104 WAEC Christian Religious Knowledge 2011 questions with verified answers and worked explanations. Here are the first 25 — sign up free to practise the full paper.
According to Joseph’s interpretation to Pharaoh’s dreams; the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind represented seven years of
In the Bible story from Genesis, Pharaoh had two dreams which Joseph interpreted with God's help. The seven healthy ears of corn represented seven years of abundance, but the seven empty, blighted ears represented seven years of terrible famine that would follow. Joseph's ability to interpret this dream was a sign of God's divine guidance, which helped Egypt prepare for and survive the famine, showing God's providence and protection.
Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'abundance' because they confuse the seven empty ears in the question with the seven healthy ears, which represented the years of plenty.
Moses was born at a period when the Hebrew were
According to the book of Exodus, the Pharaoh in Egypt was afraid of the large population of the Hebrews. To control them, he enslaved them with hard labour and ordered that all their male babies be killed. This was a time of great suffering and oppression for the Israelites, and it was into this situation that Moses was born to lead them out of bondage.
Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'increasing' because the Bible states the Hebrews were multiplying, but this increase was the reason Pharaoh began to oppress them, making 'suffering' the correct description of their condition.
“…who is the Lord that I should heed his voice and let Israel go”? After this statement, Pharaoh
This question is about Pharaoh's disobedience to God's command, found in Exodus chapter 5. When Moses and Aaron told Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, he arrogantly asked, 'who is the Lord that I should obey him?'. Because of his disobedience, Pharaoh immediately punished the Israelites by making their work harder, ordering them to find their own straw for making bricks without reducing their daily quota.
Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose option B or D, but those events, like ordering the midwives to kill baby boys, happened much earlier in Exodus 1, before Moses even grew up.
The name Moses means
The name Moses comes from the story of his birth in the book of Exodus. Pharaoh's daughter found him as a baby in a basket floating on the River Nile. She rescued him and named him Moses, which in Hebrew sounds like the phrase 'to draw out', because she said, 'I drew him out of the water' (Exodus 2:10).
Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'abandoned in water' because they remember his mother placed him in the river, but the name was given by Pharaoh's daughter based on her action of rescuing, or 'drawing him out'.
After the departure of the Israelites God made Pharaoh pursue them in order to
In Exodus 14:4, God explicitly tells Moses that He will harden Pharaoh's heart so that he will pursue the Israelites. God's stated purpose for this action was, 'and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host'. This event was designed to be the final, ultimate demonstration of God's power over Egypt, showing His divine protection for Israel and His supreme authority over all earthly kings.
Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option C because the event did result in the Israelites fearing God and believing in Moses, but the Bible clearly states God's primary motive was to gain glory over Pharaoh.
Who among the following kings was raised by God against the Israelites for going after the Canaanite gods?
This question refers to the period of the Judges, when Israel repeatedly disobeyed God. As a consequence of them worshipping Canaanite gods, God allowed the Midianites, led by their kings Zebah and Zalmunna, to oppress them. This was a direct punishment for their disobedience, a major theme in the book of Judges, before God raised Gideon to deliver them.
Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose Jabin, who was also a king that oppressed Israel during the time of the Judges, but he was the king of Canaan defeated by Deborah and Barak.
Deborah, a prophetess who was a judge in Israel was the wife of
The question is about Deborah, a key leader in ancient Israel during the time of the Judges. The book of Judges chapter 4, verse 4 introduces her as 'Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth'. This verse directly provides the information needed to answer the question correctly.
Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose Sisera because he is a prominent figure in Deborah's story, but he was the enemy commander she helped defeat, not her husband.
The sons of Eli were regarded as worthless men for all the following reasons except
The correct option is B because the question asks for the reason that is NOT true. As priests, the sons of Eli were always at the tabernacle (the place of worship), so their problem was not poor attendance. Their sins were their wicked and disobedient actions while they were there, such as forcefully taking sacrificial meat and sleeping with the women who served at the entrance, which showed they had no respect for God.
Common mistake: Students often misread the word 'except' and choose an option like C, which describes a sin the sons of Eli actually committed, because they remember this specific detail from the Bible story.
Who was the first king of Israel?
The correct answer is Saul. After the period of the Judges, the people of Israel demanded a king to lead them like other nations. The prophet Samuel, guided by God, anointed Saul from the tribe of Benjamin as the very first king to rule over Israel.
Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose David because he was a more famous and significant king, but Saul's reign came first.
“...Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams”. This statement was Samuel’s reaction to
This quote is from 1 Samuel chapter 15, where the prophet Samuel confronts King Saul. God had commanded Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites, but Saul disobeyed by sparing their king, Agag, and the best of their livestock. When confronted, Saul defended his disobedience by claiming he saved the animals to sacrifice to God, prompting Samuel's famous reply that obedience is better than sacrifice.
Common mistake: Students may confuse the sins of different kings and mistakenly choose option A, associating the rebuke with David's sin regarding Bathsheba instead of Saul's disobedience in the battle against the Amalekites.
On Mount Gilboa, king Saul decided to commit suicide in order to avoid
The question is about the consequences of King Saul's disobedience to God, which led to his downfall. In the battle at Mount Gilboa, after being severely wounded and seeing his sons killed, Saul feared being captured by the Philistines. According to 1 Samuel 31:4, he told his armour-bearer, 'lest these uncircumcised fellows come and thrust me through, and abuse me,' which means he wanted to avoid the shame and ridicule of his enemies.
Common mistake: Students might choose option D because Saul was indeed in agony from his injuries, but the Bible specifically states his primary fear was the abuse and mockery he would suffer if the Philistines captured him alive.
David bitterly mourned when Abner was slain by
The correct answer is Joab. In the Bible story from 2 Samuel chapter 3, Joab, who was the commander of David's army, killed Abner as revenge because Abner had earlier killed Joab's brother, Asahel. David was very sad and mourned publicly for Abner because Abner was coming to make peace and unite the whole of Israel under David's kingship.
Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose Asahel, remembering that his death was related to Abner, but forgetting that it was Abner who killed Asahel in self-defence, not the other way around.
One of the main features of Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple was the
The question is about the prayer Solomon made during the dedication of the Temple, a major event that happened during his time as king. This event is a key part of the syllabus topic covering the reign of David and Solomon. The prayer's purpose was to set the Temple apart as the special and central place where Israel would direct their worship and prayers to God.
Common mistake: Students often choose option A because Solomon did praise God for being faithful to His covenant with David, but the main point of the dedication prayer was to establish the Temple's unique role in Israel's worship.
In spite of Solomon’s apostasy, his empire remained intact until his death because
The correct answer is A. According to the Bible in 1 Kings , God was angry with Solomon for turning to idol worship and decided to tear the kingdom from him. However, for the sake of the promise God made to Solomon's father, David, God declared that He would not do it during Solomon's lifetime but during his son's reign. This shows God's faithfulness to His covenant with David, even when Solomon sinned.
Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option C because Solomon is famous for his wisdom, but they forget that his later life was marked by disobedience and foolish decisions in turning away from God.
“Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore, lighten the hard service of your father.” These were the words of
This quote is from 1 Kings 12, where Jeroboam, acting as a spokesman for the Israelites, addressed Rehoboam after the death of his father, King Solomon. The 'heavy yoke' refers to the forced labour and high taxes Solomon had imposed on the people for his many building projects. Jeroboam was asking the new king, Rehoboam, to reduce this burden, but Rehoboam's harsh refusal led to the division of the kingdom.
Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose Solomon because he was the king who 'made our yoke heavy', but the question asks who spoke these words to his son, which was Jeroboam.
Obadiah, Ahabs servant, made history for himself by
The correct answer is C. According to 1 Kings 18, during the reign of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, the prophets of God were being persecuted and killed. Obadiah, who was in charge of Ahab's palace but secretly feared God, took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in two caves, providing them with bread and water. This brave act of faith preserved God's messengers and is part of the larger story where Elijah later proves the supremacy of God over Baal on Mount Carmel.
Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option A because Obadiah was a high-ranking official in King Ahab's court, and they might assume he was carrying out the king's wicked orders to arrest the prophets, rather than defying them.
The contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal took place at mount
This question refers to the story in 1 Kings chapter 18, where the prophet Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Baal to a contest. The purpose of the contest was to prove to King Ahab and the people of Israel that Yahweh is the one true God, not Baal. This famous showdown, where God sent down fire from heaven to consume Elijah's sacrifice, took place on Mount Carmel.
Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose Mount Sinai because it is another very important mountain in the Old Testament where God revealed himself to Moses by giving him the Ten Commandments.
King Jehoshaphat was commended for adopting his father’s policies which included
The question is about King Jehoshaphat being commended for his actions, which were acts of obedience to God. His father, King Asa, had removed Maacah from her position as queen mother because she promoted idol worship (1 Kings 15:13). By adopting this policy, Jehoshaphat showed his own commitment to obeying God and purging the land of idolatry, for which he was praised.
Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option B because there were many wars during this period, but Jehoshaphat was actually known for making an alliance with the king of Israel, not for being commended for fighting him.
God’s constant love for unfaithful Israel is demonstrated in the book of
The book of Hosea is the correct answer because it uniquely uses the prophet's own marriage as a powerful symbol. God commanded Hosea to marry an unfaithful woman, Gomer, to represent God's relationship with unfaithful Israel, who had turned to idol worship. Just as Hosea was told to show love and take back his wife, God demonstrated His constant, forgiving love for Israel despite their spiritual unfaithfulness.
Common mistake: Students might wrongly choose Amos because he also prophesied against Israel's sins, but Amos's message focused more on social injustice rather than the specific theme of God's redeeming love for an unfaithful nation.
During the rebuilding of the temple, Zerubbabel rejected the offer of help from the
This question is about the faith and courage shown by the leaders of the returned exiles. In the book of Nehemiah, Sanballat and Tobiah were the chief enemies who tried to stop the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. Zerubbabel, who led the earlier effort to rebuild the temple, faced similar opposition and had to show courage by rejecting help from these enemies and their friends because their intentions were to harm, not help.
Common mistake: Students often choose 'people of Samaria' because the Samaritans did offer to help rebuild the temple in Ezra 4 and were rejected, but the correct option specifically names the key antagonists, Sanballat and Tobiah, and their circle.
“And I asked them concerning the Jews that survived, who has escaped exile, and concerning Jerusalem...” These were the words of
The question quotes Nehemiah 1:2. In this passage, Nehemiah, who was serving the Persian king, showed great concern for his people back in Jerusalem after the exile. His inquiry and subsequent decision to return and rebuild the city walls is a powerful example of faith and courage in response to the consequences of the exile.
Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose Ezra, as he was also a prominent leader who returned from exile to Jerusalem to teach the Law and restore the community.
The presentation of Myrrh to Jesus signifies Jesus’
The Wise Men presented three gifts to the infant Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Myrrh was a fragrant spice used in ancient times for embalming the dead before burial. Therefore, this gift was a prophetic symbol that pointed to Jesus' future suffering and sacrificial death for the salvation of mankind.
Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose option D because they confuse the meaning of myrrh with gold, which was the gift that signified Jesus' kingship.
“My son your sins are forgiven”. These were the words of Jesus to the
This question refers to the biblical account of the healing of the paralytic man, found in Mark 2, Matthew 9, and Luke 5. The man's friends showed great faith by lowering him through the roof to reach Jesus. Before healing the man's body, Jesus first addressed his spiritual condition by saying, 'My son, your sins are forgiven,' demonstrating his divine authority to forgive sins as well as to heal.
Common mistake: Students often confuse the details of Jesus' various healing miracles, and might incorrectly choose another person He healed, like the demoniac, without recalling the specific words spoken in this particular event.
Peter called for the construction of three booths for Jesus, Moses and Elijah, respectively during
The correct answer is the transfiguration. In the Bible accounts (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9), Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a high mountain where His appearance was gloriously changed, and Moses and Elijah appeared with Him. In awe and confusion, Peter offered to build three shelters or 'booths' for them. This event was a key moment for the disciples, revealing Jesus's divine identity and strengthening their faith for their future mission.
Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'the Ascension' because it is also a significant event that happened on a mountain, but Moses and Elijah were not present during the Ascension.
The incidents that took place following Jesus’ death on the cross did not include the
The question asks which event did NOT happen when Jesus died on the cross. According to the Gospel of Matthew, the temple veil tore, the earth quaked causing rocks to split, and tombs opened. However, the Bible does not record that the chief priest trembled and converted; it was the Roman centurion who was filled with awe and declared that Jesus was truly the Son of God.
Common mistake: Students often confuse the reaction of the Roman centurion, who acknowledged Jesus' divinity, with the chief priest, who remained an opponent of Jesus at that time.
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