the woman with the issue of blood) and power over death (raising Lazarus), not power over nature itself.

Common mistake: Students often choose 'Raising of Lazarus from the dead' because it is a very powerful miracle, but they forget that this shows power over death, not specifically over nature like the sea or a storm.

When Jesus sent his disciples out to preach the gospel, he gave them clear instructions. He taught that any person or town that rejected their message would face a severe penalty on the day of judgment. This judgment comes directly from God, not from men or the church, which is why 'condemnation by God' is the correct answer.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'condemnation by the church', confusing the church's disciplinary actions with the ultimate divine judgment that Jesus spoke of.