WAEC Christian Religious Knowledge 2015 Past Questions & Answers

This question tests your detailed knowledge of the creation account in Genesis 1. According to Genesis 1:14, God made the lights in the sky 'for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years'. The correct option B is an exception because it slightly misquotes the Bible by saying 'for signs of seasons', which is different from the Bible's text that lists 'signs' and 'seasons' as separate purposes. The other options A and C are directly stated as purposes in Genesis 1.

Common mistake: Many students mistakenly choose option D, because drying up the flood is from the story of Noah, but the question is a test of precise wording from the creation story, making the subtle error in option B the intended answer.

The correct answer is Kishon. According to the creation account in Genesis $2:10-14$, four rivers originated from a river in Eden to water the garden. These rivers are named as Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates. The River Kishon is not mentioned in this list; it is a different river in ancient Israel, known from the story of Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose 'Gibon' because it is a slight misspelling of 'Gihon', one of the actual rivers, causing them to think it is the incorrect name on the list.

The correct option is C because the question asks what God did not do. According to the biblical account in Genesis 2:21, after God took a rib from Adam, He 'closed up the place with flesh'. The option states that God covered the place with a bone, which is incorrect, making it the right answer to the 'except' question.

Common mistake: A common mistake is to misread the question and choose option B or D, as taking the rib and using it to create Eve are the most famous steps in the story.

This question is taken from Exodus 19:5, which describes the moment God established the Sinai Covenant with the Israelites through Moses. God promised to make Israel His special, treasured nation out of all peoples on earth. However, this promise was conditional; it depended on the Israelites agreeing to obey God's voice and keep the covenant He was making with them, which included the Ten Commandments.

Common mistake: Students might confuse this specific condition for establishing the covenant with other general commands, like driving out the Canaanites (Option A), which was a later instruction for possessing the promised land.

In Genesis 37, Jacob gave Joseph a special robe because he loved him more than his other sons. This robe was a symbol of great favour and was traditionally given to the son chosen to be the main heir. By giving Joseph this robe, Jacob was showing his intention to give him the birthright and make him the leader of the family after him.

Common mistake: Students may choose 'Prince' because Joseph later became a powerful ruler in Egypt, but the robe from his father signified his status as an heir within his family, not royalty.

The correct answer is C because the list in Exodus chapter 1 specifically names the sons of Jacob who travelled with him from Canaan to settle in Egypt. Joseph was not part of this travelling group because he was already in Egypt, serving as a powerful governor who had invited them. Therefore, the list only includes those who made the journey to join him at that time.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose option A because they confuse the list of people who travelled to Egypt with the later division of the tribes of Israel, where Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, did represent him.

The correct option is D. According to the book of Exodus, the Pharaoh of Egypt became fearful of the large and growing population of the Israelites. To control their numbers, he commanded that every newborn Hebrew boy be thrown into the River Nile. Moses' mother hid him for three months to save him from this wicked decree, which is a clear example of God's divine protection over the child who would later deliver His people.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option A because they know Moses eventually became a great leader, but the direct reason for hiding him was the immediate danger from Pharaoh's order, not his future destiny.

According to 1 Samuel $8:1-3$, when the prophet Samuel became old, he made his sons, Joel and Abijah, judges over Israel. However, they did not follow their father's good example. Instead, they misused their positions of power by turning aside for dishonest gain, accepting bribes, and perverting justice, which means giving false judgement.

Common mistake: Students often confuse the sins of Samuel's sons with the sins of Eli's sons (Hophni and Phinehas), who were guilty of stealing offerings and sleeping with women at the tabernacle.

This prophecy is found in 1 Samuel chapter 2. It was delivered by an unnamed man of God to Eli the priest as a judgement for the sins of his sons, Hophni and Phinehas. Because Eli failed to discipline his disobedient sons who desecrated the temple offerings, God declared that Eli's priestly line would be cut off and his descendants would be reduced to begging for food.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option C, confusing this prophecy from the man of God with the later prophecy that God gave to the young boy Samuel concerning Eli's house.

God commanded King Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites and all their possessions. However, Saul disobeyed by sparing their king, Agag, and the best of their animals. When Prophet Samuel confronted him, Saul lied by claiming, 'I have performed the commandment of the LORD,' which meant he was saying he had utterly destroyed the Amalekites. This statement was false, making option B the correct answer.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose option C because failing to kill the king was Saul's main act of disobedience, but the question specifically asks about the lie he told Samuel to cover up his actions.

The question is about a major event during King Solomon's rule, which was the building of the Temple. According to the Bible in 1 Kings 5, Solomon sent a message to King Hiram explaining that his father, David, could not build a temple because he was constantly at war. However, God had now given Solomon rest and peace on all sides, which is why he was able to undertake the great project of building a house for the Lord.

Common mistake: Students might wrongly choose option B, forgetting that David actually had a strong desire to build the temple but was forbidden by God because he was a man of war.

This event occurred during the reign of King David, as recorded in 2 Samuel 11. Uriah the Hittite, a loyal soldier, refused to go home and enjoy comfort with his wife because his commander Joab, the Israelite army, and the Ark of the Covenant were all camping in the open field at war. He saw it as a betrayal of his duty and his comrades, which is a form of military vow and patriotism, making option C the correct answer.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option B, thinking Uriah was worried about his wife seeing him as a coward, but the Bible text shows his concern was for his fellow soldiers and his duty to the nation at war.

The question is based on the prophecy of Nathan to David in 2 Samuel 12 after David sinned with Bathsheba. Nathan clearly stated that the sword would never depart from David's house (C), that God would raise up evil against him from his own household (A), and that his wives would be taken by a neighbour in public (B). Although Absalom's rebellion was the fulfilment of the prophecy about evil from David's house, the prophet Nathan did not specifically mention Absalom by name in his pronouncement of punishment.

Common mistake: Students often remember the story of Absalom's rebellion so vividly that they mistakenly believe Nathan must have mentioned him by name in the original prophecy, leading them to think one of the other options is the exception.

According to the account in 1 Samuel chapter 4, the name Ichabod means 'the glory has departed'. Phinehas's wife gave her son this name because she was devastated by the news that the Ark of God, which represented God's glory and presence, had been captured by the Philistines. She was also mourning the death of her husband, Phinehas, and her father-in-law, Eli, which happened during the same battle.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option C because her husband's sin was the root cause of the tragedy, but the name Ichabod specifically refers to the result of that sin, which was the loss of the Ark and the departure of God's glory.

The contest on Mount Carmel was a direct challenge to prove who the real God was: Yahweh or Baal. When God sent down fire to consume Elijah's sacrifice after the prophets of Baal had failed, it was a clear and powerful demonstration of His ultimate power. This event proved to King Ahab and all of Israel that God is supreme over all other so-called gods.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option A because God did empower Elijah, but the primary purpose of the contest was to prove God's ultimate power over Baal, not just to highlight the prophet's personal abilities.

This question is based on the story in 1 Kings 21, which is a key example of greed. After King Ahab coveted Naboth's vineyard and his wife Jezebel had Naboth killed, the prophet Elijah confronted him. The Bible states that upon hearing God's judgment from Elijah, Ahab humbled himself, tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted as a sign of his repentance.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose option B, blaming Jezebel, because they correctly remember that she was the one who orchestrated the murder, but they forget Ahab's specific reaction of repentance when confronted.

In the Bible story from 2 Kings 5, the prophet Elisha healed Naaman of leprosy but refused any payment. Gehazi, Elisha's servant, was not satisfied and secretly ran after Naaman to collect gifts for himself. This strong desire for material wealth is called greed, and it was the main reason for his actions. As a punishment for his greed and the lies he told to get the gifts, Elisha cursed him, and he was struck with leprosy.

Common mistake: Students might choose 'deceitfulness' or 'lies' because Gehazi did lie to get the gifts, but his greed was the root motivation for his deceitful actions.

The question is about King Josiah's religious reforms, which are a key example of a leader responding to God's call for holiness. After the Book of the Law was discovered during temple repairs, Josiah led the nation of Judah in repentance and renewed their covenant with God. A central part of this revival was his command to celebrate the Passover feast, which had not been properly observed for many years, thus restoring a holy tradition.

Common mistake: Students might confuse Josiah's work with that of other leaders, like Nehemiah who was famous for building the walls of Jerusalem, making option D a tempting but incorrect choice.

The question is based on the account in 2 Kings 22. When the Book of the Law was found during King Josiah's reign, he sent his officials to the prophetess Huldah. She prophesied that God would bring disaster on Judah because the people had forsaken Him and not followed the words written in the book. This failure to follow the commands in the book is a clear case of disobedience to the law of God.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option A, 'had burned incense to other gods', because this was a specific sin they committed, but it is just one example of their overall disobedience to God's law, which is the broader and more accurate answer.

The question asks who the book of Ezra credits with prophesying the return from exile. Ezra 1:1 explicitly states that King Cyrus's action was 'that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled'. Jeremiah had prophesied that the exile in Babylon would last for 70 years, after which God would bring the people back, making him the correct answer according to the text.

Common mistake: Students may choose Isaiah or Ezekiel because they were also major prophets who spoke about Israel's restoration, but they forget that the question specifically asks who the book of Ezra names.

According to 2 Kings $24:2-4$, the Lord sent Chaldean, Syrian, and Moabite raiders against Judah to destroy it. This was a direct consequence and divine punishment for the kingdom's persistent disobedience, idolatry, and the sins committed under kings like Manasseh. The ultimate purpose of this divinely-ordained attack was the destruction of the nation, which led to the Babylonian exile.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'learn a lesson' because punishment can be corrective, but the biblical account is clear that the immediate intention of this specific judgment was destruction due to the severity of Judah's sins.

The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is a key example of faith during the Babylonian exile. When threatened with the fiery furnace, they told King Nebuchadnezzar that even if God did not save them, they would still refuse to worship his idol. This shows that their action was based on their complete trust in God's sovereignty, not just on the hope of being rescued.

Common mistake: Students often choose 'God’s ability to save his servants' because God did rescue them, but the question focuses on what the men's actions demonstrated, which was their trust *before* the miracle happened.

According to the book of Daniel, chapter 6, verse 3, Daniel distinguished himself above the other officials because 'an excellent spirit was in him,' and the king planned to promote him. The other officials became jealous of his competence and the king's favour, which is why they were unhappy and plotted against him. His excellence was the direct cause of their envy.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option D, confusing the story of Daniel in the lions' den under King Darius with the story of his three friends who refused to worship the golden image under King Nebuchadnezzar.

This statement is from the book of Amos (Amos 4:6), where God lists the punishments He sent to Israel to make them repent. The phrase 'cleanness of teeth' is a figure of speech, also known as an idiom. It means there was a severe famine in the land, so people had no food to chew, which left their teeth 'clean'. Therefore, the statement means God caused them to have no food to eat as a judgment for their sins of social injustice.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose 'new set of teeth' because they interpret the phrase 'cleanness of teeth' literally, instead of understanding it as a biblical idiom for famine.

This statement was made by Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, who was angry with Amos for prophesying against Israel. The phrase 'eat bread' is a Hebrew idiom which means to earn a living or make a livelihood. Therefore, Amaziah was telling Amos to stop prophesying in Israel and go back to his home country, Judah, to work as a prophet and earn his living there.

Common mistake: Students often make the mistake of choosing option C because they interpret the phrase 'eat bread' literally, failing to recognize it as a common biblical expression for earning a living.