WAEC Christian Religious Knowledge 2017
Questions & Answers

An examinee might mistakenly select the Nile or Jordan because they are prominent biblical rivers frequently mentioned throughout scripture. Consulting the specific creation narrative in Genesis 2:10-14, the four originating waterways are Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates, which singles out the Tigris while excluding the other listed options from this particular geographical description. Common mistake: naming famous biblical rivers like the Nile or Jordan that are actually absent from the specific list of Edenic waterways.

A student might mistakenly choose Shechem or Bethel, as these are well-known patriarchal sites featured prominently in Genesis narratives. Tracking the specific transaction in Genesis 37:17-28, the brothers encountered the caravan while pasturing flocks and completed the sale at Dothan while the traders were en route to Egypt. Common mistake: confusing general patriarchal locations like Bethel or Shechem with the exact trading route stop where the transaction occurred.

A candidate could mistakenly select that they needed divine protection or were colonized by the Egyptians, misinterpreting the political dynamics of the migration. Analyzing the textual account, a severe regional famine forced Jacob's household to travel where grain supplies were preserved through Joseph's administrative preparations, making the food shortage the fundamental catalyst for the journey. Common mistake: viewing political colonization or general divine protection as the primary trigger for the migration rather than an acute food crisis.

One might mistakenly choose to encourage rebellion against the Pharaoh or to reveal leadership capabilities, projecting modern political motivations onto the text. Examining Exodus 4:1-9, God provided specific signs—such as turning a staff into a serpent—specifically to address Moses' personal doubts and to convince the skeptical Israelites of his divine commission and Yahweh's delivering mission. Common mistake: confusing the intended audience of the miraculous signs as being the Egyptian rulers rather than the doubting Israelites.

A test-taker could mistakenly select that God had lost confidence in Moses or that Moses was too old, assuming a failure of faith by the deity. Reading the narrative in Exodus 4:10-16, Moses resisted the assignment because of his slow speech and speech impediment, which led God to appoint Aaron as his spokesperson to accommodate this human limitation while keeping Moses as the primary leader. Common mistake: misinterpreting Moses' speech reluctance as a loss of divine confidence rather than a request for a communication assistant.

A student might mistakenly choose the ill-equipped army of Pharaoh or Moses as a reliable leader, focusing on secondary elements of the narrative. Recognizing the core theological message of Exodus 14:21-31, the parting of the waters and the destruction of the pursuers were direct demonstrations of divine power that ensured safe passage and symbolized constant protection for the chosen people. Common mistake: focusing solely on the military defeat of the enemy rather than the overarching theme of divine guidance and preservation.

An examinee could mistakenly pick pomegranates, citrus and vines or olives, grapes and sycamore, mixing up the specific assortment of fruits brought back. Verifying the account in Numbers 13:23, the scouts cut down a massive single cluster of grapes carried on a pole, along with specific quantities of figs and pomegranates from the Valley of Eshcol to demonstrate the region's rich bounty. Common mistake: substituting general Mediterranean fruits like olives or citrus for the exact combination of grapes, figs, and pomegranates recorded in the text.

A student might mistakenly select prophet or seer, confusing the general prophetic office with the specific hereditary lineage involved. Checking Numbers 27:18-23, the individual who laid hands on Joshua under divine instruction was Eleazar, who was the son of Aaron the high priest, highlighting the specific religious office responsible for leadership succession. Common mistake: misidentifying the commissioning authority as a prophet rather than recognizing his priestly lineage.

A candidate could mistakenly choose wars, famine and plagues, or obedience, blessings and success, misinterpreting the overarching pattern of the era. The Book of Judges (2:11-19) details a recurring cycle where human unfaithfulness brought about foreign oppression and punishment, followed by cries for help and subsequent deliverance by raised judges. Common mistake: viewing the period as a time of continuous stability or purely external natural disasters rather than a cyclical pattern of spiritual failure and rescue.

One might mistakenly select reliance on a large army or belief in Barak's personal power, assuming worldly military strategies dictated their actions. According to Judges 4:4-9, the prophetess grounded her military cooperation entirely on divine assurance, declaring that victory would come exclusively through God's intervention rather than human military might. Common mistake: attributing the alliance's success to human tactical strength or military size instead of spiritual trust.

A test-taker could mistakenly pick to fight the people of Jericho or to circumcise all Hebrew children, mixing up subsequent campaign events with the initial call. Reviewing Joshua 1:1-6, the direct instruction given following Moses' death was to cross the Jordan in order to take possession of the land promised to Abraham's descendants, fulfilling the foundational covenant. Common mistake: confusing the initial overarching mandate to inherit the land with specific later battle campaigns or rituals.

A student might mistakenly select lying with women in the tent or being ignorant of the sacrificial laws, assuming general moral failure rather than a specific ritual violation. 1 Samuel 2:12-17 explains that Hophni and Phinehas demanded raw meat before the sacred fat was burned for God, directly breaching Levitical regulations that prioritized the divine portion of the offering. Common mistake: generalizing the sons' wickedness as ordinary ignorance of the law instead of identifying their specific abuse of the sacrificial protocol.

An examinee could mistakenly choose hatred, intolerance, or arrogance, attributing the rift to general personality clashes. 1 Samuel 15:22-23 highlights that Samuel rebuked Saul specifically for failing to completely carry out the divine command regarding the Amalekites, which Samuel equated directly to the sins of rebellion and idolatry. Common mistake: reducing the royal conflict to personal arrogance rather than recognizing direct disobedience to a divine command as the cause.

A student might mistakenly pick returning Saul's spear and jar or giving Saul a decent burial, focusing on subsequent interactions rather than the core display of reverence. In 1 Samuel 24:4-7 and 26:8-11, David explicitly refused to harm Saul despite having clear opportunities, stating that he would not raise his hand against the Lord's anointed, thus demonstrating deep respect for divine authority. Common mistake: confusing subsidiary polite gestures with David's primary demonstration of restraint in refusing to commit regicide.

A candidate could mistakenly choose the sudden death of his wives and concubines or Rehoboam's inability to sustain the kingdom, confusing secondary plot developments with the primary divine decree. 1 Kings 11:9-13,31-39 shows that Solomon's departure into idolatry directly caused God to promise the tearing away of the kingdom after his reign, leading to the northern and southern split. Common mistake: attributing the division to administrative incompetence rather than the direct spiritual consequence of apostasy.

One might mistakenly select fish and food or salt and olives, guessing based on general Mediterranean trade goods. Checking 1 Kings 5:10-11, Solomon paid for the imported cedar and cypress timber by sending massive annual provisions of wheat and pressed oil directly to Hiram's household to sustain his court. Common mistake: confusing the specific agricultural commodities of wheat and oil traded with Tyre with generic food provisions.

Students might mistakenly choose option C or option A thinking that general Assyrian military actions or the total collapse of the empire prompted the religious changes, but the text specifically points to a textual discovery. When high priest Hilkiah uncovered the Book of the Law inside the temple, Josiah responded by reading it and instituting widespread religious reforms. This led directly to purging idolatry and restoring covenant worship. Common mistake: Confusing the broader political backdrop of the Assyrian Empire with the immediate catalyst of finding the law book.

Students might pick option B, assuming that becoming a vassal ruler meant becoming an outright servant to Nebuchadnezzar, or option D, believing the exile was the king's primary goal. However, historical records show that surrendering during the siege of Jerusalem was a strategic move to avert the total destruction of the city at that precise moment. Although exile followed later under Zedekiah, this capitulation temporarily spared Jerusalem. Common mistake: Confusing the ultimate outcome of the exile with the immediate strategic purpose of the surrender.

Students could mistakenly select option A or option D, thinking of other historical figures involved in the Judean conflicts, but the timeline directly links the prolonged siege to the Babylonian sovereign. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon maintained the siege against Jerusalem spanning from the ninth to the eleventh year of Zedekiah's rule. This extended blockade ultimately resulted in the fall of the city and the capture of Zedekiah, fulfilling prior prophetic warnings of divine judgment. Common mistake: Attributing the long siege of Jerusalem to a king from Assyria or a different local official.

Students might choose option B or option C, assuming the idolatrous practices involved other foreign deities like Chemosh or Babylonian star gods, because various pagan influences existed at the time. However, Josiah targeted Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to stop the specific practice of burning children as burnt offerings to Molech, which was an abhorrent rite adopted by certain Israelites. Common mistake: Confusing the worship of Molech with other Canaanite or Mesopotamian deities.