CRE Form 1 Notes e) Help you to contribute positively to the

transformation of an individual and the society

1.0.0 Meaning of Christian Religious as whole.
Education
f) Help you to identify answers to situations of
2.0.0 The Bible life, including death and Eternal life.

3.0.0 Creation and The Fall Of Man g) Help learners to identify answers to life’s
questions.
4.0.0 Faith and God’s promises: Abraham
j) Promote cultural integration.
5.0.0 Sinai Covenant: Moses
k) Enable you to acquire a better
6.0.0 Leadership in Israel: David And understanding of God.
Solomon
l) Unite people.
7.0.0 Loyalty to God: Elijah
m) Guide you in choosing a career
8.0.0 Selected Aspects In African Religious
Heritage: African Concept of God, Spirits And n) Help you to appreciate African religious
Ancestors heritage and other religions.

9.0.0 African Moral and Cultural Values o) Promote living values such as honesty
concern for others, kindness,love and unity.
Definition of Christian Religious Education
(CRE) The Bible

Christian Religious Education is the study of The Bible is the sacred book containing God’s
God’s revelation to human beings through revelation to people. It is the inspired word of
scriptures, the persons of Jesus Christ and the God.
Holy Spirit.
It is the book through which God
Why do schools study CRE? communicates with His people.

There are many reasons why schools study The Bible as the word of God
CRE. Some of the reasons are to:
The Bible is the word of God because:
a) Enable you to develop a personal
relationship with God. a) The written scripture contain God’s word.

a) Help you to acquire basic principles of b) Through the Bible God communicates his
Christian living. will to humans.

b) Help you to develop a sense of self-respect c) It contains word written by inspired authors
and respect for others. such as the prophets who were sent by God.

c) Help you to develop positive attitudes and d) God himself took part in the writing of the
values, which help you to cope with challenges Bible. E.g. God is believed to have written the
of life. Ten Commandments

d) Contribute to the moral and spiritual e) It contains the history of salvation realized
development of students. through Jesus Christ.
f) The Word gives revelation to mysteries. f) The Bible has different books written by
different authors.
g) The Bible contains a message of hope and
reconciliation. g) The books of the Bible were written under
different situations and circumstances.
h) It reveals that God controlled what was
being written and what He intended the writers The Bible: Major Divisions and Its Books
to pass to the people.
Major divisions of the Bible
The Bible as a library
The bible is divided into two major divisions.
The Bible is referred to as a library since it is a
collection of inspired scriptures or books. These are the Old Testament with (39 Books)
and the New Testament with (27 Books).
The Bible contains 66 books.
The word Testament means covenant or
The Bible is divided into the Old Testament agreement with God.
and the New Testament.
The Old Testament books are divided into:
The Old Testament contains 39 books while
the New Testament contains 27 books. a. Books of the law or the Pentateuch or
Torah.
However, the Roman Catholic Church accepts
7 additional books referred to as Apocrypha or b. Historical books.
Deutero or canonical books.
c. Poetic Books
The word Apocrypha means hidden or secret.
d. Prophetic books.
They are Esdras (1, 2), Tobit, Judith,
Ecclesiaticus, Baarch and Maccabees. Law books or the Pentateuch or Torah

Why the Bible is a library The books of law are

Several studies show that: (i)Genesis

a) The Bible contains (66) book just like a (ii) Exodus

library has many books.
(iii) Leviticus
The Bible is a collection of books arranged in
series. (iv) Numbers

b) The Bible is a reference book for Christians. (v) Deuteronomy.

The authors of the Bible had a special spiritual Moses wrote these books. They contain the
guidance; hence each book was written for a law of God as it was given to the people of
purpose. Israel through Moses.

c) The books were written at different times in They also contain the history of the Israelites
history. from creation to the time they entered the
Promised Land.
d) The Bible has literary works.

e) The Books written contain different topics.

The author Moses is regarded as a lawgiver, These are divided into major and minor
teacher and prophet. prophets.

Historical books There are the 12 consecutive A prophet is a messenger of God, or God’s
books from spokesperson. A prophet is a mouthpiece of
God.
(i) Joshua
Prophets pass information and messages from
(ii) Judges God to the people. They are messengers from
God.
(iii) Ruth
Their messages from God concern the future.
(iv) 1, 2 Samuel
Five Major Prophetic Books
(v) 1, 2 Kings
I. The major prophetic books are by
(vi)1, 2 Chronicles
(i) Isaiah
(vii) Ezra
(ii) Jeremiah
(viii) Nehemiah
(iii) Lamentations
(ix) Esther.
(iv) Ezekiel and
These 12 books record the history of the
Israelites. They also contain information about (v) Daniel
the life and achievements of some prophets,
for example, the life history of Elisha and . The books are named after the prophets who
Elijah. Exercise 1 – Go through the 12 books prophesied and probably wrote them.
and check page by page the names of other
prophets. Jeremiah wrote lamentations. These prophets
are called Major Prophets because they cover a
Poetic Books longer period of time.

The books are poetic in nature. Their prophecies are long, and they prophesied
over a long period of time.
The poetic books contain wise sayings, songs,
and prayers. II. Minor Prophets.

The poetic books are (1) Psalms which was There are 12 books of
written by David
(1) Hosea
(ii) Proverbs
(2 Joel
(iii) Ecclesiastes
(3) Amos
(iv) Song of Solomon written by Solomon and
(4) Obadiah
(v) Job.
(5) Jonah
Prophetic books
(6) Micah
(7) Nahum Luke, the writer of the St.Luke’s Gospel,
wrote it. The book of Acts tells us the history
(8) Habakkuk of the early church.

(9) Zephaniah c) The Epistles

(10) Haggai There are two Epistles:

(11) Zechariah and Pauline Epistles and

(12) Malachi. General Epistles. Pauline Epistles are letters

written by Paul.
These books are by Minor Prophets who are
said to have prophesied over a shorter period They are 13 letters that Paul wrote to
of time if you compare them with the Major
Prophets. (1) Romans

New Testament books are: (2,3) 1, 2 Corinthians

a. Biographical books or Gospels. (4) Galatians

b. Historical books (Acts of the Apostles). (5) Ephesians

c. The Epistles. (6) Philippines

d. Apocalyptic or Prophetic book (7) Colossians

a) Biographical book or Gospels (8, 9) 1, 2 Thessalonians

Gospel means Good News. The disciples of (10, 11) 1, 2 Timothy

Jesus wrote the biographical books.
(12) Titus and Philemon.
They contain information about the birth, life,
ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus General Epistles are letters written to the
Christ. church by other people.

The biographical books are four. The letters are 8 in number.

(i) Mathew – Written by Mathew They (1) Hebrews

(ii) Mark – Written by Mark (2) James

(iii) Luke – Written by Luke,the doctor and (3,4) 1, 2 Peter

(iv) John – written by John (5,6,7) 1, 2, 3, John and

(the beloved disciple of Jesus Christ) (8) Jude

b) Historical books d) Apocalyptic or Prophetic book

There is one historical book, which is the Acts This is the book of Revelation.
of the Apostles.
It is the last book in the New Testament. As Christianity spread to different parts of the
world, there was the need for translations of
It is different from other books. the Holy Bible into various languages.

This is because it is prophetic of things to In 1804, the British formed the Foreign Bible
come. Society, which translated the Bible into many
languages.
It is about the future. It was written by John
the beloved disciple of Jesus Christ. Johann Ludwig Krapf translated the New
Testament into Kiswahili.
Major Bible Translations From the
Original Languages To Local Languages This was the first Bible translation in East
Africa.
These books of the Bible are accepted as the
Canon of the Bible. Since that time, the Bible Society of Kenya
has translated the Bible into other languages
The term Canon means Standard or guidance such as Kikuyu in 1951, Kikamba in 1956,
or rule. Kimeru in 1964, Kalenjin in 1968, and Luhya
in 1974.
Translation means expression of books by
words and pictures, poems and songs from one By 1980 the Bible had been translated into 29
language to another. Kenyan languages. To date (2010) the Bible
has been translated into 42 languages of
The Old Testament was originally written in Kenya.
Hebrew, the language of the Israelites.
Translation and versions used in Kenya
Then between 250 – 100 BC, it was translated today
to the Greek language. The Greek translation
of the Bible was known as Septuagint. Besides bible translation into several
languages, there are many English translation
This term refers to 70 translators. versions, which are commonly used in Kenya.

The Jews in dispersion or Diaspora used this These are

translation.
(i) King James Version
These were the Jews living outside Palestine.
(ii) Jerusalem Bible
Between 386 – 420 A.D. Jerome, a great
Christian Scholar, translated the entire bible (iii) New International version
from Greek into Latin, the language of the
Romans. (iv) English Bible

This translation was called Vulgate. (v) The Authorized Version

Christians used the Latin translation of the (vi) Good News

Bible up to the 16th century.
(vii) Revised Standard Version
During the reformation in the 16th Century,
Christians were encouraged to use their own (viii) New King James Version
native languages in worship.
(ix) Amplified Bible
From that time, the Bible was translated into
English and German. (x) The living Bible
(xi) The African Bible v) Love Songs, for example, the Songs of
Solomon
(xii) Common Bible
vi) Letters. Here see Pauline Epistles
(xiii) Today’s English Bible (Romans)

(xiv) American version among others. vii) Gospels, for example, Mark’s Gospel

Writing of the Bible viii) Religious events, for example, Exodus

By 2010, the Bible Society of Kenya had ix) Narratives, for example, Genesis
translated the Bible into 42 Kenyan languages.
x) Philosophical essays, for example, the book
The need to read the Bible led to writing of of Job.
Bible reading materials to teach literacy in
local languages. Here note the use of metaphors and similes in
philosophical essays.
Those who wrote the Bible used different
styles, and figures of speech to make their The effects of Bible translations on African
message vivid and clear. languages Bible translations:

Several literary forms were used in the writing i) Increased and deepened African faith in
of the Bible. God.

These are: ii) Led to increased literacy. After Africans

acquired literacy skills, they read the Bible and
a. Poetry in Psalms improved their literacy skills.

Activity Christian missionaries established schools in

order to teach literacy that helped African to
a) Read Psalms and notice the poetry used by read the Bible.
David when he wrote psalms
ii) Made it easy for missionaries to spread the
b) Read Job. Notice the rhythm of the words gospel to the African communities.

c) Turn to your English textbook – the iii) Increased the demand for the Bible. This
Integrated English. Read topic 4 on sound and led to writing of Books and setting up of
pattern in poetry. printing presses in African countries.

d) Read any Psalm and any verse from Job. iv) Made it easy for the expansion of the
What do you notice? church i.e. more people became Christians.

Other literary forms that are used in the v) Led to the emergence of independent
Bible are: churches and schools.

i) Prose in Leviticus, which is a Legislative vi) The missionaries and colonialists learnt the
text African languages.

ii) Wise sayings in Proverbs vii) The African converts realized that the
missionaries were unfair to them.
iii) Prophetic speeches by Jeremiah
There was for example a different treatment of
iv) Prayers by Nehemiah African by White missionaries. This was
inequality of races, which was and is even now 3) How does the Kenya Government use the
against Christian teachings. Bible today?

viii) Helped Africans to re-discover their 4) Name the major divisions of the Bible in
cultural identity. both the New Testament and the Old
Testament
For example the use of African instruments,
dressings, and practice of polygamy, which 5) What are the effects of Bible translation on
David and other kings in the Old Testament African languages?
did.
6) Why is the Bible referred to as (a) a Library
ix) Led to the writings and spread of African and
languages. The missionaries learnt local
languages. (b) the Word of God

x) Improved communications between 7) What is the meaning of the term

missionaries and the local people because they inspiration?
could understand each other.
Study activities
xi) Increased printing of reading materials
1. Read the Bible quotations given above.
The effects of Bible translations on Africans
communities 2. Carry out role plays e.g. the sacrifice of
Isaac by Abraham.
After the first Bible translations, there were
immediate effects or influences on some 3. Visit old people in your community and ask
communities. them about African religious traditional
practices.
For example, some community leaders did not
agree with the Christian teachings. Some Creation and the Fall of Man (Genesis 1-3,
wanted to retain aspects of their African 6-9, 11)
religion.
Introduction
As a result, some communities who disagreed
with Bible translations established their own In this topic, you shall learn about creation and
Christian denominations in order to preach the the fall of man. This information is in Genesis.
Bible, as they understood it.
Biblical Accounts of Creation and Their
This was the emergence of independent Meanings
churches.
The book of Genesis begins with two creation
Some African communities built independent stories.
schools where their children could learn how
to read and write without being forced to The first creation story is in Genesis chapter
practice all the Christian teachings. one.
Review questions The second creation story is in Genesis chapter
two.
1) What is the importance of reading the
Bible? The two creation stories The first creation
story is in Genesis chapter one.
2) How is the Bible used in society today?
The second creation story is in Genesis chapter Man was commanded to eat of every tree in
two. This story is like a song or poem. the garden except the tree of knowledge of
good and evil.
It’s written, “Let there be…” and “God saw
that it was good … to separate,” and “there A river flowed from the garden and then it
was evening and morning on …” Each separated into four tributaries.
creation is taken as a day.
God saw that man should not be alone hence
The creation took place in the following He made him a helper/mate; a woman from
order. one of the man’s ribs.

It is orderly: Man was also given the responsibility of

naming all the animals in the garden.
1st day – God created day and night (Light and
darkness) There is mention of God resting after work

2nd day – The Heavens (sky) Differences between the two creation stories

3rd day – The Earth, Water / Sea, Vegetation First Account

(Plants, trees, grass)
Second Account
4th day – Sun, Moon and Stars
Mentions what was created on which day.
5thday – Birds, Sea Creatures Each creation takes a day.

6th day – Animals, Livestock, Man was the - This story is like a song or a poem. It’s
last creation (human beings) written, “Let there be…” and “God saw that it
was good … to separate”, and “there was
7th day – God rested and blessed the 7th day evening and morning…”
and made it holy.
- It is orderly.
In this creation story, we see God creating
things in an orderly manner, day after day until - Mentions what was created on which day.
the 6th day.
- Rivers and garden are not mentioned.
It was last in the first account. God created
man from dust and breathed into his nostrils - Man and woman were created together.
before anything else is mentioned.
- No mention of the knowledge.
God then put man in the Garden of Eden,
which He had made for him so that man could - Marriage is for procreation.
till and keep it.
- Sun, moon, stars, sky are mentioned.
The garden was planted eastward in Eden.
-God rested on the seventh day hence the
Out of the ground, God made every tree to Sabbath day.
grow.
- doesn’t mention the daily activities of GOD.
In the middle of the garden, there was the tree
of knowledge of good and evil. - The story is in prose. For example “… and
God said … and it was evening...”
Man was given the responsibility of tilling and
conserving the garden. - Not orderly was last in the first account
- Doesn’t’ mention what was created on which (iii) He is self existent
day
(iv) God of order
- Mentions rivers, and garden for tilling
(v) Source of goodness and true happiness
- Woman was created from ribs of man
(vi) Holy, merciful and just
- Mention of the knowledge
(vii) Provider and sustainer of the universe and
- Marriage is for companionship all that is in it

- Sun, moon, stars, sky are not mentioned (viii) All knowing (Omniscient)

- Mention of resting after work but (ix) All powerful (Omnipotent)

- Sabbath day is not mentioned (x) Everywhere (Omnipresent)

Similarities between the two accounts of (xi) A personal God.

creation
(xii) He has a mind and a will
In both creation accounts:
(xiii) Moral God. He is interested in the
a) Men and women are created by God and are behaviour of man and woman. He commands
given special references. Man and woman are her/him to do the right things.
special to God.
Traditional African Understanding of
b) God rested after creation. Creation

c) God provided the source of food. Traditional African view of creation is brought
out through traditional stories of creation
d) God is portrayed as the sole creator of the (Myths).
universe and everything in it.
The Agikuyu, Akamba, Gusii and other
e) Man is given the responsibility of Kenyan communities have stories explaining
controlling animals, birds and plants that God their origin.
created.
These stories give each community a sense of
Activity belonging, and identity.

Find out the differences between the two The stories explain the mysteries of life.
creation stories and write them down. Now
compare them with my answer. These stories have common characteristics or
teachings.
Attributes of God From the Biblical
Creation Accounts Thus all African communities believe that
God: -
The creation stories tell us that God is:
(i) Is the chief architect of the world
(i) The sole creator and the only source of life
(ii) Existed from the very beginning of time.
(ii) Immortal and Eternal
(iii) Created everything out of nothing.
(iv) Provides for the needs of human beings. The Teachings From the Biblical Creation
Accounts
(v) Was disobeyed by human beings who had
lived in eternal bliss. I. God is responsible for all creation. He is the
sole creator.
This bliss came to an end when human beings
disobeyed God. God’s creation was good.

(vi) The African communities had different Everything He created God said it was good.
names to describe God.
It was without flaws and mistakes.
God was not known as God but as the Creator
of everything that existed on earth and skies. God is the provider.

He was Mumbi and “Mungai” to Gikuyu. God created everything that man needs.

He was master of the universe. He also created food for all animals and other
creatures. God is orderly.
The Kamba called Him …Ngai wa Matu.
II. Man has a special place in God’s creation.
They believed that God continues to create Man was made as the keeper of God creation.
through human beings.
Man is a co-creator and keeper of God’s
Examples of African creation stories creation since he was made in the image and
likeness of God. Man was commanded to
1. The Kamba believed that God created man work.
and woman then tossed them to the earth.
III. A woman was made from the man’s flesh.
2. The Bukusu say that God the creator (Were She joins man in marriage and they become
Khakaba) created the world alone. one flesh. God ordains marriage.

a. First God created heaven then created two Human beings were created to socialize.
assistants, Mukhaba and Murumwa.
IV. Sin is a result of man and woman
Were the God made the sun, moon, stars, a big disobedience of God.
red cock which crows whenever it thunders,
the rains, the rainbow, mountains, rivers, Responsibilities given to human beings by
lakes, streams and all the other things on earth. God in the Genesis stories of creation

b. Created a woman for the man. After creating man and then woman, God
asked man to:
c. Created plants, animals, birds and other
creatures. a. Reproduce and multiply.

d. Creation work took six days. On the seventh b. Rule over the rest of His creations.
day Were rested.
c. Be in charge of the fish, birds, and all the
Activity animals.

Ask your parents about your community d. Cultivate the garden and guard it.
creation story.
e. Eat from the fruits of the garden except from
the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
f. Name the animals. But Adam and Eve ate the fruit after being
deceived by the serpent.
g. Subdue the earth.
Man had the power to resist temptation but
h. Transform the creation that God has instead he yielded.
provided human beings with.
Genesis Chapter 3 verse 6 states that man
i. Use creation – forests, rivers, mountains wanted to be wise and thought how wonderful
with responsibility and respect. it would be to become wise…” hence sin
arises from the lack of knowledge of God,
j. Be a steward of God’s creation from the denial of trust of God.

k. Engineer God’s creation by creating things The consequences of sin

from the creation
After sinning, we the human race and sinners:
l. Dominate the earth
1) Replaced friendship with God with fear of
Group work God.

Work in twos or threes and answer these 2) Lost innocence. What had been innocent
questions. and good became shameful.

i. How does man fulfill the command to Adam and Eve became ashamed of their
subdue and fill the earth? nakedness, something they had never felt
before they sinned against God.
ii. How is man a co – creator with God?
3) Lost good relationship with God.
Biblical Teaching: the Fall of Man, Origin
of Sin And the Consequences The good relationship between God and man
was betrayed.
Introduction
Human beings – were alienated from God.
Man and woman fell from the Garden of Eden. “The Lord God sent him out of the Garden of
Eden…”
This experience is explained in genesis chapter
3 verse 4; chapter 6 verse 9 and chapter 11. 4) Damaged the perfect relationship between
man and woman.
In these verses, the Bible is teaching about sin,
which made Adam and Eve fall. The Lord said to the woman “You will have
desire for your husband, yet you will be
Sin is defined as iniquity, and guilt. subject to him”.

It is to miss a mark, to transgress. Sin is a 5) Pain became part of human experience. “I

rebellion or an offence against God. Sin will greatly multiply your pain in child
originated with the disobedience of Adam and bearing”.
Eve.
6) Man began toiling and struggling to meet
They had been commanded not to eat of the his needs… “You will have to work hard and
fruits of the tree of knowledge of good and sweat to make the soil produce anything”
evil – the tree in the middle of the Garden of
Eden. 7) The home of man, and the earth itself was
placed under a curse. “Cursed is the ground
because of you.”
8) Enmity between man and wild animals It was also viewed as an offence against
emerged. another person or community.

9) Man began to die. Death sentence is passed Evil was also a misfortune that can befall an
upon all men. “You will return to the individual or a community.
ground… you are dust”
What are the causes of evil?
10) Man began to hate. Man developed
murderous feelings in his heart, for example Many of the traditional African societies do
Cain killed Abel, his younger brother. not associate God with evil. God is not the
creator of evil.
11) Man changed and became prone to sin.
Some communities believe that evil is an
12) Life span of man was reduced (see Gen. external power that exists on its own.
6:3) “I will not allow people to live forever,
they will live no longer than 120 years” Thus in the traditional African society, evil
was understood or explained as something
13) Man’s language was confused by God mysterious that was caused by several people
after the flood (read Gen.11: 7) and things.

14) Sin led to embarrassment, mistrust, These were: a) Evil spirits

suffering, pain, pride, arrogance and death.
b) Ancestral spirits – due to disobedience to
Summary them

Disobedience of God by Adam and Eve c) Some animals like the chameleon are
brought serious sin consequences to human sources of evil.
beings.
The Akamba believed that chameleons
Sin brings sadness and suffering to man even brought evil. Other communities believed that
today. if an owl cries near one’s homestead, it is a
sign of evil.
Activity
d) People with mystical powers for example
In groups of two or three, discuss the origin magic, sorcery, and witchcraft are evils.
and consequences of sin.
e) If a member of a community breaks a taboo
Concept of Evil by disobedience, this action may bring evil
spirits.
Introduction
f) The spirits of the dead; cause evil; if they
In this lesson, we shall discuss the concept of are not remembered or respected.
evil as told by the traditional African religion
and the biblical writings. Evil spirits cause harm and violence.

We shall study similarities and differences of Consequences of evil in traditional African

evil from the two religions. society

What is evil? These were many and ranged from

In the traditional African society, evil was an (a) Barrenness

offence against God, spirits and ancestors.
(b) Drought
(c) Epidemics The children of Israel led by Moses (were
delivered) from Egypt,.
(d) Madness
God sent prophets to teach and warn the
(e) Sickness Israelites of the dangers of sin.

(f) Death Finally God sent his only son Jesus Christ to
die on the cross to save human kind.
(g) Drowning
Similarities and Differences Between
(h) Burning in a house Traditional African View of Evil and
Biblical Concept of Sin
(i) War
Both the Biblical and traditional African view
(j) Physically and mentally handicapped or agree that
children
1) God is supreme. God is neither the creator
(l) Rebellious children nor author of evil

God’s Plan of Salvation 2) Sin comes from the disobedience of God by

human beings
After the fall of man, God took steps to heal
the damaged situation and relationship 3) Evil and misfortune are God’s curse to man
between Him and Adam and Eve. (Biblical) while the traditional African society
sees evil as curses by ancestors, and elders.
GOD: Both curses lead to misfortunes.

1. Provided clothing of skin to Adam and Eve. 4) The result of sin and evil is human
sufferings
2. Looked for Adam and Eve since they were
hiding from His presence. 5) Sin and evil lead to man being separated
from God
3. Provided Adam and Eve with the
knowledge to find different foods. 6) God is the guardian of law and order

4. Declared enmity between man and the 7) Human beings have the ability to overcome
snake. evil

5. Hinted at the ultimate victory of man when Differences

He said that the seed of the woman would
crush the snake or serpent’s head. 1) Biblical account emphasizes personal nature
of sin while in the African concept; sin is more
The serpent would attack the heel of man and social and communal
woman.
2) Biblical account attributes evil to
All through the Old Testament, and the New disobedience while African concept attributes
Testament, we see God’s plan of salvation evil not only to disobediences but other
being manifested. external forces.

For instance, GOD chose and separated 3) Biblical accounts offer a message of hope to
Abraham from other communities. overcome evil while African concept doesn’t
offer a solution to sin and evil.
4) Traditional African concept all forms of Background
suffering as a result of sin while in the Bible
suffering is not always a result of sin. -Abraham lived with his father Terah at a
place called Ur. Abraham’s father lived among
Review questions people who worshiped many gods.

1) Explain the differences between the two One of the god’s whom people of Ur
creation stories worshipped was the moon.

2) State the traditional African view of This worship of many gods is referred to as
creation polytheism.

3) Explain how human beings continue with - The family of Terah moved from Ur to
the work of creation Haran.

4) What is the origin of sin and evil according While at Haran, God called Abraham at 75
to traditional African society? years old. He was told to…. “Leave your
country, your relatives and your father’s home
5) Give three consequences of sin as stated in and go to a land that I am going to show you”.
Genesis Abraham obeyed God’s call.

6) State the consequences of evil according to He left Haran for a land that was unknown to
African traditional societies him.

7) Trace God’s plan of salvation of human He took his property his wife Sarah and his
kind nephew lot.

Compare biblical and traditional African At the time of the call of Abraham, he was
understanding of evil and sin. known as Abram and his wife Sarai. God
changed their names to Abraham and Sarah.
9) What does the command “Subdue the earth”
in Genesis 1 verse 28 mean? Abraham means Father of many nations while
Sarah means mother of nations.
Faith and God Promises to Abraham
- On arrival in Canaan, he travelled and came
Background to the Call of Abraham (Genesis to a place called Schechem.
11:24-32,12)
God appeared to him once more. Abraham
Introduction built an altar for the lord at this place. Altars
are places of worship.
The background to the call of Abraham is
found in the first book of the bible. This is They were regarded as holy and were
Genesis which is a Greek word meaning manifestations of God’s presence.
“Beginning”.
An altar was made of stones.
The relationship between Adam and God was
good but after Adam disobeyed GOD, their -After sometime, he separated with his nephew
relationship changed because of sin by Eve Lot due to their servants having strife over
and Adam. water for their livestock.

After sometime, God repaired this relationship Abraham left Canaan due to feminine. He
by calling Abraham and offering salvation. went to Egypt.
Activity 4. Abraham was told by God to circumcise all
males in his household including himself. He
1. Where did Lot settle? obeyed.

2. Read GENESIS, chapter 11 (24 – 32) and 5. When Abraham was asked to sacrifice his
chapter 12 (1 – 9) son Isaac to God, he was ready to do so.

Faith and God’s Promises to Abraham 6. Abraham believed that God would fulfill all
(Hebrews 11: 1 – 6) the promises he had given to him.

a. The Meaning of Faith 7. Abraham demonstrated his faith by building

altars.
- Faith is a strong belief, a complete trust or
confidence in someone or something. It is also c. God’s Promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:2-
a firm belief, which is not based on any 3, 15:1-21,21, 17:1-8, 17:15-18)
scientific or logical proof.
A promise is giving an assurance of
Faith in God is an attitude of complete trust in something to someone.
God.
The promises God gave to Abraham were
It is not based on concrete or tangible objects. that:

Faith is manifested in the ways of life of a 1. God told him he would give him a land. His
believer. descendants would be given the land of
Canaan to dwell in
- Abraham is an example of someone who had
faith in God. He showed his faith in action in 2. His name would be made famous
several ways.
3. His descendants will be many. Abraham
b. How Abraham Demonstrated His Faith would be made a great nation.
in God
4. God would protect him.
1. Although Abraham was old, he left Haran to
go to a strange unknown land of Canaan. 5. He was promised a son of their own.

2. After he settled in Canaan, Abraham was 6. God would bless him.

assured by God of his protection and was
given other promises such as he will get a son, 7. God would bless those who bless him and
and Abraham believed God. curse those who curse him.

Sarah gave birth to a son when she was 90 8. Abraham was promised that he would die in
years old and Abraham was around 120 years peace and in an old age.
old.
9. His descendants would be strangers in a
This was as the lord had promised Abraham. foreign land but afterwards would come out
with great possessions.
3. The son was named Isaac that means
“laughter” – because Sarah had laughed when d. The Relevance of the Promises Made by
she was told that she would have a child in her God to Abraham to Christians Today (Gen.
old age. 12: 2 – 3, 15: 1 – 21, 21:1 – 7, 17: 15 – 18)

The child Isaac was circumcised when he was

eight (8) days old.
God called Abraham from idol worship in the ii. Characteristics / components of a
same way God continues to call people to covenant
serve him.
There are components or features that must be
1) Through Abraham, God had a plan to in a covenant.
restore the relationship between man and God.
A covenant must have a ceremony, sign,
2) Christians receive the promises of blessings witnesses, promises/vows/oaths, obligations /
from God through Abraham (Gods promises to consequences, and participants.
Abraham fulfilled through Christians).
A covenant establishes a sacrificial bond
3) As Abraham left his own people, Christians between the parties involved.
should leave their sinful lives and put their
whole trust in God. There are obligations or rules by which the
parties must abide by, adhere to and observe in
4) Abraham is seen as the descendant not only order to keep the covenant.
of the Israelites but also of Christians.
A covenant is an agreement and if it is broken,
5) Christians have faith that God fulfils there are consequences for breaking it.
promises to them as he did to Abraham.
In the Bible, there are many covenants.
6) Christians are assured of God’s protection.
iii. Examples of covenants in the Bible
7) Through God’s dealing with Abraham, God
shows that he values a personal relationship 1. Adamic covenant – Agreement between
with human kind. God and Adam

Through Jesus Christ Christians enter into an 2. Noahlic Covenant – God’s covenant with
everlasting covenant with God. Just like Noah where God promised to preserve life of
Abraham entered into a covenant with God. man and not to destroy it with water.

9) The promise to Abraham of Canaan The sign of the covenant is the rainbow.
Promised Land is to Christians the hope for
new land – heaven. In Gen 9 verse 3, GOD told Noah, “Everything
that lives and moves will be food for you…
10) God continues to make promises to those Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give
who believe him. you everything.

11) Abraham is the ancestor (Father) of all Verse 4 says, “But you must not eat meat that
believers) has its lifeblood still in it”

e. Define the Term Covenant 3. Abrahamic covenant – Gods covenant

with Abraham.
i. Definition.
He promised to fulfill promises He gave to
A covenant is a solemn agreement between Abraham.
two persons or two groups of people. An
agreement is between two separated parties. These promises were:

It’s a pact, a treaty. When it is a covenant, it (1) Increase numbers of descendant of

conveys a union or partnership. Abraham.
He will be father of many nations, (2) Be GOD  After it was dark, smoking fire and a
of his descendants flaming torch suddenly appeared and passed
between the pieces of animals.
(3) Abraham will have a son an heir,  Towards evening, Abraham fell into a deep
sleep.
(4) Given land of Canaan and other lands from
the river of Egypt to River Euphrates, and all While he slept the Lord appeared to him and
for heirs of Abraham (Gen. 15: 17 – 18) told him that:

(5) Circumcision of all males at 8 days after  His descendants will be strangers in a
birth even none Israelites living in their land foreign land and be slaves for 400 years.

(6) Covenant with Isaac But they will come out of this land with a lot
of wealth and God will punish the nation that
4. Mosaic Covenant – is a covenant between will enslave Israelites.
the Israelites and GOD. Moses led Israel to
Mt. Sinai. God promised to be their God.  He, Abraham will live up to a ripe age, and
Israelites were given the law written by GOD die in peace.
in “tablets of stone, with law and commands I
have written for…. instruction”. (Read exodus Then the Lord made a covenant with Abraham
23). and promised to give him and his descendants
the land of Canaan.
5. Davidic Covenant – covenant between
David and God – God promised him that his God himself passed through the sacrifices and
dynasty would rule forever. bound himself to keep the promises.

6. Messianic Covenant – new covenant f) Importance of the Covenant Between God

between Christians and God through Jesus and Abraham (Gen. 15: 1- 19)
Christ.
 God bound himself in a personal
iv. God’s covenant with Abraham and its relationship with a human being
importance (Genesis 15:1- 19)  As God passed through the meat, he
showed Abraham he would always protect
The covenant was established after God him.
appeared to Abraham in a vision.
This passed on to the descendants of Abraham.
During the visitation of God, Abraham was
100 years old and Sarah 90 years. He was  This covenant between God and Abraham
promised a son. begins a lasting relationship between God and
all the nations of the earth.
Abraham wanted assurance from God.  Throughout this covenant God was
initiating his plan of salvation for human kind.
God told him to bring him the following items  The promises made to Abraham were
for sacrifice. fulfilled in New Testament blood of the lamb –
death of Jesus Christ.
v. Items for sacrifice  It emphasized the importance of faith
followed by obedience that Abraham shared.
 Three (3) years olds: heifer, goat, ram and
a dove and a pigeon. g) Covenants in Modern Life and Their
 Abraham then cut these animals into two Importance
halves and placed them opposite each other.
 The birds were not split. Modern covenants are
Covenants in Modern Life and Their Loyalty /oath:
Importance
Leaders in public service for example the
(a) Marriage president, ministers, Members of Parliament,
and chief officers are sworn in before they take
(b) Baptism over their new responsibilities.

(c) Oath of loyalty and They swear (take an oath) and promise to carry
out their duties firmly and without fear or
(d) Ordination of clergy favour.

Marriage ceremony: Ordination of the clergy: Church leaders, nuns

and priests take oaths and make vows to God
In marriage, the bride, bridegroom and their and to the congregation in a ceremony
families come together. When the two families attended by worshippers.
come together a relationship is developed.
The importance of modern day covenants
They make an agreement and both sides are
seriously involved in the ceremony, whether • They bind different groups
the marriage is civil or religious.
• They act as a security
During the marriage ceremony the couple
makes vows/promises to each other, before a • They strengthen relationships
priest/ pastor and the congregation.
• They unite people together
Two officials witness these agreements. Rings
are exchanged as a sign of a lasting • They create loyalty
relationship.
• They create peace, harmony and bring a
A certificate is given in some cases as a sense of permanence
testimony (sign) of this agreement.
h) The Testing of Abraham’s Faith (GEN.
There is eating and drinking. 22: 1 – 18)

Baptism: God tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to

go and sacrifice his only son Isaac.
In a Christian baptism, a covenant is entered
into between the believer and God. The This was the son he loved so much.
believer makes vows before God.
He was to travel to Mount Moniah.
The priest and the whole congregation witness
this agreement. On reaching Mt. Moriah, he built an altar, and
arranged wood on it.
In some churches, a card is issued to the
person who has been baptized as a sign of He tied up his son Isaac and placed him on the
Christian membership. altar on top of the wood.

The baptized can now take the Holy He lifted a knife to kill him.
Communion, which is a Christian Ceremony.
“But the Angel of the Lord called out to him
But when an infant is baptized, parents take from heaven.
the vows on behalf of the child.
Abraham! Abraham! Do not lay a hand on the Jewish and African Practices of
boy…Do not do anything to him. Circumcision

Now I know you that you fear God, because A. Importance of Circumcision to Abraham
you have not withheld from me your son, your and His Descendants (Gen. 17: 1 – 16)
only son” (v 11-12). Abraham had obedient
reverence for God became he did not keep The rite of circumcision was started by
back his only son from God. Abraham and has been practiced by the Jews
up to the present times.
God provided a ram for sacrifice.
In the Old Testament, it was important
He named the mountain “the Lord provided” because:
God was pleased with Abraham and promised
him blessings, many descendants’ victory, and (i) Through circumcision: God assured
protection. Abraham that he would fulfill His promises to
him.
Activity
(ii) Circumcision was a sign that Abraham and
Read Genesis 12:1 – 9, 15:1 – 6, 17:23 – 24, his descendants had entered into a covenant
21:1 – 7, 22:1-19 with God. It was an outward sign of inner
faith.
Importance of Faith in Christian Life
Today (iii) Circumcision was a mark of identity for
the Jews.
1. A Christian today is acceptable to God
through his faith in God through Jesus Christ. (iv) It was a sign of obedience to God.
Without faith it is impossible to please God.
(v) It was an acceptance of God as the only
2. A Christian can only serve God if he has true God and their willingness to remain
faith in him. Faith enables a Christian to serve faithful to him In the New Testament.
God.
(vi) Circumcision doesn’t qualify one to be a
3. Faith enables a Christian to accomplish child of God. One is accepted as a Christian
what appears to be impossible. without circumcision as long as they have faith
in God.
4. Through faith, Christians are able to trust
God to fulfill his promises to them. (vii) A true descendant of Abraham is the
Christian who truly believes in God and lives
5. Faith is the foundation of the Christians according to His will regardless of colour, race
salvation. or creed.

6. Faith in God gives a Christian the power to b. Circumcision in African Communities

overcome all temptations.
Circumcision is one of the rites of passage
8. Christians should expect to have their faith among the African people.
tested just like Abraham was.
It marks the transition from one stage to
9. Faith enables Christians to patiently wait on another.
God’s promises.
Many ethnic communities in Kenya still
10. Christians through faith in God help the practice the rite of circumcision.
poor, make right decisions and are able to
understand and know God better.
During circumcision ceremonies, prayers are iii. Circumcision was for boy’s organ while in
offered to God for the well being of the African societies several forms of initiation
initiates (those who are being circumcised) and were done, for example, removal of teeth, and
the prosperity of the whole community. body piercing among others.

Initiates learn secrets of their community and iv. Circumcision was a command from God
society. while for the African communities it was in
obedience to customary law where ancestors
They are taught myths, origin, religious were invoked to protect the initiates.
beliefs, and sex education.
Among the African societies
In some communities, initiates are given new
names or ornaments to signify their new status. v. Circumcision was a rite of passage from
childhood to adulthood while for the Jews it
C. Jewish and African Practices of was not.
Circumcision
vi. The initiates were given specialized
Similarities In both Jewish and African education while the Jews were not.
communities, circumcision:
vii. The initiates were grouped into age
(a) is a mark of identity groups, and were secluded from the
community while among the Jews it was not
(b) provided a sense of belonging so.

(c) was observed as a religious experience viii. The rite of circumcision according to
seasons while the Jews once a child is born,
(d) was compulsory they are circumcised on the 8th day.

(e) was a tradition passed from one generation ix. After circumcision, the initiates were
to another allowed to marry, enter a warrior group, own
property but for the Jews the initiate was still a
(f) is a time for shedding blood child.

(g) was a time for offering prayers to God for Revision questions
the well being of the initiates
1.Explain why Abraham is referred to as the
(h) was a time for giving gifts father of faith

(i) was a ceremony for initiation 2. Give five actions from the life of Abraham
that shows his faith to God.
(j) was a time for giving the initiates names
3. List some of the promises God gave to
Abraham.
(k) took place in sacred places.
4. Compare and contrast the Jewish and
Differences In Jewish community,
traditional African practice of circumcision.
i. Circumcision was a rite for boys while in
5. What is the importance of faith to
African society it was for both boys and girls.
Christians?.
But it was for boys in a few communities.
6. State the elements of a covenant.
ii. Boys were circumcised when aged 8 days
while in the African society; it was between 15
to 25 years old.
7. Give examples of covenants in the bible and He asked God “Who am I, that is should go to
the modern society. Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
God promised to be with him.
8. Discuss the circumstances that led God to
enter into a covenant relationship with God said to Moses… Say to the Israelites…
Abraham. the Lord.

Sinai Covenant The God of their fathers, God of Abraham,

God of Isaac and God of Jacob has sent me to
The Call of Moses you.

One day, Moses was looking after or tending Moses was told to assemble the elders of Israel
the flock of Jethro his father-in-law. and inform them that God was going to deliver
them from Egypt.
Jethro was a priest of Midian.
Moses was then to go to the king of Egypt
When Moses came to mount Horeb, the with the elders.
mountain of God, the angel of the Lord
appeared to him in flames of fire from within a He was to tell the king “the Lord, the God of
bush. the Hebrews has met with us.

Moses saw that although the bush was on fire, (Exodus 3:1 – 22) God’s sign to Moses
it was not burning.
Moses was given several signs by God In case
Moses went over to the burning bush to look. the people of Israel did not believe in him.
God called him out within the bush… “Moses!
Moses!” He replied, “Here I am”. a) First sign was his staff turning into a snake
when he threw it down. When he touched the
God then told Moses not to come closer and to snake’s tail it turned into his staff.
take off his sandals for the place where he was
standing was a holy ground. b) Second sign was God asked Moses to put
his hand inside his cloak and it was as white as
God introduced himself as the God of his a snow – leprous.
father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac
and the God of Jacob. He was asked to put it back into his cloak and
it was restored.
God then said he had seen the misery and
sufferings of the Israelites in Egypt. He had c) Moses further complained that he was a
heard their cry. stammerer. God then appointed Aaron, his
brother, as his spokesman.
God had come down to rescue Israelites from
the hand of Egyptians. Reasons Moses gave against the call

God was to take them to their home, the land 1. He felt unworthy of the call.
of the Canaanites, a land flowing with milk
and honey. 2. He wondered who he was to tell the
Israelites that God had sent him.
God told Moses that He was sending him to go
to Pharaoh and bring out the Israelites, the 3. Moses said that he was a stammerer so he
people of God, from Egypt. let God choose a spokesperson.

Moses resisted the call. Moses however heeded to the call and went
back to Egypt together with his family.
God promised to be with him and perform 4. He learnt to be patient, keen, and
signs before Pharaoh. responsible as a shepherd

What does the name Moses mean? 5. He acquired leadership skills while living at
pharaoh’s palace
It means drawn out of water.
6. He learnt literacy and numeracy skills
What did Moses learn about God from his (Educational skills) at the palace.
Calling?
7. He was not a stranger to Pharaoh hence he
Moses learnt that: could approach him freely.

1. God is caring, merciful and concerned about The Ten Plagues Exodus 7:14-11:10
the welfare of his people – Israelites.
During the call of Moses at Mount Sinai, God
2. God is transcendent – he is beyond human gave Moses a rod with which he could perform
understanding. He cannot be limited to time mighty signs before the Israelites and before
and space. Pharaoh.

3. God chooses whomever he wills to carry out Aaron was to be his spokesman.
his plans.
Moses and Aaron gathered the Israelite elders
He chose Abraham an old man, a moon and leaders to tell them what God had said to
worshipper and now Moses, a murderer, a them. After Moses had performed the miracles
fugitive and a stammerer. that God had showed him; the Israelite leaders
believed him.
4. God expects total obedience and faith from
those that He chooses. They then approached Pharaoh so that he may
release the Israelites.
5. God is powerful, eternal and omnipresent.
However instead of releasing the Israelites,
6. God is holy. Pharaoh became crueler.

7. God is a God of history, which means He is He gave Israelites harder work.

concerned with His people’s welfare.
When Pharaoh refused to release Israelites,
8. God is mysterious – He manifested Himself God instructed Moses to bring ten plagues
in the burning bush that was not being upon Egypt.
consumed.
These plagues brought; great trouble and
How did God prepare Moses to be the suffering to Israelites.
future leader of Israelites?
Ten plagues
1. His life was spared when he was rescued by
Pharaoh’s daughter 1) The plague of blood (Exodus 7: 14 – 25)

2. He was nursed by his own mother who Moses and Aaron used the rod. They struck
taught him about Yahweh and his own true the waters of the river as God instructed them.
identity
All the water in the rivers, canals, and pools in
3. Life in the wilderness hardened him to be Egypt turned into blood.
bold and to persevere hardships
All the fish died and there was no water to 5) Death of cattle (Exodus 8:1 – 7)
drink.
A plague of disease befell the Egyptian cattle.
This situation lasted for seven days. However
Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. He did not Not a single Israelites’ animal died. Pharaoh
release the Israelites. was not moved; and he refused to let Jews go
home.
2) The plague of frogs (Exodus 8:1 – 15)
6) Plague of boils (Exodus 9:8 – 12)
God then sent Moses to tell Pharaoh that if he
refused to release the Israelites the whole land Moses threw ashes into the air as God had
would be covered with frogs. instructed.

At the command of Moses, Aaron held out the This produced boils, which became open sores
rod of Moses and frogs covered the whole on the skin of the Egyptians.
land. On seeing this, Pharaoh pleaded with
Moses and Aaron to pray to the Lord to get rid Unmoved by the suffering of his people,
of the frogs and he would release them. Pharaoh still refused to let the Israelites leave.

They prayed and all the frogs died. 7) Plague of hail (Exodus 9:13 – 35)

Pharaoh, however, changed his mind and Moses raised his rod and there was a hailstorm
refused to release the Israelites. with lighting and thunder.

3) Plague of gnats (Exodus 8:16 – 19) The people, animals and plants that were
struck by the lightning died.
The lord instructed Moses to tell Aaron to
strike the ground and Aaron did so and all the Pharaoh then promised to let the Israelites go
dust in Egypt turned into gnats or small flies but as soon as Moses prayed for the hailstorm
that bites. to stop, pharaoh hardened his heart and refused
to let the Israelites leave.
The magicians of Egypt could perform the first
two plagues. 8) Plague of Locusts (Exodus 19:1 – 20)

They could not bring the plague of gnats. Locusts covered the whole land and ate all the
crops in the fields.
Egyptians acknowledged that the presence of
gnats or small flies that bites was God’s work. The locusts ate all that had not been destroyed
by the hailstorm.
But even with this information, Pharaoh still
refused to release the Israelites. When Moses prayed to God, for locusts to
leave; Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused
4) Plague of flies (Exodus 8:20 – 32) to let the Israelites leave.

The Lord warned Pharaoh through Moses once 9) Plague of darkness (Exodus 10: 21 – 29)
more.
God then instructed Moses to stretch out his
He was told that God would send swarms of hand to heaven.
flies to the Egyptian houses. The Israelites
houses would be spared. There was total darkness in Egypt for three
days.
Even after bringing the plague of flies,
Pharaoh’s heart hardened even more.
But there was light where the Israelites they Passover (Exodus 12:1-30, 19, 20, 34)
were living. Pharaoh remained unmoved and
would not release the Israelites out of Egypt. The tenth plague is called the Passover. It
happened on the fourteenth day of the month.
10) Death of Egyptian first-born males The Israelites were to offer one-year-old lamb
(Exodus 11: 1 – 31). per family.

After the plague of darkness, God sent Moses If a family was too small, they were to share
once more to Pharaoh. the lamb with their neighbours.

He was told that this time even his family If a lamb was not available, a one-year-old
would be affected. goat could also be used.

The Lord would kill all the first-born Egyptian They were told to:
sons and first-born male animals at midnight.
1. Slaughter the lamb/goat; smear some of the
This plague occurred during the night of blood on the sides and tops of the door- frames
Passover. of their houses.

Pharaoh was moved and allowed Israelites to 2. Roast the meat and eat it with bitter herbs
leave Egypt. and unleavened bread (bread without yeast).

What do the plagues tell us about God’s If there were any leftovers they were to burn
attributes? them with fire.

GOD: 3. Eat in a hurry while fully dressed and

having packed their belongings.
1. Empowers His people to perform miracles
and to do His work They were told to borrow silver, clothings,
jewellery, and gold from the Egyptians.
2. Is Almighty and more powerful than the
Egyptian gods. 4. That on the same night, the ‘angel of death’
would kill every first born both males and
3. Is determined to fulfil His plans. animals in the houses without blood.

4. Is a God of justice. He protects the 5. The angel of death would pass over the
oppressed. houses with blood sparing them. The blood
was a sign to indicate this is a house of
5. Gives everyone a chance to repent. Notice Israelites.
that each time Pharaoh promised to release the
Israelites; God relieved the Egyptians from the When the Lord sees the blood, He will pass
plagues. over that house (V.13).

6. Fulfils His promises – He had promised 6. The Israelites were told to celebrate /
Abraham to deliver his descendants from commemorate from generation to generation
foreign lands. the Passover as a festival to the Lord.

7. Expects total obedience and faith. 7. The Israelites were not allowed to come out
of their houses on the night of Passover.
8. Communicates His will through natural
events. 8. At midnight, the Lord struck down all
firstborn in Egypt from Pharaoh’s household
9. Is caring and loving.
to the firstborn of the prisoners and firstborn of – a sign for deliverance. The angel of death
livestock. would pass over doors with blood.

9. There was loud wailing over Egypt. Every The Exodus

house had someone dead.
Introduction
Significance of items used during the
Passover Exodus means movement of a large number of
people.Crossing the Red Sea
1) Roasted Meat
During the night of the Passover, Pharaoh
– this is the easiest method of preparing food summoned Moses and Aaron and told them to
since the Israelites were to leave in a short leave, to go and worship their Lord.
time.
All the Israelites, their flocks and herds were
2) Bitter herbs urged to leave in a hurry.

– was a reminder of the suffering and Pharaoh took his chariot army and followed
hardships and slavery experienced in Egypt. the Israelites and found them camped by the
Red Sea.
3) Eating while standing.
God led the Israelites over the desert towards
Deliverance was near, hence the need to leave the Red Sea.
in a hurry
Moses took the body (bones) of Joseph, as
4) Eating while fully dressed with their stuff Joseph had requested the Israelites to do.
at hand
“When God rescues you, you must carry my
. body with you from this place” (Ex 13 vs. 19).

This signified a quick deliverance; hence During the day the Lord went in front of them
Israelites should be ready to leave Egypt at in a pillar of cloud (angel of God) to show
once. them the way, and during the night the lord
went in front in a pillar of fire to give them
5) Eating unleavened bread light, so that they could travel night and day.

– the bread was to be eaten and none left over This pillar of cloud led the Israelites by day
hence there was no need to add yeast for and night.
preservation.
The Egyptian army followed Israelites and
6) Collecting Jewellery caught up with them by the Red Sea where
they had camped.
– God had promised Abraham that after
slavery for four hundred and thirty years, his Moses asked the scared Israelites to move near
descendants shall be freed with great the sea.
possessions.
God told Moses to lift up his stick, and hold it
7) Remaining indoors over the sea.

– for security from death. Anyone outside was The waters of the Red Sea divided and the
killed. Israelites crossed the sea on dry ground with
walls of water on both sides.
8) Blood on doorposts
The angel of God, and the pillar of cloud (who God continued providing Israelites with water.
had been in front of the army of Israel) moved
behind the Israelites and provided light to Again the Israelites lacked water and
them as they cross. complained bitterly (Ex.17:1 – 9).

The Egyptians army pursued Israelites. God instructed Moses to strike a rock and
water came out of it. Moses called that place
The pillar of cloud made it dark for Egyptians ‘Massah’ – which means ‘testing ‘and
who could not see where they were going. ‘Meribah’ – meaning ‘rebellion’. This was
because the Israelites quarreled and tested
Just before daylight, the Lord looked at the God.
Egyptians from the pillar of cloud and fire and
God threw the army of the Egyptians into Provision of manna and quails (EX 16:1 –
confusion. 35)

Moses was asked by the Lord to stretch out his As the Israelites were travelling through the
hand. He did so and waters returned to its desert, they ran out of food.
normal level drowning Egyptian army and
their horses. They were hungry and complained to Moses.

God protected the Israelites during the Their complaints displeased the Lord for they
Exodus by: often told Moses they wished he had let them
die in Egypt instead of dying in the wilderness.
1) Making them cross the red sea on dry
ground. This showed that the Israelites did not trust
God to provide for them.
2) Providing water in the wilderness.
In the morning, they were given Manna, which
3) Providing manna and quails. is a Hebrew word for the type of bread given
to Israelites by God.
4) Defeating Amalekites – their enemies.
The bread looked like wafers or flakes and
5) Protecting them from snakes and diseases in tasted like coriander seed.
the wilderness.
In the evening, GOD provided Israelites with
Provision of water in the wilderness quail’s meat.

Israelites travelled in the desert for three days The provision of manna and quails (meat)
without water. lasted for 40 years.

The water, which they found at Marah was On the 6th day of each week, God gave them
bitter and could not be drunk. food for two days one for the 6th day and the
other for the 7th day (Sabbath).
They called the place ‘Marah’ meaning
‘bitter’. Defeat of the Amalekites (Exodus 17: 8 – 16)

This made them complain. Moses prayed to Challenges faced by the Israelites during the
the Lord. Exodus During the Exodus, the Israelites faced
the challenge of the Amalekites.
The Lord showed Moses a piece of wood.
Moses threw it into the water and it became fit These were desert Nomads who attacked the
to drink. Israelites in the wilderness.
When the Amalekite army came against Before making the covenant, God brought
Israelites, Moses ordered Joshua to gather men Israelites to the foot of Mt. Sinai and asked
and fight. Moses to ask them if they were willing to
make the covenant with HIM. GOD asked
God promised to destroy the Amalekites them to enter into a personal relationship as a
forever. community with HIM.

During the battle, Moses held up his rod. The Israelites agreed to make a covenant.

And each time he raised his hands with the They agreed to obey all God’s comm ands.
rod, the Amalekites were defeated.
God then promised to make them;
When he brought his hands down, the
Israelites were defeated. Because of this, i His people
Aaron and Hur supported Moses’ hands until
the Amalekites were defeated. ii. A kingdom of priests

In the wilderness God protected the Israelites iii. A holy nation

form snakebites.
God and Moses.
He also used a cloud to protect the Israelites
from the scorching heat during the day. God wanted to confirm that Moses was His
true prophet.
At night, the pillar of fire provided warmth to
protect them from the harsh cold of the He therefore told Moses that He would come
wilderness. in a thick cloud to meet Israelites.

The importance of the exodus in the history In preparation for God’s coming on Mt. Sinai
of the Israelites
The Israelites were to:
The exodus showed Israelites that:
I. Make themselves holy by washing their
1) God loves and tolerates His people. clothes (garments)

2) God did not abandon the Israelites despite II. Mark the boundaries on the foot of the
their lack of faith. mountain to prevent any person or animal
from climbing the mountain.
3) God gave the Israelites encouragement
through his servant Moses. III. To abstain from sexual relations.

4) It was the end of the oppression of Israelites At Mt Sinai, God manifested His presence in
in Egypt. the form of thunder, lightening, earthquake
and a thick cloud of smoke that covered the
5) Moses was God’s chosen leader. whole mountain.

Making the Sinai Covenant (Exodus 19: 24 In addition, there was a loud trumpet blast that
1 – The Sinai covenant) made the people tremble.

God and Israelites. Moses climbed the mountain.

God had specific instructions on how the God gave Moses the Ten Commandments after
Israelites were to prepare to make the new sealing the covenant.
covenant.
Sealing of the covenant. The Lord told Moses Breaking the Sinai Covenant (Exodus 32:1 –
“Come up the mountain to me, you and Aaron, 35; 34:6 –8)
Nadab, Abibu and 70 of Israel leaders.
Israelites dishonored their pledge to obey God
At a distance bow down in worship, and come upon sealing the covenant; Moses went back
alone to me.” to talk to God in the mountain.

A ceremony was then prepared to seal the He left Aaron in charge of Israelites’ affairs.
covenant. This is how it was sealed:
He stayed in the mountain for forty days.
a. Moses built an altar at the foot of the
mountain. The lord revealed His glory to Moses at Mt.
Sinai and declared His character.
b. He set up twelve stones, which represented
the twelve tribes of Israel. ”The Lord the compassionate and glorious
God, slow to anger and forgiving wickedness,
c. He then sent young men to burn sacrifices to rebellion and sin (Ex 34:6 – The Israelites
the Lord and sacrificed. urged Aaron to make them gods that they
could see.
some cattle as fellowship offering and peace
offerings to God (EX 24 vs. 5). Aaron agreed.

d. Moses took half the blood of animals and He melted the rings of gold and moulded a
poured it in bowls; and the other half he threw bull calf god.
against the altar (vs. 6).
Israelites were happy and said “this is our god
He then took the book of the covenant, and who took us out of Egypt”.
read it aloud to the Israelites who responded
by saying “all that the Lord has spoken we will They offered burnt offerings and peace
do; and we shall be obedient” offerings to it and indulged themselves in
eating, drinking and sex.
e. Moses then took the blood in the bowls and
sprinkled it over the people; saying “This is By accepting a bull calf as their god, the
the blood that seals the covenant which the Israelites expected bull calf of gold to give
Lord made with you when he gave all these them the same strength and fertility like the
commands.” Egyptian gods.

Theophany. God’s presence manifested Through this act, they broke their covenant
itself in several ways such as: with God.

 The burning bush (during the call of When Moses came down from the mountain,
Moses). he found Israelites worshipping the gold bull
 Pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud – Exodus calf.
story.
 The mighty wind, earthquake, still small He got annoyed. He threw down the stone
voice – story of Elijah. tablets he was holding;
 Thunder, lighting, smoking mountain –
Exodus of Israelites from the wilderness. on which the 10 commandments were written.

These were physical manifestations of Moses then took the golden calf, and burnt it
God’s presence. into powder and mixed it with water.
He then made those worshipping the calf to a) Bless them. Protect and preserve the
drink the mixture. Israelites.

Moses ordered those who had sinned to be b) Make them prosper so much that the
killed. surrounding nations would enquire about their
source of wealth and success.
Lesson Eight: Renewal of the Covenant
(Exodus 34:1 – 14). With these conditions, the covenant between
God and the Israelites was renewed.
Learning outcomes.
From the making and renewal of the covenant,
After studying this lesson, describe conditions it is clear that:
for the renewal of the covenant.
(i) God expected the Israelites to obey and
The renewal of the covenant came after Moses have faith in Him
pleaded with God not to destroy the Israelites
after they broke the covenant. (ii) God wanted a personal relationship with
Israelites.
God spared the Israelites. God agreed to renew
the covenant with the Israelites. (iii) God is the only one to be worshipped.

He gave them several conditions for its (iv) God is powerful.

renewal.
Lesson Nine: Worshiping God in the
Conditions for the renewal of the covenant Wilderness

The Israelites were: Learning outcomes.

a) To obey God’s commandments After reading this lesson a. Explain God’s

purpose in delivering the Israelites from Egypt
b) Not to make any treaty with those who lived
in the land where they were going. b. Describe features of worship

c) To break down their altar, smash their a. God’s purpose in delivering the Israelites
sacred stones and cut down their Asherah from Egypt was to worship and offer sacrifices
(Idols). to Him in the wilderness.

Not to worship any other god and not to make He also intended to fulfil his promises to
idols for worship. Abraham.

d) To keep the feast of unleavened bread b. Features of worshipping God in the

(Passover). wilderness.

e) Not to marry people form other tribes. (i) The Israelites: Worshipped God through
intermediaries.
f) To rest on the Sabbath day.
These were the priests who came from the
g) To sacrifice and offer their best produce and tribe of Levi.
animals to God.
(ii) The Israelites: Were guided in their
God in turn promised to worship and in daily living by the Ten
Commandments and other ordinances.
(iii) The Ark of the Covenant was made in the  Feast of tabernacles that was celebrated to
wilderness. It was God’s dwelling place. remember when the Israelites dwelt in tents.
 The Israelites kept the Sabbath day. They
It was a special box put into the tabernacle. A worshipped God through singing, worship and
tabernacle was a portable tent. dancing.

The ark symbolized the presence of God and Lesson Ten: the Ten Commandments
the Israelites carried it wherever they went. (Exodus. 20: 1 – 17) Learning outcomes.

(iv) Offerings of farm products or agricultural After reading this lesson, a. Recite the ten
produce were given to God. commandments

These included among other farm products; b. Apply the ten commandments in your life
vegetables, flour. Oil and fruits.
c. Describe Israelites new understanding of the
(v) Other offerings to God were drinks, and nature of God
incense. The offerings could be burnt, baked,
boiled or roasted. d. Explain to yourself and others the nature of
God
(vi) There were several Sacrifices.
a. The Ten Commandments
They included:
While on Mount Sinai, God gave Moses Ten
 Burnt offerings (Holocaust) – burning a Commandments written on a stone tablet.
whole animal completely
 Sin offering /atonement – sacrifice offered The first four commandments deal with
when one had sinned and wanted to have his relationship between man and God.
sins forgiven.
 Peace offering – part of an animal was God said:
offered, while the people ate part of the meat.
 Gift offering – the best animal was given 1. You shall have no other gods but me.
to God. It was offered as a thanksgiving.
 Animals such as sheep, goats, bulls and 2. You shall not make yourself a graven
birds were sacrificed to God. image.

(vii) Festivals and feasts. Israelites observed 3. You shall not mention Gods’ name in vain.
several festivals and feasts.
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it
These included: holy.

 Feast of Passover and unleavened bread. The last six commandments give man’s
 Harvest festival – feast of weeks or relationship with fellow human beings.
Pentecost.
God said:
It marked the celebration of the harvest of
wheat. 5. Honor you father and mother that your days
may be long on earth.
 Feast of gathering / shelters.
6. You shall not kill.
It was celebrated during the season when the
Israelites gathered the fruits from the 7. You shall not commit adultery.
Orchards.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against f. God is a healer – he healed Israelites in the
your neighbour. wilderness when a snake attacked them.

10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s g. God is a God of victory. He defeated the
property. Amalekites, perizzites, and Hittites etc.

These are my thoughts. h. God is faithful and can be depended upon.

(1) Worshipping God i. God is holy, slow to anger, powerful and

just.
(2) Being faithful to God
j. God demands obedience to His commands.
(3) Resting
Revision questions
(4) respecting parental authority
a. What are the qualities of Moses as a leader?
(5) love humanity
b (i). Describe the call of Moses (exodus 3:1-
(6) Be faithful to your wife or husband 22)

(7) respect other people’s property (ii). Why was Moses hesitant to God’s call?

(8) be truthful always c (i). What is the significance of the items used
for the Passover feast (similar to what is the
(9) be satisfied with what God has given you. meaning of the Passover meal)

b. Israelites understand the nature of god (ii). Compare the lord’s supper to the Passover
feast
The Israelites had a new and wider revelation
about God. d. Describe how the Sinai covenant was made

Besides GOD being a caring, loving, and a e. Describe the circumstances that lead to the
provider, breaking of the Sinai covenant.

they learnt that: f. How was the broken covenant renewed?

a. God is a jealous God.He does not allow the g. Describe how the Israelites worshipped God
worship of others gods. He alone should be in the wilderness.
worshipped.
h. What is the relevance of the ten
b. God does not condone evil. He punishes commandments?
those who cause/engage in it.
i. What did the Israelites learn about god in the
c. God values a personal relationship with his wilderness?
people.
Topic Five: Leadership in Israel: David and
d. God wants people to live in harmony among Solomon Learning outcomes.By the end of
them. this topic, you should be able to:

e. God forgives those who repent. He is a. Explain the reasons for and against kingship
loving, merciful and compassionate. in Israel.
b. State king Saul’s achievements, failures and Duties of judges
lessons learnt from Saul.
a. Leading Israelites to war against their
c. Explain the importance of David as King of enemies.
Israel and ancestor of Jesus Christ.
b. Settling disputes among the people.
d. Describe the qualities of a good leader
drawn from King David’s leadership. c. Acting as religious leaders and leading
Israelites in worship.
e. State King Solomon’s achievements and
failures. d. Offering sacrifices on behalf of the people.

f. Explain the importance of the temple in e. Some of the judges acted as God’s prophets.
Israel.
f. They anointed kings, for example Samuel
Lesson One: Reasons for and Against anointed King David.
Kingship in Israel Introduction
Demands for a King in Israel
Yahweh remained the God of Israel and the
sovereign ruler of his people. After Israelites settled in Canaan, the Promised
Land, they started demanding for an earthly
Learning outcomes. king to rule over them.

By the end of this lesson, you should These demands for a king ruler were
brought about by:
a. Define leadership.
i Samuel’s sons Joel and Abijah were corrupt
b. Name Israel judges in Canaan. and took bribes.

Leadership refers to the manner in which a The sons of Samuel, who were judges,lacked
community’s way of life is ruled or controlled. his good leadership qualities.

When Israelites settled in Canaan, Judges ii The Israelites wanted a warrior king who
ruled them for the first 200 years. could lead them to war against their enemies.

Some of the judges were iii The Israelites wanted to be like the other
nations around them who had kings.
(i) Othniel,
iv The Israelites wanted a human leader whom
(ii) Ehud they could see, approach, and talk to him face
to face.
(iii) Samson
The Israelites wanted security, which could be
(iv) Deborah provided by a stable political government
ruled by law and order.
(v) Gideon
vi They wanted a government that had a
(vi) Shamgar regular army.

(vii). Samuel vii They also wanted an established law court

system.
(viii). Barak
Reasons against Kingship in Israel (Samuel c. Suggest lesson we can learn from his
8:10 – 20) failures

By demanding for a king, the Israelites were Samuel was directed by God to choose and
seen as rejecting Yahweh – their unseen ruler. anoint Saul as the king of Israel.

Two, there would be danger of hereditary Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin.
kingship which would lead to oppression /
dictatorship. He became the first human king of the nation
of Israel. He accomplished several things.
God told Samuel to give Israelites strict
warnings against Kingship by explaining how Successes of King Saul
the king would treat them.
1) He was anointed by God; as king to rule the
A king would: - Israelites.

(a) Recruit Israelites sons forcefully into the 2) He was chosen even though it was not
army. God’s idea for a king over his people.

(b) Grab peoples land. 3) He was a great warrior. He led the Israelites
to war and defeated their enemies.
(c) Force people to pay taxes to the
government. Failures of King Saul

(d) Turn people into slaves. 1) God told Saul through Samuel to destroy
the Amalekites completely.
(e) Introduce forced labour.
Saul however disobeyed God. He spared the
(f) Force their daughters to work for his wives, king and the fat livestock.
sons, and for the royal house in general.
He claimed to have spared the fat animals for
The people of Israel were distinct from other sacrifice to God.
nations.
Because of this disobedience, God rejected
Asking for a king meant rejecting God as their Saul as king.
unseen king.
2) The Israelites were faced with many
Further to this, Israel could become like other enemies.
nations, which did not worship Yahweh.
The worst were the Philistines.
Then the covenant with God and the people of
Israel would cease. It was a custom for the king of Israel to
enquire from God whether to go to the battle
Lesson Two: Achievements and Failures of or not.
King Saul (Israel 13:8 – 14; 15:7 – 25)
The priest/prophet gave permission to the king
Learning outcomes. After reading about to go to war. When Saul was faced with the
King Saul, you should dilemma whether to fight or not, Samuel
enquired from God.
a. State his achievements
Saul did not wait for permission to go to war
b. Identify his failures from Samuel the priest.
He decided to bypass Samuel by offering a This act led to the death of Saul together with
sacrifice to God before going to war. his son Jonathan in battle.

This action displeased God because it was not 6) Saul was concerned with what people
his work to offer sacrifice to God. thought of him than pleasing God.

It was the work of priests. He wanted to please people and not God.

3) After God rejected Saul as the king of He was disobedient with God (1 Samuel
Israel, Samuel was guided by God to go to 15:24)
Bethlehem.
Lessons, which Christians can learn from
He was asked to go to the home of Jesse who King Saul’s failures
had eight (8) sons.
1) Value of being patient.
In that home,God was to show Samuel the
next king of Israel. 2) Christian should obey God, follow His
commands and not be afraid of people.
Samuel would then anoint the chosen son of
Jesse. 3) Christian should obey religious leaders
placed over them by God.
Seven of Jesse’s sons were brought before
Samuel one by one. 4) Christian leaders should be humble.

God told Samuel that he had not chosen any of 5) It is against the teachings of God, against
them. the will of God to consult the spirits of the
dead through mediums.
When David, a shepherd, was brought before
Samuel God said to him ’this is the one – 7) Without faith, it is impossible to please
anoint him!” (1 Samuel 16:12). God.

David was anointed (poured oil on) as the next 8) God desires sincere worship.
king of Israel.
9) Political leaders should consult and listen to
However he had to wait until Saul died before religious leaders.
he could take over kingship.
10) Christians should not turn against their
4) After Samuel anointed David to become the enemies or rivals.
next king of Israel, Saul was jealous and
plotted many times to kill him. They should not plot to have them destroyed
and killed.
David was employed to serve Saul. He played
the harp, lyre wherever an evil spirit possessed Lesson Three: Importance of David (1
Saul. Samuel 16: 1 – 23, 2 Samuel 6:1 – 15)

5) When Samuel died; the Philistines gathered Learning outcomes. After reading about
to fight Israel. Saul was filled with terror. King David, you should

Saul enquired from God whether he should go a. State his importance to God and the
to war, but did not get an answer. Israelites

Saul disobeyed God by asking a medium b. Analyse achievements and failures of King
(witch) to consult the dead for him. David
c. Trace David lineage up to Jesus Christ 11) David ruled over Israel, administering law
and justice to all people.
d. Narrate fulfillment of the promises to David
in the New Testament 12) He took a census of the Israelites and used
the information to
e. Give reasons why God rejected David’s
offer to build him a temple (a) recruit young men into military service and

David took over kingship of Israel though (2) decide on the policy of taxation.
some people resisted his rule.
13) David had remarkable leadership qualities.
At first he ruled the house of Judah. He was kind. He spared mephibosheth, Saul’s
grandson.
Later on the other tribes rallied behind him.
14) David was humble. He was ready to accept
Importance of King David sins he had committed and repent e.g. he
repented after committing adultery with
David became king after the death of Saul. Bathsheba.

He ruled for over 40 years as king of Judah David as an ancestor of Jesus Christ (2
and Israel. Samuel 1 – 29, LK 1:26 – 33)

Achievements of David David intended to build a splendid temple for

God in Jerusalem. He felt it was not fair for
1) He was a brilliant military commander. the Ark of the Covenant to continue dwelling
in a tent while he himself lived in a
2) He captured the old fortress of Jerusalem magnificent palace.
from the Jebusites and made it his capital city.
To achieve this goal, David consulted Nathan,
3) He removed the ark of covenant from the the prophet on whether to build the temple.
house of Abinadab in Shiloh and brought it to
Jerusalem. The prophet approved the idea.

4) He expressed great faith in God. Through But that night, Nathan received a revelation
his faith in God, he was able to kill Goliath, form God that stated that David was not to
the great Philistine warrior. build a house (temple) for God.

5) He was a skilled musician and composed David’s son would build the temple of God (2
marry psalms that were used and are still being Samuel 7:5 – 6). Prophet Nathan gave David
used in temple and church worship. God’s message to David.

7) He expanded the geographical boundaries The message was that

of Israel through conquests.
a) His son will build the temple
8) He was a great diplomat and established
good political relations with the neighboring b) God would give David’s descendants a
kings. place to settle

9) He was a shrewd administrator who chose c) God promised to raise up an heir from the
wise elders and counselors to advice him. house of David to sit on the throne

10) God promised to establish an everlasting d) God promised to make David’s name great
kingdom for David. or famous among all other leaders of the earth.
Reasons why God rejected David’s offer to Failures of King David.
build him a temple
Although David had many virtues:
Here are some of the reasons:
1) He ordered Uriah to be placed at the battle
a. David had been involved in a lot of wars forefront so that he can be killed.
with the Israelites’ enemies and had thus shed
a lot of blood. 2) Uriah was the husband of Bathsheba. David
had committed adultery with her.
b. God was a God of the people and could not
be confined to a house. 3) He took Bathsheba as his wife.

c. It was the will of God to establish the house Lesson Four: Leadership of King David
of David (build David a house) rather than
David builds a house for him (God). The Lesson outcomes. By the end of this lesson,
human body is the temple of God. God dwells you should assess leadership qualities
in the hearts of people. demonstrated by king David

d. David had grown old. God wanted him to David showed

rest.
1) Courage and bravery.
e. God had planned that David’s son would
build a house for him – a place to house the David was courageous and brave. Modern
Ark of the Covenant. leaders should be ready to die with and for
their subjects.
King Solomon, David’s son built the temple
and fulfilled. 2) Gratitude

God’s promises to David. Solomon’s rule was Thankful and grateful. David always thanked
peaceful and prosperous. God for any success or favors he received.

The New Testament is a fulfillment of God’s Good leaders should be thankful and grateful
promises to David to God as well as to their fellow human beings.

1) The gospel writers tell us that Jesus was 3) Loyalty.

born in the family of David (Luke 1:26 – 27)
David was loyal to God and to the Israelites. A
2) The angel of God during the annunciation good leader should be loyal, and never betray
of the birth of Jesus said that He will be like his people.
his ancestor David (Luke 1:32 – 33)
4) Justice.
3) Jesus was born in Bethlehem which was
also the birthplace of David (Luke 2:4) David administered justice to all his subjects
without favoring anyone. No tribalism or
4) Bartimaeus the blind man of Jericho hailed nepotism.
Jesus as the son of David.
A leader should be fair to all (2 Samuel 8:15).
5) During his triumphal entry to Jerusalem,
Jesus was hailed by the crowd as the messiah 5) God – fearing
descended from David.
Having faith. David was God fearing. He
6) In his genealogy, saint Mathew says that expressed his total trust in God. Modern
Jesus was a descendant of David (Matt.1: 1) leaders need to emulate this quality.
6) Humility. Achievements

A leader should be a humble person. Though 1) He made Israel rich by establishing trade
David had been appointed as the king, he with other countries
continued to serve Saul until Saul died. He
accepted his failures and asked for 2) He was a good trader and a successful
forgiveness. merchant. He traded in copper, horses, timber,
silver and gold.
7) Kind.
He established international trade with the
David was a kind leader. Leaders should be neighboring countries.
kind. David spared the life of Saul twice yet
Saul wanted to kill him. For example, he traded with Tyre in cedar and
pine logs.
8)Wisdom.
3) He established a well equipped large army
David was careful when choosing legal for Israel
advisors to assist him in his rule. He was also
wise. 4) He was a builder. He built a magnificent
temple for God in line with God’s promise to
He reduced tribal jealousies by choosing David.
Jerusalem; a neutral spot for administrative
purposes. He also constructed other cities (Megiddo) and
a palace for himself.
9) Delegation
5) He is remembered for his amazing
– A shrewd administrator. A good elder should administrative skills.
be able to delegate duties. David delegated
duties. He had 550 officials in charge of labour force.

He involved others in advising, and 6) He was a diplomatic ruler. He established

administering friendly ties with his neighbours.

Lesson Five: Achievements and Failures of This ensured continued peace. For instance he
King Solomon (1 King 3 – 12) married the daughters of the kings of Egypt,
Moab,Eden and Sidon so as to establish strong
Learning outcomes. By the end of this ties with those nations.
lesson, you should:
7) He had great wisdom. He judged a difficult
a. Analyse achievements of king Solomon case between two women who were claiming
ownership of the same child.
b. State failures of king Solomon
He composed many wise sayings known as the
After David died, his son Solomon became the proverbs of Solomon. He also composed songs
next king. like Song of Solomon and Song of Songs and
poems in Ecclesiastes.
Kingship in Israel was hereditary.
9) He dedicated the temple of God with great
Solomon was chosen by David to be his rejoicing.
successor.
10) He brought the Ark of the Covenant to the
He took over from David at a time of peace temple of Jerusalem.
and security established by David.
Failures of King Solomon . Many husbands in Kenya practice polygamy.
I want you to find out from your neighbours
1) He married women from many foreign what are the advantages and disadvantages of
countries. polygamy.

These actions made Solomon break the Torah Then write a paper arguing either for
as Israelites were not supposed to marry polygamy or monogamy.
foreigners.
Lesson Six: Importance of the Temple in
Through these marriages, idol worship started Israel
in Israel.
Learning outcomes. By the end of this
This was because he allowed his wives to lesson, you should
worship their gods, build temples and altars for
them. a) Define a temple

This led to introduction of idolatry in Israel. b) State the importance of the temple to
Israelites.
2) Solomon constructed his palace for 13
years. He then built God’s temple for 7 years. Definition of a temple

This showed that he probably loved himself This is a building dedicated to the worship of
more than God. God. Solomon built the temple as a fulfillment
of the promises that God gave to David, that
3) He killed his own half brother Adonija on his son would build a house for him.
suspicion that he could be a rival to the throne.
Importance and uses of a temple
4) Solomon lived lavishly, and expensively.
He thus burdened the Israelites with high 1) It was a centre of worship. Prayers and
taxes. sacrifices were offered to God from the
temple.
5) He used forced labour. This was the same as
enslaving the Israelites. 2) It symbolized the presence of God among
the Israelites.
6) He worshipped idols. Solomon’s heart was
turned to such other gods as Ashtoreth / 3) The Ark of the Covenant was kept in the
ashitarte – goddess of Sidon and Molech – the temple as a symbol of God’s presence among
god of the Ammonites. This was breaking his people.
God’s commandments.
4) The temple acted as a symbol of unity in
7) He sold part of Israelite territory to the king Israel. Every year all the Israelites had to go to
of Tyre He used pagan skills when designing, Jerusalem to celebrate such feasts as the
decorating, and furnishing the temple. Passover, feast of tabernacles’ day of
atonement. This led to the unity of the
9) He made treaties with other nations inspite Israelites.
of the fact that God had forbidden Israel from
making treaties. 5) Dedication of children and purification were
done in the temple.
10) He was extravagant. He used a lot of state
wealth to entertain and please his many wives 6) It was a residence for the priest.
and concubines.
7) It was a business centre where people
Activity bought and sold animals needed for sacrifice.
The temple acted as a school to the scribes, b. Analyse religious schism between Judah
rabbis and others who studied and interpreted and Israel
the Mosaic Law.
c. Describe King Ahab’s marriage to the
9) The temple also acted as the judicial court Phoenician princess (Tyre)
of Israel. Judges worked from the temple.
d. Explain the failure to completely destroy
10) It is where religious ceremonies like temples, and places of worship
naming and circumcision of baby boys took
place. e. State effects of idolatry in Israel

11) It was a house of prayer. a. Factors that led to spread of idolatry in

Israel
Revision questions
When Israelites intermarried with other
a. Explain the reasons against kingship in communities, they worshipped their gods.
Israel 1 Sam 8: 10-20
The Bible makes it clear that
b. Explain the importance of David as king of
Israel i There was a lot of influence by Canaanite
religion
c. How did Jesus fulfil the prophecies of
prophet Nathan as a descendant of David? (i.e. ii There was division /schism of Israel into 2
areas where Jesus is mentioned as coming kingdoms
from David)
iii Ahab’s married the Phoenician princess
d. What are the failures of king Solomon?
iv Israelites did not destroy all gods after
e. Which leadership qualities can modern settling in Canaan. Influence of the local
leaders learn from David? Canaanite religion Idolatry is the worship of
idols.
Topic Six: Loyalty to God – Elijah Lesson
One: Effects of Idolatry in Israel An idol is an image representing a god made
Introduction using precious materials such as gold, bronze,
stone, and hardwood images kept in the places
After the death of Solomon, the kingdom of of worship.
Israel split into two countries. the southern
kingdom called Judah ruled by King God had forbidden Israelites from bowing
Rehoboam and the Northern kingdom called down to images and worshipping idols,
Israel led by King Jeroboam. intermarrying with non-Israelites, and making
treaties.
Other kings who ruled these two nations were
King Abijah, King Asa of Judah, and king When Israelites settled in Canaan, they forgot
Nadab, Baasha, Elah,Zimri, Omri, and Ahab God’s commandments.
of Israel. During the time of Elijah king Ahab
ruled – Israel. They intermarried and were greatly influenced
by the local religion. Israelites changed from
Learning outcomes. After studying this being pastoralist to farmers.
lesson on idolatry, you should
They therefore worshipped Baal the god of
a. State factors that led to spread of idolatry in rain,agricultural fertility, and storms. Israelites
Israel worshipped Baal, for rain for their crops.
The Israelites were also attracted to the visible g. Mot – most feared. The god of drought,
gods of Canaan as opposed to the invisible famine and death
Yahweh.
5. Free and temple of prostitution. Israelites
This is how idolatry spread in Israel. turned to temple prostitution.

However some Israelites maintained worship Women who wanted to increase vitality of
of Yahweh only (monotheistic) while others their husbands had sexual relations with the
worshipped Yahweh and Baal (syncretism). male priests in the Baal temples.

Characteristics of the Canaanite religion. 6. Had many places of worship. One could
pray in the temple, under sacred trees, and on
Canaanite religion was: top of the hills among others.

1. Polytheistic. 7. Based on offerings and sacrifices of human

beings.
They worshipped many gods.The Israelites
religion was monotheistic. They worshipped Exercise. State differences between Israel and
Yahweh and no other God. They abandoned Canaanite religion.
their religion and worshipped many gods like
Canaanite.This influenced the Israelites. b. Religious schism between Judah and
Israel
2. A nature religion.
Schism occurred among the Israelites because
The gods were related with the forces of nature there were sharp differences within them.
such as rain, sun, storms, drought,famine,
wind, water and death. These differences were religious, political and
social. After the death of Solomon, the nation
3. Ensured continued fertility of land, people, of Israel was split.
animals
Rehoboam ruled one group while the other
4. Based on many families of gods. was ruled by Jeroboam.

There was Because of this split, Jeroboam could not go to

Jerusalem to worship in the temple. He thus
a. EL – Chief god – who was their father, king, set up other places of worship one at Bethel,
creator and another at Dan. Jeroboam also set up
images to represent Yahweh.
b. Asherah – wife of El – the goddess of
motherhood and fertility Though he had no intention of Idol worship, it
turned out to be so because he made his
c. Baal – also referred to as Baal Hadad, son of subjects to offer sacrifices to these golden
El and Asherah – the god of rain, agricultural calves, which he had designed as images
fertility,storms representing Yahweh.

d. Astarte – wife of Baal -the goddess of war He also built places of worship on hilltops like
the Canaanites.
e. Anat – sister of Baal – the goddess of war
and love He chose priests from other families in
addition to the Levite Family.
f. Maat – the goddess of love
Furthermore, he organised religious festivals
and feasts in the month of his choice.
As it were, they coincided with the Canaanites 2) Former places of worship for the Canaanite
calendars. gods were used as places of worship for
Yahweh.
He then burnt incense at the altar of idols.
3) The Canaanite agricultural calendar was
Jeroboam therefore started idol worship and adopted by Israelites.
gave room for idolatry.
4) Names of the Canaanite gods were used for
Kings who succeeded him followed this idol Yahweh. For example, EL was referred to as
worship. Yahweh.

c. King Ahab’s marriage to the 5) Parents began naming their children after
Phoenician/Tyre princess Baal.

Ahab married Jezebel, the daughter of the 6) Feasts and celebrations were changed to
King Ethbaal of Sidon (Tyre) to strengthen ties correspond with those of Canaanites when
with Tyre/Phoenicia. they celebrated their feasts.

Queen Jezebel was ambitious, and a strong 7) King Ahab declared worship of Baal as the
follower of Baal religion. state religion.

Ahab allowed her to bring her gods to Israel. 8) Queen Jezebel ordered the destruction of
the altars of Yahweh
She forced Israelites to worship Baal and not
Yahweh. 9) Prophets of Yahweh were killed. Elijah
went into hiding.
She imported prophets of Baal and supported
them using public treasury. 10) The 450 prophets of Baal were made the
officials of the royal court in order to promote
Ahab built a temple to Baal In Samaria. and protect Baal religion

He also put up an image of goddess – Asherah. 11) Israel started to experience long droughts
d. because Yahweh withdrew his blessings.

When Israelites settled in Canaan, they did not This made Israel worshippers of El
destroy temples, places of worship, idols,
images that they found there. Lesson Two: Elijah’s Fight Against
Corruption and False Religion in Israel
As a result Canaanite’s religious practices
influenced Israelites’ worship of Yahweh Learning outcomes. After studying Elijah,
leading to idolatry. you should

The effects of idolatry harmed Israelites as: a. Describe the contest at Mount Carmel

1) Syncretism developed. This was a process b. Explain how Elijah fought against
of mixing beliefs andbpractices from different corruption
religions.
c. Explain the relationship between Ahab and
Israelites worshipped Yahweh and the gods of Naboth
Canaan.
d. Describe God’s sentence to Ahab.
e. Relate Elijah’s encounter with Yahweh at Actions.
Mt. Horeb
The prophets of Baal prayed first because they
f. Identify forms of corruption were many. They took the bull, prepared it and
prayed to Baal until noon (vs. 26).
a) The contest at Mount Carmel (1 King
18:17 – 46). They prayed louder, and cut themselves with
knives and daggers; but there were no answer.
Carmel refers to the vineyard of the Lord.
The prophets of Baal kept on ranting and
King Ahab brought trouble to Israel because of raving until evening but there was no answer
worshipping the idols of Baal. Elijah told (vs. 29).
Ahab that the problemsIsrael was facing were
due to worship of Baal, The decision. Elijah asked people to gather near him.

Elijah requested king Ahab to call a meeting at He prepared the altar of the Lord to repair
Mt Carmel. work. He took 12 stones representing the 12
tribes of Israel (who were named after the 12
In attendance would be all Israelites, 450 sons of Jacob or Israel) and used them to
prophets of Baal, and 400 prophets of the rebuild the altar.
goddess Asherah who were supported by
Queen Jezebel and Elijah. He then dug a trench around the altar.

Elijah told Israelites it was decision time. This trench could hold 14 litres of water.

They had to choose their God. Would it be He placed the wood on the altar; cut the bull
Yahweh, the God of Israel or Baal the god of into pieces and laid them on the wood.
Jezebel of Phoenician/Tyre. If it was to be
Baal, then they were told to follow him, if they He asked for four barrels of water and poured
select Yahweh as their God then they were to it on the offering and wood.
follow him (1kings 18 vs. 21).
He poured water on the altar three times until
The choice. the water overflowed, run around the altar and
filled the trenches.
Elijah proposed a contest between him and
Baal prophets. Elijah then called on the Lord “O Lord, the
God of Abraham, …prove now that you are
He asked for two bulls one for him, the other the God of Israel and that am your servant and
for 450 prophets of Baal. have done all this at your command” (vs. 29).

The contest was who can light fire? Yahweh or The Lord sent fire down and it burnt up the
Baal? He proposed that Baal prophets and sacrifice, wood, stones, and dust and licked up
himself be given each a bullock. the water that was in the trench. When people
saw this, they proclaimed ‘The Lord, is God;
Both shall cut the bull into pieces and put them the Lord alone is God”.
on wood without lighting fire.
Elijah asked people to arrest the prophets of
The Baal prophets shall pray to their god and Baal, led them down to the river Kishon and
Elijah shall pray to the Lord. killed them.

The one who sends fire to consume the And after this there was rain in Israel (vs.40).
sacrifices .. he is God. The people of Israel
accepted Elijah’s proposal. Lessons learnt from Mt. Carmel.
Israelites acknowledged that Yahweh is: God then sent Elijah to meet with Ahab as he
went to possess the vineyard of Naboth.
i Is their only God and that Baal was not God
God’s sentence to Ahab.
ii Is powerful
God pronounced to Ahab through Elijah that
iii Is a merciful God (1) dogs shall lick his own blood from the
place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth
iv Is a jealous God as He will have no other
gods but him (2) His sons shall be killed

v Is a God of justice who punishes idolaters (3) Dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of
and sinners Jezreel

vi Answers prayer (4) Evil shall be brought upon Ahab’s house.

vii Is a forgiving true God This was because Ahab had broken these
commandments:
viii Protects his servants
 The 6th commandment – which forbids
b) Elijah’s fight against corruption (1 Kings murder
21: 1 – 29)  The 9th commandment which forbids
bearing of false witness.
Corruption is defined as dishonesty.
Ahab allowed his wife to bear false witness
It’s a form of injustice when dealing with against Naboth.
either an individual or the community for
selfish gain and benefit.  10th Commandments – you shall not covet
your neighbor’s property.
In a corrupt society people in leadership or
with wealth take advantage of the weak, and Elijah’s encounter with Yahweh at Mt. Horeb
the poor. (Mr. Sinai) 1 Kings 19 After killing the
prophets of Baal, Elijah was threatened by
The powerful exploit the poor and the Jezebel.
powerless by denying them their rights. An
example of corruption in Israel is the story of She vowed to kill him.
the Naboth’s Vineyard.
Elijah ran away to the wilderness.
Naboth’s vineyard. Ahab wanted Naboth to
either sell to him his vineyard or exchange it The angel of God fed him with a loaf of bread
with another vineyard. and a jar of water.

Naboth refused to sell his inheritance. Jezebel, After eating and drinking Elijah walked to Mt.
on seeing that Ahab was sorrowful told him Sinai – the holy mountain of God.
that she will get him Naboth’s vineyard.
He stayed there for 40 days and 40 nights. In
Jezebel sent out letters in Ahab’s name to the the mountain God appeared to him.
elders of the city.
There was a strong wind, an earthquake, a fire
She found two witnesses who could bear but the Lord was not in them. Then the lord
witness that Naboth had blasphemed God and spoke to Elijah in a still small voice.
king Ahab. Witnesses testified that Naboth had
blasphemed God. He was stoned to death.
God told Elijah “ return and anoint Hazael as Lesson Three: Reasons Why Elijah Faced
king of Syria, Jehu as king of Israel, and Danger and Hostility as a Prophet of God
anoint Elisha as a prophet and your successor.
Self-assessment question. Learning outcomes. By the end of this
lesson, you shall
How can Christians help reduce corruption
in Kenya? a. Explain why Elijah, faced hostility

Answer b. Show relevance of Elijah’s prophetic

mission to Christianity today
First is to recognize the various forms of
corruption like: tribalism,bribery, cheating in It’s not easy for a person to oppose the
business, stealing, misuse of public funds, government and its policies.
grabbing public land, robbery with violence
and dishonesty Self-assessment question. The person normally faces danger and hatred.

How can Christians fight corruption? Elijah faced hostility from King Ahab, his wife
Christians can fight corruption by: Jezebel and the 450 prophets of Baal.

a). Employing life skills Elijah faced hostility because a. He

pronounced a three years drought in Israel,
a) Applying their critical thinking. which brought sufferings.

This is the ability to make appropriate b. He put to death 450 prophets of Baal.
decisions; by weighing in the consequences of
actions before taking decisions. c. He boldly condemned king Ahab for taking
away Naboth’s vineyard.
b) Creative thinking and being imaginative.
d. He preached at a time when there was
This is the ability to explore new ways of idolatry, and Baal was the official religion in
handling issues. Israel.

c) Decision making e. He identified himself with Yahweh in the

midst of prosecution of God’s prophets by
which is the ability to make the right choices. Jezebel.

d)Assertiveness. This is the ability to express Relevance of Elijah’s prophetic mission to

ones opinion with confidence. Christians today Lessons Christians learn
from the life of Elijah
e) Praying for the corrupt to change their
behaviour. 1) Elijah was courageous. Church leaders
should remain courageous and condemn any
f) Setting a good example by acting as a good form of social injustice.
role model.
2) Modern Christians learn to remain faithful
g) Educating people on the evils of corruption. to God through word and deed even if it would
cost them their lives.
h) Reporting those who are engaged in corrupt
dealings / practices to the relevant authorities. 3) As God helped Elijah in difficult times he
will also help the Christians hence they should
i) Obeying the laws of the society /country. not despair.

Voting for morally upright leaders.

4) Elijah was a man of prayer Christians All Africans agree that nobody has ever seen
should pray to God always. God.

5) Christians should advocate for the rights of Therefore, nobody can really describe Him,
the poor and speak out against any form of yet through their religious insights, Africans
oppression. have formulated ideal about the nature of God.

6) Christians should not give false evidence These ideas concern His real being and His
against their neighbours. activities. “Traditional religion” refers to
African culture that existed in the sub –
7) Christians should be persistent like Elijah Saharan Africa.
was in their struggle against injustice.
African traditional culture had no scriptures or
God communicated with Elijah in a still small texts because most of it was oral.
voice indicating his intimacy with the prophet.
It was preserved and handed down from
This means that God is able to establish an generation to generation-through oral
intimate relationship with his faithful. traditions; ceremonies; rituals, and leading
personalities.
Review questions
Learning outcomes. By the end of this topic,
a) Describe the qualities of Elijah that led to you should be able to
his achievements
a) Explain and appreciate the African concept
b) What is schism and syncretism of God spirits and ancestors

c) What are some of the characteristics of b) Identify attributes of God

Elijah that a modern Christian should strive to
emulate? c) Explain the African understanding of the
hierarchy of beings
d) What are the effects of idolatry in Israel
today? d) Describe the role of God, spirits and
ancestors
e) Describe Elijah’s fight against false religion
in Israel e) Explain the responsibilities of the living
towards God, spirits and ancestors
f) Describe Elijah’s fight against corruption 1
kings 21 f) Describe the traditional African way of
worshipping God, venerating and
g) What can Christians learn from the communicating with the ancestors and spirits.
teachings of Elijah?
Lesson One: African Concept of God,
Topic Seven: Selected Aspects of African Spirits and Ancestors
Religious Heritage. Introduction
Learning outcomes. By the end of this
All Traditional African Communities believe lesson, you should
in a Supreme Being who is the origin and
sustainer of all things: a. Describe the African concept of his/her
religion
He is the creator of the university and all that it
contains. b. State attributes of God
c. Draw a diagram showing hierarchy of He is pure, holy and does not make mistakes.
beings Yoruba call him God who is pure, without
blemish.
Africans believed in existence of a supreme
being who lived in mountains, clouds and the The Kikuyu say God is “Possessor of
sky. God was the creator of the universe. whiteness” and the Bukusu – ‘master
whitewash’. African traditions all approach
In African traditions, religion was integrated in God with reverence, fear, respect and honor.
every aspect of life and daily activities.
For example when offering sacrifices, they
For example, farming activities involved God, would offer a one-colour animal either white,
spirits and ancestors. People would pray to black, or brown and not a spotted animal.
God,spirits ancestors so as to ask for blessings
in order to have a good harvest. d) God is powerful i.e.

Livestock keepers believed that fertility of Omnipotent. God is described as almighty. His
their animals is a result of the blessings of power is expressed in natural occurrences like
God. thunder, lighting, earthquakes, rains, and
floods.
If God was appeased, animals would increase.
e) God is all knowing (Omniscient).
Natural phenomena such as thunder, lightning,
rain; good harvest, and birth were linked to the God knew all things; nothing can be hidden
Supreme Being and the invisible world. from him. He discerns hearts.

If there were calamities such as drought, f) God is all present (Omnipresent).

disease, famine, and death, it was an indication
that God, spirits and ancestors were displeased He is present everywhere in the universe.
with humankind. Many communities have
invocations uttered through out the day Nature g) God is limitless.
or Attributes of god God is described with
many names, which are God’s attributes. God has no limit. He is both very far and very
near, beyond and within.
These are among others:
h) God is transcendent.
a) God is Good
God cannot be exhausted by human
– Nearly all-African communities describe imagination. He is unexplainable, beyond
God as being good to all people and things. human experience and understanding.

He gives rain, sunshine and life among many i) God is all understanding
other gifts.
j) God is self existent
b) God is merciful.
.He made all things but he himself is not made.
The Akamba refer to God as “God of pity”, He exists on his own. Zulu explain that God is
the‘merciful one’. ‘he who is of himself.

God shows mercy in times of danger, illness, k) God is a spirit He is invisible, and
difficulty or anxiety. everlasting.

c) God is holy. . Shilluk of Sudan refer to him as ‘great spirit’

‘the formless spirit.
l) God is everlasting. They are in charge of natural phenomena like
the sun, moon and stars. They are
God is eternal, never changes, and never dies. intermediaries between God and ancestral
The Yoruba call him ”the mighty immovable spirits, human beings and other creatures.
rock that never dies.
They reveal God’s plans through diviners and
m) God is God created the creator . mediums.

The world Kikuyu call him “Mumbi” b. Human spirits / common spirits.

n) God is just. Kikuyu refer to God as These are inferior to divinities but higher than
“Mugai” meaning “divider”. ‘One who shares human kind.
out’.
They are remains of human beings after their
God judges fairly, punishes those who do death. These spirits monitor human activities.
wrong and rewards the good with blessings.
Human spirits have lost their names and are
o) God is the provider. not longer remembered by the living.

All communities acknowledge that God They are believed to live in the under world,
provides them with everything they have. undergrounds, in thick bushes, forests, rivers,
mountains, lakes, skies, and caves among
Africans built representation of the power other places.
of God.
These spirits can bring harm to the living if
They identified sites, places and things that disrespected.
represented the presence and power of God.
They appear to people in dreams or in form of
For example things like big trees, thick forest, shadows.
high mountains, unique rock formations and
large rivers and animals. In these places they They can also enter or possess a person and
built sites, and shrines. cause abnormalities.

Shrines were regarded as holy and people 3. Ancestors / living dead

approached them with reverence Spirits.
These are spirits of the recently dead. They are
They were believed to exist between God and remembered by the living when children are
human beings in the universe. named after them.

Spirits were diverse and created by God. They are actively involved in the lives and
activities of the living.
Some spirits were dead human beings. Spirits
were divided into nature, sky, earth and human Their offerings (food or drink) are poured on
spirits that were either long dead (ghosts) or the ground for them to receive.
recently dead (ancestors).
Ancestors are in a period of transition between
There were different types of spirits. These the living and the higher categories.
were:
They are believed to know the problems of the
a. Divinities. living and therefore consulted constantly.

These are spirits created by God. They are They are also associated with evil such as
close to God and act as his agents. revenge for burying them without honor, or
not following the instructions they gave before Domestic animals have many uses such as
they died or failing to pour them libations. repayment of dowry, food, and sacrifices to
God,payment of a fine by an offender.
When they are happy with the living, they are
a source of blessings. Many wild animals are used in folk songs and
tales to discourage cowardice, and laziness
Ancestors who did evil things or committed God is a protector of human beings from evil.
suicide are forgotten and ignored.
God is the giver of moral laws and a judge of
Hierarchy of beings. people

Hierarchy means the order or ranking from the God offers solutions to man’s problems
highest to the lowest of created beings. through mediums, and prophets

At the top is Divinities God gives power to the specialists such as

medicine men, women and priests.
 Ancestors
 Human Beings God punishes people for wrong doing
 Animals and Plants
 Non-living Things Wild animals such as hyena are used in folk
stories to discourage cowardice. Stories of
Lesson Two: the Role of God, Spirits and tortoise illustrate the importance of being slow
Ancestors but sure.

Learning outcomes. By the end of this Snakes in some communities such as the
lesson: - Luhya were not killed.

a. Write a description of God from an African The community believed snakes were
perspective immortal ancestors coming to visit the living.

God is the creator. Plants were used as food for people and
animals.
The Akamba community believed that God
whom they called Mulungu created man and Trees were used for fuel and building
woman. materials. Some trees were used as sacred
places of worship.
He then tossed them to the earth. The Luhya
claim God created them from the black topsoil Non-living things such as the rain, rocks, and
hence their skin complexion. rivers had a religious importance.

God is the source of life and giver of life. Rain is seen as a blessing from God. When
rain fails, diviner/rain maker was consulted.
Barren women pray to God to ask for children.
Human beings depend on God for life, rain, Rocks, and mountains were believed to be
air, and sunshine. dwelling places for the living, the dead and the
spirits.
God is the provider.
The spirits were viewed as neither good nor
He gave domestic animals to human beings for evil.
their use.
Human beings feared them.

Their roles were many.

They; Lesson Three: Responsibility of the Living
Towards God, Spirits, and Ancestors
i Appeared in dreams especially to diviners,
priests, medicine men and women, and rain Learning outcome. After studying this
makers to relay information. lesson, you should

ii Were consulted by religious specialists to a. State responsibilities of the living to God,

find the cause of a problem in a given spirits, and ancestors.
situation.
b. Explain the various forms of worship.
iii Were bad (naughty) spirits, which disturbed
people. African communities believed that bad Responsibilities of living include
sprits could call out one’s name but on turning
there’s no one. iv Were manipulated by some Human beings are expected to worship God,
human beings to cause harm to others. spirits and ancestors and show

v Relayed God’s messages to human beings. (i) reverence and respect or veneration to God.

vi Sometimes possessed a person causing the They are also expected to

person to be sent away from the village to the
forest, or away from home. (i) pray

vii Acted as intermediaries between humans,’ (ii) sing and

divinities and God.
(iii) dance.
Role of ancestors is to: -
Worship. This is our major responsibility as
1) Appear to families in dreams, and visions. God expects us to meet and communicate with
the spiritual world and God.
2) Give family instructions i.e. what should be
done. There are several ways of worshipping God.

3) Rebuke those who fail to honor them and These include among others:
warn them of impending punishment.
(a) Sacrifices and offerings.
4) Act as mediators between the living and
God. Sacrifices include shedding of blood of
animals and birds.
5) Enquire about family affairs as they
considered as members of the family. Offerings are in the form of foodstuffs, milk,
water and honey.
6) Request for sacrifice of an animal which is
slaughtered for them God was worshipped because He is recognized
as the absolute owner of life and property.
7) Cause illness or mental disturbance to
members of a family if they are disregarded or We also worship God in order to
disobeyed.
(i) invoke Him for special blessings
8) Preserve the culture of a community
(ii) thank Him
9) Welcome those who die to the spirit world.
(iii) express our personal fellowship and  Naming children after them.
communion with God  Inviting them to participate in family
ceremonies and rituals. For example during
(iv) avert or prevent evil. birth, and initiation.
 Maintaining their graves well.
Evils bring about epidemics, famine, floods,  Giving the dead a decent burial.
and drought.
Communication with spirits
(b) Singing and dancing.
Diviners and mediums talk with ‘spirits”. To
Africans worshipped God through singing, do so, they sit quietly in a place; singing,
dancing, clapping of hands,drumming, and use dancing and clapping their hands. As they
of musical instruments. dance, sit and sing, diviners lose their senses
and get possessed by the spirit.
(c)Prayers, invocations and blessings.
The spirits speak give them messages for
Prayers were accompanied with sacrifices or individuals and communities.
offerings. Community leaders prayed to God,
spirits and ancestors. Spirits communicate on issues such as

(d) Invocations are shortened form of (i) lost property

prayers e.g.
(ii) revealing by name the enemy in the society
“Help me oh God” ‘Oh great God”. These are
prayers at the spur of the moment. They are (iii) making demands on the living
few words full of meaning and calling for help
form God. (iv) giving advice

(e) Formal blessings. (v) giving warnings on impending danger and

An elder or older person gave blessings. It is (vi) making promises to bless a family or clan.
believed that the person blessing the other one
is doing so on behalf of God. Spirits that possess mediums are not harmful.

(f) Venerations. There are bad evil spirits harmful to people

whom they possess. Some evil spirits cut
Africans treated their ancestors with great themselves; others throw themselves into a
respect and honor. fire, river, and lake.

They for example worshiped ancestors daily. Revision questions

Worshipping included placing food or pouring a) Explain African beliefs about god ( or
libation of beer, milk, water and honey for the qualities)
spirits.
b) Describe the African understanding of the
As this act was done, they uttered words to hierarchy of being
accompany the offerings. Libations were done
daily by some communities. c) Describe the role of the ancestors to the
living
(g). Ancestors were honored by:
d) What was the responsibility of the living
 Mentioning their names at prayers was towards God?
offered to God.
e) Describe the T.A. ways of worshipping It is immoral to be greedy and self centred.
God. People are to be hospitable, warm and caring
toward other people.
Topic Eight: African Moral and Cultural
Values Learning Outcomes:By the end of Unity and harmony are to be upheld.
the topic, you should be able to
Life is viewed as whole only if a person went
a Explain the meaning of life and its through all the stages or rites of passage Life
wholeness in the traditional African society was propagated through bearing children.

b Explain the African concept of community Life cannot be divided into religious and
and kingship system secular.

c Outline the factors contributing to harmony Every element of life has a religious meaning.
and mutual responsibility in the African
communities Life is communal.

d Describe rites of passage and their role Life was celebrated at every stage.
inculcating moral values in the traditional
African society Everyone depends on others. Labour was
divided. There were duties for men, children
e Explain the role of religious specialist and and women.
their relevance in modern society
In African traditional society, human life is
f Explain the African moral values precious.

g Discuss and evaluate continuity and change Murder was condemned harshly.
in the African understanding of leisure, dress,
old age, widows, orphans, dowry, community, Suicide was considered the worst thing anyone
land, medicine, worship and property. could do.

Lesson One: Meaning of Life and Its It was seen as a curse on the family.
Wholeness in the Traditional African
Society If one died at childhood, it was regarded as
abortion. Death did not mark the end of life.
Learning outcomes. By the end of the lesson
you should be able to:- Death is referred to as ‘saying goodbye to
food”, “sleeping,” “going home”, “being
1. Describe the meaning and wholeness of life called by the ancestors”.
in the traditional African society
African concept of a community
2. Describe the African understanding of a
community Life originates from God and it A community is a group of people who share a
progress from one stage to another with a common language, religion, and culture and
certain rhythm each person has to follow. Each may live in the same geographical location.
stage of life is marked by rites of passage. Life
is continuous and unending. This group of people or an ethnic group shares
common interests and characteristics.
Each person is expected to value life and to be
responsible. Life involves sharing. For example, African communities:

 Share common features, and interests

 Have the same origin and are likely to be iv Promoted mutual responsibility and help.
related by blood.
 Share a common language. v Enhanced a sense of security which is a
 Live together and inhabit the same human need.
geographical location.
 Are divided into smaller units called clans vi Regulated marital customs, rules and
regulations.
A clan is made up of people who have the
same forefather. vii Enabled people to live peacefully and in
harmony.
A clan is composed of families.
viii Bind the community together enhancing
A family is made up of members (living or social cohesion and loyalty to each other.
dead) who are related by blood and marriage.
ix Facilitated care for the disadvantaged
Family members therefore include the members of community.
ancestors and the unborn.
x Ensured that all members of the community
Lesson Two: Kinship System in African are have knowledge of community beliefs and
Communities practices.

Learning outcomes. After studying African xi Provided a peaceful way of settling

kinship system in African communities, you disputes.
should be able to:
xii Provided mechanisms for proper
a. Explain the importance of kinship system inheritance of property for example land.

b. Give factors that contribute to harmony and Factors contributing to harmony and
mutual responsibility mutual responsibility in African
communities.
Kinship refers to the relationships between
people. These can be by blood, marriage or These are many.
adoption.
Some of them are
People that belong to the same kinship system
are referred to as kin. (i) rites of passage

Importance of kinship system and ties (2) good morals

Kinship relationships were and still are (3) participation in communal activities such
important among African communities. as ceremonies, work, leisure activities and
worship
This is because these ties:
(4) sharing of property and ideas
i Provided company. This ensured that people
were not lonely. (5) division of labour. Tasks were distributed
according to one’s age, gender and status. (6)
ii Provided a sense of belonging which one of rules/social norms regulated how people grew
the human needs. We all want to belong. up; knowing what is wrong and right.

iii Controlled social relationships between Good morals help people to live in peace and
people related by blood or marriage. harmony.
Lesson Three: Rites of Passage The placenta was disposed off ceremoniously.
The mother was purified and baby protection
Learning outcomes. I expect you to read rites were conducted. Once purified, a mother
this lesson and could wear charms to protect herself and the
baby from malicious spirits, sorcery,
a. Name the main stages of human life witchcraft, and evil eyes.

b. Explain the rite of circumcision in your Thanksgiving ceremonies were performed to

community show gratitude to God. The hair of the mother
and child was shaved as a sign of purification
c. Narrate initiation rituals and newness of life.

d. Discuss the importance of marriage in your Naming

community with peers
Naming of babies was carefully chosen. A
e. State the importance of funeral and burial baby could be named after either a season,
rites. weather, ancestors, place or time of delivery,
occasion, experience of mother during
In traditional African society, there were four delivery, significance events such as war, and
main stages of life. drought, personality of the child, and names of
heroes and gods.
These were
A good example is the name ‘Were’ amongst
the Luhya. Twins had special names.
(i) birth and
Initiation
naming
The second rite of passage.
(ii) initiation
There were different types of initiations such
(iii) marriage and
as circumcision for boys and clitorisdectomy
for girls, excision of teeth and body marks.
(iv) old age and death Birth and naming.
Initiation rites were important and every
When a woman conceived, and pregnancy was individual was expected to go through them or
visible, she was treated specially. be rendered an outcast. Initiation practices
were seen as tests for courage and bravery.
She wore charms to keep away evil eyes. She
ate special food and avoided sexual relations. They helped the communities when
identifying future leaders and warriors.
The family and husband did not expect her to
perform heavy task. When she was ready to Initiation was very important in communities
deliver, mid wives helped in delivery. where it was practiced. Initiation marked a
transition from childhood to adulthood. In this
After delivery, the placenta was seen as a sign transition, the initiate acquired new rights, new
of fertility hence it was buried in the fertile status in life, and privileges.
land such as a banana plantation.
For example the new initiates were allowed to
Some communities preserved placenta while marry, own property, and inherit the father’s
others threw it into a running stream. Birth property.
The arrival of a baby and its sex was
announced through ululations or shouts. In addition the initiates received specialized
education.
They were taught how to behave as adults, These have made some communities abandon
warriors, future husbands and parents. some rites e.g.

The education brought families, relatives and clitorisdectomy and

friends together.
(iv) some countries have made girl’s
This act strengthened kinship ties. circumcision illegal and an issue of human and
health rights.
It also prepared the initiates to face the
difficulties and challenges of adult life. Attitude to birth and naming

In addition, initiation helped to structure the There has been a change in attitude to birth
community. Initiation was programmed to fit and naming. This is because initiation is no
an age set; and it marked passage of specific longer a community but a family affair.
time.
In addition, pregnant women attend antenatal
Thus each initiation ceremony was held clinics.
regularly, normally between 16 – 21 years of
age. Majority of pregnant women give birth in
hospitals and health centres.
If you calculate, you can see that 16 to 21
years introduced a new age set or group of Thus a doctor and not a midwife announce the
young people. sex of the baby. In modern society, the mother
and child are no longer secluded.
The age set held power for 16 to 21 years and
handed over to the new generation. Initiation Lastly most parents prefer western names for
was therefore a mark of identity. their babies.

It gave the initiate a sense of belonging. It Marriage was a requirement for all members
bonded the initiates together with the of the community.
ancestors.
It was a source of status in the community.
Initiation rituals are not popular today as they Since a leader had to be married.
were in the past.
Young men and women married after
This is because many communities have initiation. Marriage was a happy occasion and
undergone social and cultural changes because a source of wealth.
of modern education.
The father gave young initiates some animals
As a result some families take their sons to for dowry. Fathers of girls received dowry
hospitals to be circumcised to prevent payments, as bride price was mandatory.
HIV/AIDs and to avoid infections because of
unhygienic traditional initiation practices. It was given to the parents of the girl in form
of
Other reasons are
(a) Cows
(i) urbanization and migration,
(b) Goats
(ii) individualization
(c) Camels
(iii)Christians religious values.
(d) Jewellery
(e) Poultry. Polygamy solved issues of

The young men inherited the father’s property. childlessness. Couples without children can
now adopt them from the Child Welfare
Importance of dowry. society.

Dowry unified the community. When young Divorce. This was very rare.
women were married, their parents lost their
labour. It happened only if the girl

Dowry payments compensated for this loss. (i) was not a virgin

Men paid dowry as a sign of commitment to (ii) practiced witchcraft

their wife and parents.
(iii) and did not show respect towards her
Importance of marriage husband.

Marriage was sacred. It was and ordained by Old age and death.
God. Marriage created new social relationships
and expanded web of kinships. This is the age of wisdom. Old people were
respected. Grey hair was a sign of respect and
During the marriage ceremonies the whole wisdom.
community rejoiced, and feasted together.
In all culture, the elders were the custodians of
The newly married couple learnt new the law,norms and regulations. Social and
knowledge and skills. religious specialists were seers, rainmakers,
priests, diviners, and medicine men among
The community and society respected the others
newly married couple.
Death.
Children born from this union propagated and
ensured continuity of family, and the Old age is followed by death. It was seen as a
community. transition into the spiritual life.

Modern community and marriage. Besides old age, many cultures believed that
death was due to either breaking of the
There has been a change in attitude towards traditional customs and taboos, curses, evil
marriage. spirits, witchcraft, war, diseases and
epidemics.
As a result:
Burial rites were performed in many African
marriage is no longer seen as sacred and communities. Disposing of the dead body.
divorce is common. In addition, dowry has Several methods were used to dispose the
been commercialized, as it is no longer seen as body.
important.
These were burials, leaving bodies in the
Some young men do not pay dowry. forest, and throwing body to animals or
placing the body in an abandoned house.
In fact marriage is no longer seen as a sign of
status Children were important in marriage. African communities believed that animals
carried the spirit of the dead person to the next
Barren women were frowned upon. life.
Burial rites were performed by the bereaved. 4. What has brought about these changes?
They buried the body with ones person
belongings and tools. 5. What are the major causes of death in
Kenya today?
Thus if a person was a great warrior, he was
buried with a war coat. Celebrations Lesson Four: Religious Specialists and
accompanied funeral rites. Their Relevance in Modern Society

Funeral songs (dirges) were performed. Learning outcome. After studying this
lesson,
There was drinking and eating.
1. Identify religious specialists
Importance of funeral and burial rites
2. State the role of medicine men, priests,
Burial rites created a good relationship mediums, prophets, diviners, and seers
between the dead and the living.
3. Describe roles of herbalists, elders, and
They were therefore given to appease the rainmakers
world of spirits, express unity in the society,
cleanse the remaining relatives and obey the 4. Explain the role of religious specialists in
customs of the community. your culture

Rituals that were performed depended on the Religious specialists include Medicine men /
community. healers, Herbalists, Diviners, Mediums,
Prophets / Seers, Rainmakers, Priests and
Some of the rituals for the dead included. Elders.

a) Shaving of heads. Some mourners shaved Religious specialists were given power by
their hair completely, while others shaved in a their parents who taught them religious duties.
specific pattern.
Others received divine call through dreams
b) Dancing and singing, and giving gifts to the and visions.
bereaved family
A few learnt from experts via apprenticeship.
c) Mourning
This is learning by observing and practicing
(d) Drum beating what one sees the master teacher doing.

(e) Horn blowing Roles of the medicine women/men in the

Community.
(f) Grave side fires
Medicine women/men are healers who were
Here are some questions to make you think and are respected by the community. This is
about marriages because they were and are able to:

1. In your opinion, what has brought changes 1) Treat and heal the sick
in modern marriages?
2) Solve serious and complicated chronic
2. Explain why divorce is rising in Kenya and illnesses
Africa.
3) Give medicine in form of powder, herbs,
3. What changes do we see in contemporary minerals or liquid form and observed patients
marriages?
swallowing, drinking, sniffing, and applying They were mediators between God, ancestors
on the skin. and the people. To be a diviner, one had to be
trained.
4) Offer prayers and sacrifices to God.
There was a specialized curriculum prepared
5) Give charms to protect individual persons by diviners.
from evil spirits.
Relevance of diviners in modern society.
6) Perform specialized medical roles in some
communities in spite of the fact that we have Diviners (‘witchdoctor’“mganga”)
modern hospitals, counselors and
psychologists. are not popular today and are hardly consulted.
But the unfortunate Kenyans consult them
Elders were and still are community leaders. who:

They were not religious specialists but the need a job, promotion, and children.
community gave elders duties, which made
them close to religious leaders. This consultation is secret. Mediums were
channels of communication between the living
Herbalists and their relevance. and the spirits of people’s ancestors.

Herbalists were synonymous with witch The ancestor spirits possessed mediums and
doctors. through them ancestors gave information and
messages to their relatives.
They cured people through herbs just like the
medicine women/men. Communities’ belief: Priests were religious leaders and
functionaries.
that herbalists are witchdoctors and possess
magical powers. Herbalists continue to be They were intermediaries between people,
consulted as ‘witch doctors’ or “waganga”. ancestors,spirits and God. Their work was to
make sacrifices and give offerings on behalf of
Today herbalists do religious tasks that were the people.
traditionally done by diviners.
They officiated during planting and harvesting
Diviners were able to find hidden secrets and rituals. They offered prayers and blessed the
knowledge; reveal witches and thieves. needy.

They communicated with spirits and enhanced They cared for the shrines and poured libations
the work of healers and medicine people. to the ancestors.

They worked as medicine people and were They led the community in public worship.
healers of people.
They were political heads and judges.
They used magic powers and predicted future
occurrences. Today, traditional priests are not relevant since
most Kenyans follow several religious
They used items such as pebbles, water, bones practices like Christianity, Hindus, Islam and
or gourds in divination. many others.

They also warned of future calamities. But there are however, a few traditional priests
who take care of community shrines.
Prophets / Seers predicted the future. They They are referred to as village elders and are
foretold events such as invasions, wars, recognized by the government of Kenya.
drought, and epidemics.
Lesson Five: African Moral Values
They gave advice. Introduction.

They also performed religious duties. African communities were regulated by a strict
code of laws and moral values.
They could bless and curse.
In this lesson we shall study moral values,
Religious prophets are common today but which regulated individual members of society
traditional prophets are not common. as well as the community itself.

Rainmakers were responsible for bringing or Learning outcomes.

withholding rain to a community.
After reading this lesson, you should
They interpreted weather conditions.
1. Give examples of cultural values
They performed certain rituals like asking God
for rains. 2. Define moral values

They were highly respected in the society. 3. Identify forms of misconduct

Modern science has replaced rainmakers 3. State a punishment for each misconduct
Meteorological departments have made the
rainmakers redundant. What is a cultural value?

Elders were custodians of community values These are community practices and beliefs.
and secrets. Each community has cultural values that it
accepts and upholds. These cultural values are
They acted as educators. laws, customs, and forms of behaviour,
regulations, rules, observances and taboos.
They gave punishment to offenders of social
norms/rules. They acted as counselors and The cultural values form a moral code, which
guided the youth on matters of sex and regulates the community.
marriage. They helped in maintaining roles for
important religious functions, such as rites of For example, if the culture, values private
passage. property, it will have laws that forbid theft of
property.
They were political leaders in the community.
These laws are cultural values. Cultural values
They were negotiators and solved conflicts influence the social order and peace.
since they settled family disputes especially
agreements concerning land. God gives peace and harmony. God is seen as
the giver and guardian of the law.
They were custodians of the traditional values,
customs and history of the people. Disobedience was and still is regarded as evil,
wrong and was and still is punishable by law.
Relevance.
What is a moral value?
Elders are relevant in modern society.
Moral values are standards of behaviour Children were to obey their parents; wives
towards others. They are based on what is obey their husbands; community obeys their
valued by the community. leaders, and elders.

Moral values are also positive attitudes. Each Learning to obey was a life long process. An
community decided what is important to it and obedient person was respected and rewarded.
what is desirable for its members to practice
and uphold. Misconducts. There were taboos that the
community observed. Failure to obey
The moral values that communities community laws resulted in punishments.
observed were many.
The community did not allow stealing of
They included amongst others: livestock. Domestic animals were the most
valued private property.
1. Hospitality and Love for self and others.
This is the habit of welcoming all people, Individuals owned livestock while land
treating oneself and others well. ownership was communal.

Members of the community were taught how There were many forms of punishment for
to be hospitable to visitors, strangers and how stealing livestock and committing other
to assist the needy. crimes.

2. Honesty. This is developing good habits like For example

telling the truth, Loyalty, Respect, Co –
operation with all. a. Payment of heavy fines to replace stolen
livestock
3. Obedience to parents, elders, community
leaders and elders. Cultural regulations were b. Being beaten in a sack
followed and adhered to leading.
c. Thrown down a hill
4. Caring for others. This is being responsible
to members of the community, d. Cast out of community. Thieves and
murders built their homes at the outskirts of
5. Developing social moral behaviour like the community.
Humility, Sharing, Responsibility, Chastity,
Integrity, Tolerance,Perseverance, and They were not allowed to interact anymore
Courtesy. with the members of the community.

6. Working Hard. Do chores. These were e. Being covered with dry banana leaves and
according to sex, age and socialeconomic then set on fire.
status.
Lesson Six: Continuity and Change
7. Cooperation. Members cooperated and Introduction
worked together with others. Moral values
were learnt in the process of socialization. Learning outcome. From this lesson, you
should be able to:
Leisure activities helped in acquisition of
moral values. 1. Compare traditional and modern way of life

Learning moral values was a lifelong process. 2. Trace property ownership in traditional and
The most valued behaviour was obedience. modern communities
3. Explain how money economy has affected Parents did not have land for inheritance.
the traditional way of life
As a result, people moved and bought land
4. State how communities can look after away from their ancestral birthplaces. This
orphans, widows, and old people resulted in both migrations and immigrations.

Community. Formal education introduced the 3. Property.

western way of life.
Traditionally property included land, cattle
Employment and trade forced (Livestock), women/ wives, and children.

Africans to leave their villages to look for In African traditional culture, this property
employment and markets in towns. belonged to men or the first-born son in
paternal societies.
These actions led to urbanization and
pluralism. In maternal communities, it belonged to wives
and daughters.
As a result different communities came to
towns and lived together. Today property or wealth is in different forms
such as money, buildings, vehicles, land,
1. Paid employment. shares, stock, jewels, insurance, and others.
Women, men and children own property.
Workers were paid by money. The concept of
money changed community life. Because of this, the status of a person is
measured by:
Individualism ownership of money replaced
communalism. property.

2. Land used to be communal. Dowry – Bride price / bride wealth

There was plenty of land for everyone. But In African societies, bride price was very
changes were brought by modern life. important.

For example, health improved and people It was given in various forms. For example
lived longer. cows, animals skin, and camels.

There were fewer deaths and population Today dowry is commercialized. It’s mainly in
increased. With money, there was an form of cash money.
expansion of trade.
This has made marriage costly for the poor.
Individuals started buying land with money
instead of clearing forests. Some young people are staying together
without a formal wedding in church or in the
Modern life changed the concept of land. community. Others do not want to pay dowry.
Individual started owning land.
Young couples are living together in what is
The colonial governments introduced policies called – come – we – stay arrangements.
about land ownership in different African
countries. 4. Health Medicine

In communities where education was accepted In traditional society, Illness was caused by
and money economy took over from livestock witchcraft, sorcery, bad omen, or curses.
economy, communal land disappeared.
Diviners, herbalists, and healers treated the cows, sheep and chicken. Human sacrifice has
sick people. been discarded. It is illegal, and it is murder.

Today bacterial, viruses, or environmental In the news, we have heard of cases of body
factors, cause illnesses. These are treated by parts being stolen from a dead body in
nurses, and doctors; in hospitals and health mortuary probably for religious rituals.
centres. There is however a craze for
herbalists. This is illegal and a criminal offence.

The communities are consulting herbalists and Modern offerings in most religious institutions
are taking herbal tea, and medicine consist of money.

5. Dress 7. Death

Mode of dressing varied between countries. changes immediately the status of families.
Mothers and fathers become widows and
It was dependent on the type of climate. widowers. Children become orphans. Many
African communities were clothes made from parents, wives and husbands have died
skins or hides, leaves of bananas and trees. because of HIV /AIDS, road accidents,
diseases and other modern calamities. They
Women wore beads, and necklaces for have left orphans, widows and widowers.
decoration. Modern mode of dressing is a
mixture of African, Asian and European wear. Orphans used to be looked after by
grandmothers, brothers and uncles.
There are clothes for men,women, and unisex.
African and western ornaments are worn for Today government, churches,charities, NGOs,
beauty and style. well-wishers, and guardians, the elder sibling
looks after orphans.
6. Worship.
Some orphan sisters and brothers drop out of
Worship is an important activity in African school to look after the rest. Some orphans
communities. There are different forms of have ended up in the streets because there is
worship, which are done in various places. no one to look after them Widows.
Those who were converted to Islam worship in
Mosques. Traditionally brothers inherited widows.
However, widow inheritance is being
Those converted to Hinduism worship in discouraged to prevent HIV / AIDS.
temples. Christians worship in churches.
But on the other hand, widows are encouraged
The few traditional African communities to remarry as society has become
continue to worship their ancestors in shrines. individualistic and no longer assists
community Widowers are not inherited and
These are very few. But a few groups are many of them remarry soon after the death of
turning back to traditional worship and their wives.
reviving worship of ancestors and spirits, and
their traditional God. For example “Mungiki” 8. Old age.
a cult in Kenya, made up of young people,
worship the traditional Ngai and practice In traditional African communities, old people
traditional culture. were respected.

Traditional religions have many offerings such But now old age is not respected.
as foodstuffs and sacrifices such as goats,
The aged are seen as a burden to their children.
This is because the need medical care, food,  Strengthens people’s faith.
and other forms of care to meet their needs.  Helps in spreading the gospel.
 Helps in composition of songs and hymns.
Most of them are neglected and mistreated.  Acts as a reference when we write its
translations and other books.
In traditional communities, children took care  Promotes good relationship between God
of their aged parents. Today some children and man.
care for their parents.
2. In society, people in schools, crusades,
Fortunately, churches have set up homes for churches, lodgings, homes, and hospitals read
the aged. the Bible.

An example is “Nyumba za wazee”. 3.In the government, the Bible is used for
swearing in the Courts, Parliament and
A few old people can look after themselves Cabinet when members of parliament are
since they have pension schemes, life nominated to become ministers of the
insurance policies, income generating projects, government.
investments and bank deposits. They can care
for themselves. 4.The major divisions of the Bible are the old
and the new testaments. Read 1.3.4. Above for
Revision questions more information.

a) What is the significance of the kingship 2. What are the effects of Bible translation
system on African languages? The Effects of Bible
translation into African languages
b) Outline and explain factors contributing to
harmony and mutual responsibility in the The translations increased and deepened
traditional African society people’s faith in God.

c) What was the purpose of the bride wealth in They also led to the establishment of schools.
the traditional African society?
The Gospel spread to local communities and
d) Explain the role of medicine men in the many of them became Christians.
African communities and their relevance
today. The missionaries and colonialists learnt
African Languages. This led to the promotion
Study Activities of African languages.

Read the Bible quotations given This helped the African converts to judge
when the missionaries were unfair or when
Carry out role-plays e.g. the sacrifice of Isaac they practiced inequality of races.
by Abraham
8. Why is the Bible referred to as (a) a
Consult the aged to assist in the understanding Library and
of African traditional practices
(b) the Word of God
Questions and answers
(a) The Bible is referred to as a Library
Topic: one because its:

1.What is the importance of reading the 1. Books are arranged in a series and in order.
Bible?
2. A reference book
3. Is a book of literary works 7. God’s plan of salvation is lesson seven.

4. Books were written under different The lesson tells us that GOD saved human
situations and circumstances kind by providing:

5. Books are many  Clothing for Adam and Eve

 Means to find food
1. Inspiration is a process through which God  A decree to defeat serpent through the seed
took the initiative to prompt and enlighten the of the woman
writers of the Bible its Godly influence.  A solution in which he choose Abraham
and separated him from others
Topic Two: Creation and the Fall of Man  A delivery of Israelites from Egypt
 Prophets with messages for Israelites
1. Find answers on the differences between the  The Messiah to die on the Cross to save
two creation stories in lesson four humankind

2. Traditional African view of creation is in 8. Compare the biblical concept of sin and
lesson four. Africans’ view was that: the African concept of evil. Similarities:

 God is the architect of the world  Both agree that God is good and did not
 God existed from the very beginning of create evil.
time  In both, sin is a result of disobedience,
 God created everything from nothing greed and selfishness of humankind.
 God provides for the needs of human  In both cases, sin leads to human suffering.
beings, animals, and all creation  Both hold the view that sin/evil befalls
 God continues to create through human humankind in the form of a curse.
beings  Sin brings separation between God and
man.
3. Human beings continue with the work of  In both, there is reconciliation and
creation in lesson four forgiveness between God and man.

4. The origin of sin and evil read again lesson Thus sin does not end a relationship.
five
Differences
5. Consequences of sin in lesson five
 In the bible, the serpent is seen as the cause
When Adam and Eve sinned of sin whereas in many Traditional African
communities, the spirits of the dead causes
evil.
 Man’s friendship with God changed to fear
 In the bible, there is external punishment
of GOD
(hell) for sinners while the African
 What had been innocent and good became
communities believe that punishment is here
shameful
on earth.
 Relationship between GOD and man was
 Biblically, human beings are born sinners
damaged and became spoilt
because they are descendants of Adam (1st
 Man began to toil for food, safety and
parents’ sin).
other basic needs
 Pain became part of human experience
 Death sentence was passed 6. In Traditional African Community, a child is
Consequences of evil are in lesson six born free of evil.
Africans understand evil as barrenness, war,
drought, epidemics, madness, sickness, death,  Biblically had taken the initiative to end
burning in a house and others. sin but in Traditional African Community,
man does through sacrifice to the ancestral
spirits.
9. Subdue the earth in genesis 1 verse 28  God assured Abraham of a personal
protection.
Topic Three: Faith and God’s Promises to  Many descendants – like stars on the sky.
Abraham.  The descendants would be slaves in a
foreign land but God would deliver them.
Qn 1. Explain why Abraham is referred to  He would live to a ripe old age and die in
as the Father of Faith peace.
 God would establish an everlasting
Faith is complete trust in somebody or covenant with him and his descendants.
something.  Some of his descendants would be kings.
 God would give him and his descendants
This is because he demonstrated faith in his land.
life’s actions.
Qn 4. Compare and contrast Jewish and
 Accepting to move from his homeland to Traditional African practice of circumcision
an unknown land.
 By accepting circumcision at an old age A. Similarities
and change of name.
 Being ready to sacrifice his only son –  In both communities, circumcision is taken
Isaac. as a physical sign of membership to the
 He made altars for the worship of God at community.
Bethel etc.  It involves the cutting of the foreskin.
 He believed in a God he did not know/see.  Members who refuse to be circumcised are
 By accepting to enter into a covenant treated as outcasts in the community.
relationship with God where he gave his best  The shedding of blood is symbolic as it
animals as a sacrifice. binds the people with God and ancestors.
 It has a religious significance.
Qn 2. Give five (5) actions from the life of  Special people in both do circumcision.
Abraham that shows his faith in God  The occasions are accompanied by a
ceremony which being kinsmen together.
 Abraham obeyed God’s call and left his  The rite is compulsory for males.
homeland Haran to go to an unknown land.  The practice is handed down from one
 He believed in the promises God gave him. generation to the next.
 Build altars for the worship of God, one at  Names are given during the occasion.
Schecher and the other at Bethel.  In both cases, it is done in special or
 Covenant – accepted to make a covenant religious places e.g. temple/under mugumo
with God where he sacrificed the best of his tree/ shrine etc.
animals.  It is a command from God/ancestors.
 Circumcision – accepting the command to
circumcise himself and all male children in his Differences
household.
 Sacrifice of son – willing to offer his only  For African, initiation leads to adult
son Isaac as a burnt offering to God. responsibilities such as marriage, becoming a
warrior, decisionmaking and property
Qn 3. List some of the promises God gave to ownership. In Jewish community, the boys are
Abraham. too young to take up responsibility.
 In the Jewish community, only males are
 Abraham and his wife Sarah would have a circumcised while in the Traditional African
son. Community, both boys and girls are.
 Abraham would be famous.  For Jews, one remains a child while in the
 He would become the father of a great Traditional African Community, they move
nation. from childhood to adulthood.
 God would curse those who cursed him
and bless those who blessed him.
 Jewish community circumcise at the age of  It gives them perseverance in prayer as
eight days while in the Traditional African they wait for God’s answer.
Community, it is at puberty.  It gives them the courage to commit their
 Among the Jews, it is a sign that they have lives to God totally.
become God’s people, but in Traditional  It is through faith that Christians obey
African Community, one is bound to the God.
ancestors.  They are able to achieve impossible things
 The Jewish circumcision is a command through faith.
from God as a sign of their covenant with him  They are able to believe what they have
while Traditional. not seen through faith.
 They are able to serve the world, help the
African Communities do it in obedience to the needy because of their faith in Christ.
customs and traditions of their duty.
Qn 6. State the elements of a covenant
 The rite, taken place on the 8th day of both
in Jewish community while in the Traditional  Partners two or more partners are involved.
African Communities, it occurs after every  A physical reminder – a certificate/sign.
four – six years.  Promises: – given by both partners.
 Done to individuals in Jewish community  Ceremony – whose blood seals it or an
while it is done to a group of age mates in the oath taken.
Traditional African Communities.  Witnesses – must be present.
 No seclusion period among Jews as is the  It requires faithfulness, obedience and
case in most African communities. loyalty to the regulations.
 In African communities, the ceremony  It spells out serious consequences for those
enables them to choose future leaders, which is who break it.
not the case with the Jews.
 Helps one endure suffering (pain) in future Qn 7. Give examples of covenant in the
in the African communities unlike in the bible and the modern society The Bible
Jewish communities.
 Only one form of initiation (cutting of  God’s covenant with Noah: where he
foreskin) is done. Various forms are practiced promised never to destroy the earth with flood
in the Traditional African communities. – rainbow is the sign of the covenant (Gen 9).
 God’s covenant with Abraham: God
These include: promised to fulfil the promises he made to
Abraham. The sign was circumcision (Gen 15
 Cutting of foreskin & 17).
 Lib/ear piercing  The covenant between God and the
 Removal of lower teeth Israelites on Mt Sinai – sign was the Law – 10
 Scarification (putting marks on face/body) commandments (Exd 24).
 The covenant between God and King
Qn 5. What is the importance of faith to David – promise to David’s kingdom would
Christians? last forever (2 Sam:7).
 Jeremiah’s covenant: The new covenant
 Faith is the foundation of Christian life with God’s people (Jr 31: 31 – 34).
today. It makes Christians part of the great
nation of God. Modern Society
 Through faith in Jesus, Christians became
the chosen people of God. • Baptism
 Faith enables Christians make correct
choices in life e.g. When choosing a career, • Marriage
marriage partners etc.
 Faiths help them to face temptations and • Oath of allegiance/loyalty
challenges in their lives and are able to
overcome them. • Ordination
• The National Anthem binds all Qn b (i) Describe the call of Moses: Exodus
3: 1 – 22
• The loyalty pledge
 God called Moses as he herded his father-
• Employment contract in-law’s flock at Mt Sinai.
 Moses saw a burning bush, which was not
Qn 9. Discuss the circumstances that led consumed. He drew nearer to get a better look.
God to enter into a covenant relationship  God called Moses by name from the
with Abraham middle of the burning bush and told him to
remove his shoes.
 To seal the promises given unto Abraham
e.g. a great nation, son, many descendants. because he was standing on holy ground.
 It was an assurance of the fulfillment of
God’s promises to Abraham.  God told Moses that he had seen the
 It was to unite God and the Israelites. suffering of his people in Egypt and heard
 It was to be a source of blessings to all. their cry.
 A starting point for the salvation of  He told Moses that he had chosen him to
mankind, whereby he would renew the go to Pharaoh and release them from bondage.
relationship between himself and man after the  Moses objected to the task because he felt
separation by the 1st parents. inadequate.
 God promised to be with Moses and to
Topic Four: Sinai Covenant. protect him.
 Moses asked for the name of God so that
Qn a. What are the qualities of Moses as a he would have a point of reference when asked
leader? who sent him.
 God revealed himself to Moses saying,
 Education: he received education while in “IAM WHO I AM”
the pharaoh’s palace where he grew up.  God gave Moses power to perform
 Jewish religion knowledge: his own miracles that he would use as proof of his
mother who was his maid taught him the work.
history of Israel.  Moses protested further saying he was a
 He learned leadership skills from the King stammerer.
as he grew up.  God commissioned Aaron, Moses’ brother
 Shepherd: herding the father-in-law’s as his spokesman.
herds made him gain experience of  Moses then told God he was afraid to go to
shepherding people. Egypt.
 Life in the wilderness where he lived after  God assured him that the man he was
killing an Egyptian gave him experience in afraid of was already dead.
desert life through where he would lead the
Israelites. Qn b (ii) Why was Moses hesitant to God’s
 Father/parent: his marriage to Zipporah call?
helped him learn family leadership. Later he
applied this to his work.  It is because he was already a criminal and
 Prophet: Enabled him to foresee the future wanted in Egypt after having killed and
and inform the community. Egyptian and ran away.
 Miracle-maker: helped him solve problem  He was not a good speaker (stammerer).
facing his people in the wilderness e.g. lack of  He did not know the name of God who
food, water. was sending him.
 Lawgiver: gave laws that were used to
govern the community of Israel i.e. the Ten Qn c (i) what is the significance of the items
Commandments. used for the Passover feast (similar to what
 Hard work: worked for his father-in-law is the meaning of the Passover meal)?
serving the family e.g. fetching water. Later he
was able to serve the Jews.
 The Lamb: reminded the Israelite of the  The blood shed in the Jewish Passover is
sacrificial lamb whose blood saved their 1st for the salvation of the Jews only while the
born from the angel of death. blood of Jesus shed on the cross is for the
 The unleavened bread signified purity. salvation of the whole human race.
 It too signified the hurry they had to leave  Passover lamb offered in Hebrew while
Egypt, as unleavened bread is easy to bake. Jesus was the lamb offered in the Lord’s
 Roasting the meat was the easiest method Supper.
of cooking.
 Not breaking bones and spilt blood Qn d. Describe how the Sinai covenant was
signified forgiveness. made
 Bitter herbs symbolized the bitterness of
slavery in Egypt.  The Israelites arrived at Mt Sinai through
God’s saving power.
Other Meanings:  Moses was instructed by God to tell the
elders to do the following in preparation for
 Eating while standing symbolized the haste the making of the covenant.
with which the Israelites were to leave Egypt.  All Israelites were to cleanse themselves
 They were not to leave any meal to avoid and wash their garments.
profanation in the form of flies. Burning was  Mark the boundaries of the mountain and
the simplest way of disposal & sacred. avoid going near or crossing the border.
 Avoid sexual relations between married
Qn c (ii) Compare the Lord’s Supper to the couple.
Passover feast
Note: All these happened after Moses had
Similarities: gone up the mountain and God had promised
to make the Israelites the following if they
 Both are acts of salvation from suffering. obeyed him.
Passover saved Israelites from slavery while
the Lord’s Supper saved people from bondage i. His people
of sin.
 Both are celebrated in memory of a past ii. A kingdom of priests
event – suffering.
 Lambs offered in both Hebrews – the iii. A holy nation
Passover lamb in the Lord’s Supper Jesus is
the paschal lamb.  On the third day after cleansing, Moses
 In both a symbolic meal was taken. took the Israelites to meet their God.
 In both cases each group is saved through a
mediator – Moses and Jesus respectfully. God manifested himself in the following
 God’s covenant is remembered in both forms: thunder, lightening, earthquake and a
cases i.e. Old testament and new covenant thick cloud that filled the mountain and a loud
respectfully. trumpet blast.
 In both the religious significance of the
feasts is taught and emphasized.  Moses came down and told people about
the laws which was to guide them as a
Differences: covenant people.
 The people agreed to obey all the words
 In the Passover feast, animal sacrifice is the Lord had spoken (Ex 24: 3 – 4)
offered while in the Lord’s Supper, Jesus was  Thus the covenant was made.
the last sacrifice and instead bread and wine
are offered to represent his blood and body. Qn e. Describe the circumstances that led to
 Whereas the Jewish Passover was the breaking of the Sinai covenant
compulsory for every few, the Lord’s Supper
is not compulsory in all Christian churches.
 Moses went up the mountain to receive the h) To keep the Sabbath day holy.
stone tablets on which the Ten
Commandments where written. He delayed i) Dedicate to God 1st born male children and
(40 days) thus forgetting God. animals.
 The Israelites became impatient.
 God promised that if they obeyed Him, He
They forgot the saving power of God that had would:
delivered them from Egypt.
a) Protect and preserve them
 Aaron was a weak leader who failed to
lead the people to uphold the covenant. b) Bless them

He yielded to their demands to make and c) Make them prosper

worship idols.
 After this Moses was ordered by God to
 Availability of gold jewellery: used to write a new set of Laws on the stone tablets.
make the calf image.  Thus the covenant was renewed.
 Idolatry was a practice done while in
Egypt so they copied/continued with it. Qn g. Describe how the Israelites
 They were used to God’s (idols). They worshipped God in the wilderness
could see while in Egypt unlike the Yahweh
who was invisible.  Worship is the practice of showing respect
and love for God.
Qn f. How was the broken covenant
renewed? The Israelites showed their respect and love
for God in the wilderness in the following
 Moses pleaded to God not to destroy the ways: -
Israelites.
 God spared them. 1) The Ark and the Tabernacle: The Ark was a
 God commanded the Israelites to cut two wooden box where the Ten Commandments
stone tablets where he would rewrite the were kept.
commandments.
 God gave conditions to be fulfilled by the
They signified the presence of God. The
Israelites in the renewal of the covenant.
tabernacle was a portable tent for meeting
between God and the Israelites.
These were:
2) The Sabbath: They observed the Sabbath as
a) To obey God’s command. a sacred day for resting and worshipping God.
b) Not to make treaties with other nations. 3) Festivals: Celebrated many festivals as one
way of worshipping God. E.g. Passover.
c) To tear down the altars of the gods of other
nations and temples. 4) Altars – built them when there was need to
worship God – meeting place between God
d) Not to worship idols. and the people and sacrifice to God.

e) Not to make images to represent God. 5) Observance of the Ten Commandments.

These guided them on how to live with God
f) Not to marry foreign wives. and man.

g) To keep and celebrate the three festivals 6) Religious leaders: God chose priest from
namely, Passover, feast of weeks and the feast the tribe of Levi to organize worship.
of in gathering.
Qn h. What is the relevance of the Ten  He would also grab their land and give it to
Commandments to Christian today? his loyal servants.
 He would overtax them in order to
 Christians learn that God is a jealous God. maintain his administration.
They avoid holding other things in their lives  It would be seen as a rejection of Yahweh
strong in the place of God. as their King.
 Christians learn that God is unique and  Israel would be like other nations who did
cannot be represented by visible man-made not know Yahweh.
objects or described in human terms.  Yahweh would reject them when they
 They are reminded to observe the Sabbath cried to him.
by worshipping God.
 They strive to have a good relationship Qn b. Explain the importance of David as
with God. King of Israel
 They are taught to respect other people and
their property.  David was important because he was
 They learn that long life is a result of chosen by God and publicly anointed by elders
honoring and respecting their parents. in a religion ceremony. He too became
 They strive to live upright and moral lives. ancestor of many communities.
 They learn that lust for money and other  David was a great musician and wrote
property is sinful. many songs for promising God.
 He killed Goliath the philistine soldier.
Qn i. What did the Israelites learn about  He conquered the enemies of Israel such as
God in the wilderness? Amalekites, Ammonites etc.
 He expanded Israel through his military
 They learned that God is faithful. He keeps conquests and marked the boundaries of the
promises. nation.
 A provider – provided manna, water etc.  He captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites
 God is the controller of natural forces e.g. and made it a capital city.
Red sea, a pillar of cloud & fire, earthquakes  He too made it a religious centre by
etc. placing the Ark of the Covenant there, which
 A jealous God – no worship of other gods. had been housed – Abidjab’s.
 Just – forgave those who broke the  He had good diplomatic relationship with
covenant and punished those who refused to other nations.
repent.  He encouraged trade with other nations
 Merciful and compassionate. Give them a thus making Israel prosperous.
2nd chance after breaking the covenant.  He was a shrewd administrator who chose
 A God of victory – helped them defeat wise elders to advise him.
Amalekites.  He was filled with the Holy Spirit.
 He established the largest and most
God valued a personal relationship – enduring dynasty that lasted 400 years.
commandments given.  He composed the books of Psalms used to
praise God.
Topic Five: Leadership in Israel  Whenever he wronged God, he genuinely
repented and humbled himself before God.
Qn a. Explain the reasons against Kingship  He was a just ruler.
in Israel (1 Sam 8:10 – 20)  He respected the prophets of God and
consulted them before making decisions.
 He was prayerful and consulted God in his
 The King would force the sons of the
undertakings.
Israelites to serve him as soldiers in the army.
 He united the twelve (12) tribes of Israel.
 The King would create forced labour and
 He set a good example of faithfulness to
enslavement by making the young men work
Yahweh that he wanted all the Israelites to
in his farms and in making weapons.
emulate.
Daughters would work in his house.
Qn c. How did Jesus fulfil the prophecies of ii. He used foreign designs and materials in the
prophet Nathan as a descendant of David? construction of the temple, ignoring God’s
(i.e. Areas where Jesus is mentioned as specifications on how to build it.
coming from David)
iii. He liaised pagan craftsmen from Tyre to
 Angel Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus design, decorate and furnish the temple.
to Mary who was engaged to Joseph, a
descendant of David.  He broke the sixth commandment by
killing his half brother, Adonijah. He
The Angel referred to Jesus as the King whose suspected that Adonijah would become his
wisdom would last forever (Lk 1:26-33). rival to the throne.
 He spent a lot of Israel’s money on his
 Jesus was born in Bethlehem – the birth lavish lifestyle. He had a large army and
place of David (Lk 2: 4 – 5) servants.
 Abraham and David are mentioned as the  He overtaxed the people to meet the
ancestors of Jesus. amount.
 During the triumphant entry into  He used forced labour in his development
Jerusalem, the crowds who met him sang with projects.
joy and shouted ‘Hosanna to the son of  He enslaved young men and women who
David.’ went to work in the palace as servants for the
 On the days of Pentecost when Peter wives.
addressed the crowd, he referred to Jesus as a  He practiced nepotism. He exempted them
descendant of David (Acts:2 29-35). from forced labour.
 Zechariah in his Benedictus, says that God  He sold part of Israel – sold 20 towns of
has promised a savior descended from the Galilee to King of Tyre as payment of a debt
house of David (Lk 1:69) he could not pay contrary to God’s command.
 The blind man at Jericho referred to Jesus  He made treaties with other nations that
as the son of David (Lk 18:38). were against the condition set during the
renewal of the Sinai covenant.
Qn d. What was the failure of King Solomon?  In the above ways, he oppressed the people
of God. Qn e. Which leadership qualities
 Solomon was the 2nd King of Israel, can modern leaders learn from David?
succeeding his father King David.  Justice: A good leader is one who does not
favour some people like David (I Sam 24: 1 –
He failed to live according to the covenant 12).
way of life in the following ways.  Courage: David showed this while fighting
Goliath. Leaders need to be brave and
courageous in their work (I Sam 17:41 – 54).
 He married foreign wives thus breaking the
 Fear of God and Faith: David consulted
Toral that clearly stated that the Israelites
God before any undertaking. Leaders should
should not marry foreigners because they can
do the same.
come with their gods – idols.
 Gratitude: David was thankful to blessings
 He allowed the wives to worship their gods
he received. Leaders should be happy and
(idols) thus leading to spread of idolatry in
grateful to God.
Israel.
 Loyalty: Modern leaders should remain
 He not only worshipped the gods of his
loyal to their office. David was loyal to God
wives but also built temple for their worship.
and his people (2 Sam 2:7)
 He, by worshipping the gods became a bad
 Kindness: Good leaders should show
example to Israel, as King. They copied him.
mercy to their people like David did e.g. he
 Although he built God’s temple, he erred
forgave Saul twice (2 Sam 19: 9 – 39).
in many ways:
 Humility: Leaders should not hesitate to
ask for forgiveness from God and people.
i. He built his palace for 13 years but took only David was humble and asked for forgiveness
7 years to build God’s temple. Shows he loved any time he went wrong.
himself more the God.
 Willingness to delegate: 5) Provision of social justice

Learn to delegate future as David did (2 Sam 6) Patience

20: 23 – 26)
Qn d. What were the effects of idolatry in
 Wisdom: Be wise in choosing legal Israel?
advisers as David did.
 Respect: Leaders should show respect to  Syncretism developed where the Israelites
God and preaches those they serve as David worshipped Yahweh alongside the gods of
did to the prophets and his people. Canaan.
 The Israelites started calling Yahweh by
Topic Six: Loyalty to God- Elijah. the names used for Canaanites gods e.g. El.
 The Israelites started naming their children
Qn a. Qualities of Elijah that led to his after Canaanite gods like Baal.
achievements  They changed their religion calendar and
celebration to correspond with their Canaanite
• Elijah was fearless and courageous. celebrations and feasts.
 They converted the high places used for
His courage helped him to face king Ahab and worshipping Baal to Yahweh’s shrines without
queen Jezebel and condemn them for their removing the graven images of idols.
wickedness such as corruption and idolatry.  The unity that existed between the two
tribes of Israel was destroyed. They no longer
• He was faithful to God. Yahweh guided him treated one another as brothers.
in his dealings with Baal prophets and king  The Kings of Israel behaved like the
Ahab. Canaanites leaders by oppressing the weak and
grabbing other people’s property.
 The people neglected Yahweh’s holy
• He lived a simple life. For example, he wore
places.
simple clothing made of carmel’s skin.
 God’s prophets were mistreated,
persecuted and even killed.
• He stood for the covenant at a time when the  God withdrew his blessings from the
religion of Yahweh was in danger. Israelites because they angered Him by
worshipping other gods.
• He had the power of God in him and was  They broke God’s commandments, which
able to control rain. forbade worship of other god a part from
Yahweh.
• He confirmed that Yahweh had authority  The Israelites practiced temple prostitution
over land and over the people. and other Canaanites rituals and sacrifices.

b) Schism is sharp religious, social, political Qn e. Describe Elijah’s fight against false
differences within a group or organization religion in Israel
Syncretism is the process of mixing religious
beliefs and practices.  Elijah rose to challenge false religion at a
time when Baalism had become the official
c) Some characteristics of Elijah that a religion.
modern Christian should strive to emulate.  He prophesied a three and a half years
drought because the people had turned away
1) Courage from Yahweh.
 After the drought God appeared to Elijah
2) Faithfulness and told him to go to King Ahab and tell him
that the drought was as a result of idolatry in
3) Zealousness for God Israel.
 Elijah requested the King to order all the
4) Concern for the needy / poor people to meet at Mt Carmel to hold a contest.
 Elijah asked the King to invite the 400 The land belonged to God.
prophets of Asherah and Baal’s 450, saw that
they could prove who the true God is.  Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, soon learned,
 Elijah would sacrifice a bull and the false Naboth’s refusal and she arranged Naboth’s
prophets would too sacrifice their own to call murder through false accusations.
on their Gods to send fire.  After Naboth was killed, Ahab possessed
the vineyard.
The one who could send is the true God.  God commanded Elijah to go and declare
His judgement on Ahab for committing such
 The prophets of Baal were the 1st to pray an evil act in Israel.
to their god but he never sent fire.
 The prophets cut themselves with knives to Elijah declared the following judgement on
please their god but he never sent it. Ahab:
 Elijah then prepared the altar with 12
pillars representing the 12 tribes of Israel. i. Dogs would lick Ahab’s blood at the same
 He dug a trench around the altar, placed place where they had licked Naboth’s.
wood and put the cut bull on top of the wood.
 He ordered for water to be poured around ii. Ahab’s dynasty would fall kike those of the
the trenches until it flooded. Kings before him who had disobeyed God.
 Then in the evening Elijah prayed and
called upon the God of Abraham, Isaac and iii. All family members of Ahab would face
Jacob to send fire. violent deaths.
 Fire came and consumed the whole
sacrifice, including the water in the trenches.  On hearing this, Ahab humbled himself
 As a result, the Israelites bowed down and before God and repented. God postponed
declared that Yahweh was the true God. Ahab’s punishment to the days of his son.
 Then Elijah ordered the killing of all the
prophets of Baal and the prophetesses of
Qn g. What can Christian learn from the
Asherah.
teachings of Elijah?
 Elijah went to the top of the Mt Carmel
and prayed for rain. Yahweh sent His servant
to watch for the sign of rain from the sea.  From the Mt Carmel incident, they learn
 The servant looked towards the sea seven that Yahweh controls the forces of nature –
times after, which he saw a small cloud can bring rain or stop it.
forming.  Yahweh is the only true and living God –
 Then heavy rain fell, signaling end of Mt Carmel.
drought.  Yahweh is forgiving – pardoned those who
repented on Mt Carmel.
 Yahweh is a jealous God. He will not share
Qn f. Describe Elijah’s fight against
honor with any God – killed the 450 prophets
corruption – 1 Kings 21
worshipping Baal.
 A prosecutor – protected Elijah.
 Corruption: Can be defined as dishonesty  A provider – provided Elijah with food.
or misuse of power for personal gain.  Yahweh answers prayers. He is faithful.
 In a corrupt society, the rich and powerful  They also learn that church leaders should
people tend to take advantage of the condemn evil like Elijah did in the case of
weak/poor by exploiting them and denying Ahab and Naboth.
them their rights.  Christians should work to protect the poor
 King Ahab of Israel desired a fruitful from exploitation.
vineyard owned by a man named Naboth.  They should be prayerful so that God can
 King Ahab approached Naboth to sell him help them overcome difficulties like Elijah.
the vineyard or exchange with another one.  They should strive to lead lives free from
 Naboth declined the offer because in corruption.
Israel, selling ancestral land was against the  They should remain faithful even if it
covenant law. means costing their lives to Naboth.
 Leaders should realize authority comes This is why large mountains, thick forest,
from God and are accountable to Him. unique rock formation were used as shrines.
 They should avoid idolatry, which Elijah
condemned.  African viewed God to be mysterious.
 Perform tasks given by God however had
they may be as Elijah did – facing Ahab, Qb. Describe the African understanding of
killing the 450 false prophets etc. the Hierarchy of Beings
 Finally, they should invite sinners to repeat
and bring them back to God. Hierarchy of Beings

Topic Seven: Selected Aspects of African Divinities

Religious Heritage
 Ancestors
Question a: Explain African beliefs about  Human Beings
God (or qualities)  Animals and Plants
 Non-living Things
 African beliefs about their God are found  God as the creator occupies the highest
in their proverbs, myths, songs, prayers, rank in the hierarchy of being – creator.
narratives and religious ceremonies.  The Divinities: Came next and control
 God was believed to be a supreme being natural forces in the universe, created by God.
who was beyond human understanding.  The Common Spirits: Comprise spirits of
 The African communities believed that people who died long time ago.
God was all-powerful – omnipotent.  Ancestors: (living dead): Spirits of those
 They believed that God’s power is who died recently and are still remembered by
expressed in natural occurrences such as the living.
thunder, earthquake floods and volcanic  Human Beings: Consist of the living and
eruptions. the unborn.
 God is believed to be all-knowing  Animals and Plants: Come next – for
omniscient. man’s use as food and sacrifice to God.
 He is limitless and knows hears and sees  Last (7th) are Non-living things: Such as
everything. mountains, rocks, rivers, caves, dwelling
 He is also omnipresent – meaning he is places of God and Spirits.
everywhere at all times.
 Transcendent – beyond human Qc. Describe the Role of the ancestors to the
understanding. living

Because of the transcendent nature, Africans  The ancestors acted as intermediaries

found it impossible to represent him using between God and human beings.
physical representations.  They communicated the problems and
wishes of human beings to God.
They viewed him as being far yet too near  God and the spirits used the ancestors to
them. express their wishes concerning human beings.
 The ancestors welcomed those who died to
 He was seen as the provider and sustainer the spirit world.
of creation.  They helped to preserve the culture and
 They believed that God is everlasting. He standards of a community.
has no beginning or end.  The ancestors blessed the living and
 God is merciful. corrected them through punishment.
 They believed he is incorruptible.
 African communities associated God with Qd. What was the responsibility of the
justice. living towards God?
 Physical features were often seen as a
representation of awesome power of God.
 To show gratitude to God and give thanks  By maintaining their graves.
to him as an acknowledgement that He is the
giver of life. Giving them proper burial ceremonies.
 To honor, worship and adore God by
praying to Him for their needs. Topic Eight: African Moral and Cultural
 To pray to Him during or before a war, Values.
before planting, etc.
 To obey and trust Him. Qa. What is the significance of the kinship
 To take care of God’s creation. system?
 To teach children about God.
 Appease him through sacrifice.  Kinship means being related either by
blood or marriages.
Qe. Describe the Traditional African ways
of worshipping God The kinship system was important in the
traditional African society because of the
 Sacrifice: They were used to ask God’s following factors.
favour, thanksgiving, to avert evil and ask for
forgiveness,before planting and after harvest,  The kinship system regulated people’s
epidemics, birth, naming, invitation,weddings, behavior towards each other. This promoted
funerals etc for different reasons. peaceful and harmonious relationships.
 Offerings: Foodstuffs e.g. grain, honey,  It promoted co-operation among
beer, milk was offered in recognition of God community members especially in times of
as owner of property and provider. difficulty.
 Prayers and invocations: Commonest act  It helped to ensure that the disadvantaged
of worship. A continuation activity done members of the community were taken care of.
anytime as the need arises.  The living dead and the ancestors were
 Song and dance: People were involved part of the African kinship system.
both physically and spiritually. This brought
the city together.
This showed concern or the families or
 Blessings and Salutations: Expressed in
relatives they left behind.
greetings and farewells e.g. “Go with God”,
God be with you”.
 The kinship system led to the preservation
of cultural identity.
Qf. What were the African ways of
 It provided a peaceful way of settling
venerating and communicating with the
disputes with the elders acting as arbitrators.
spirits and ancestors?
 It ensured fairness and transparency in
sharing out inheritance.
 Venerating means showing respect to  The kinship system united the members of
somebody a family and clan by giving them a sense of
 Spirits and ancestors were venerated belonging.
because they were believed to be senior to  It helped people to establish new
human beings and closer to God. relationship, especially through marriage.
 Sacrifices were offered to them as the  Kinship ties regulated marital customs
ways of venerating them. rules and regulations. People who were related
 Pouring libation was done. in any way could not be allowed to marry.
 The living invited them during ceremonies
such as birth, invitation, marriage and burial.
Qb. Outline and explain factors contributing to
 They consulted diviners, mediums and
harmony and mutual responsibility in the
medicine men to keep in contact.
Traditional African Society.
 The living named after them – thus they
became immortal and members in the physical
world again.  Good morals: Every member of the
 Their names were mentioned during community was expected to do the right thing
prayer. according to the norms of the community.
 Participation in communal activities:  They identified appropriate treatment and
Means of the community were expected to prevention measures for the illness.
participate in communal activities e.g.  They averted the effects of a curse.
wrestling, dances and communal work.  They offered sacrifices and prayers to God
 Sharing: People shared ideas and even and the ancestors.
property, which created harmony among the  They prepared charms for protection
people. against witchcraft and evil spirits.
 Division of labour: Tasks were distributed  They gave medicine to increase fertility in
according to one’s age; gender to avoid both people and animals.
conflicts in roles.  They acted as counselors, guiding people
 Rules: In Traditional African on all issues of life.
Communities, elders, men youth, and women
had their respective roles to play that enhanced 2) Relevance of Modern Society
harmony in the community.
 Virtues: Virtues like generosity, obedience,  Modern medicine has not fully displaced
kindness and honesty were encouraged since herbalists.
they contributed towards harmonious living.  Medical doctors and scientific researchers
 Religious beliefs and practices: A common today work side by side with traditional
belief in God, the spirits and ancestors created healers since herbs.
a sense of togetherness.
are used to make modern medicine.
Qc. What was the purpose of bride wealth
in the Traditional African Society?  Some people still believe that there are
some illnesses that cannot be treated in
 It was a way of thanking the bride’s family hospitals hence; they turn to herbalists.
for taking good care of her.  Some people also believe that medicine
 It was a form of compensation to the people who practice magic have the power to
bride’s parents because the woman would now change their fate.
belong to another family.
 It was a sign of contract that the man
would marry the girl and they would live
together until death.
 It represented evidence of the groom’s
ability to take care of a wife and a family.
 It was a sign of generosity on the side of
the man.
 It initiated a long-lasting friendship
between the families of the groom and the
bride.
 It cemented a marriage.
 It was a symbol of the marriage covenant
between the bride and the groom.
 Bride wealth served as an outward seal of
the marriage contract.

Qd. Explain the role of medicine-men in the

African Communities and their relevant
today

1) Medicine men

 They are also referred to as healers,

herbalists or traditional doctors.
 They identified illness and their causes.