CRE Form One Work 2022

SECTION ONE

INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIAN
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

1
 CRE Form One Work 2022

CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIAN
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (CRE)
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
By the end of this topic, the learner should be able to:-
a. Define Christian religious education
b. Explain the importance of learning Christian Religious Education
c. Explain the Bible as the word of God, its major divisions and its human authors
d. Outline and appreciate the translation of the Bible from the original languages (Hebrew,
Greek) to local language
e. Discuss the effects of the translation of the Bible into African languages
f. Respect the Bible as the word of God and apply the acquired insights in their daily life.

1. (a) WHAT IS CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

CRE is one of the academic subjects in the school curriculum in Kenya
It is the subject that brings us a vivid awareness of God and how He reveals Himself to us
through our personal experience, the creation, the scriptures, Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit. It
helps learners to develop as a morally upright person.

(c) REASONS FOR STUDYING CRE

The following are some of the reasons for studying CRE
i. To get a better understanding of God
We get a better understanding of God through the way He reveals Himself to us in our daily
experiences. We also come to know God more through the teachings recorded in both the Old
and New Testaments ii. To enable us to think critically and make appropriate social,
moral and spiritual decisions
As students, we face a lot of dilemmas on moral questions involving matters such as
attraction to opposite sex, temptation to steal etc. CRE gives us the basis of making such choices
based on Christian Principles.
iii. To appreciate our own religion and that of others
In order to live in peace and harmony with others CRE helps us learn and appreciate
their religion and respect their cultures and faiths iv. To help you acquire principles of
Christian living
This is summed up in the Ten Commandments and in the teachings of Jesus Christ
v. To help us develop a sense of self worth and identity for ourselves and others
vi. To promote international consciousness
As Christians, we should appreciate every person in every part of the world as God’s
creation.
vii. To help us live new lives in Christ
Through CRE we learn and acquire some values and attitudes which in turn transform us.
viii. To help form a bridge for further studies and career development
CRE forms a foundation for further studies and career training

2
 CRE Form One Work 2022
ix. To identify answers to some life questions
Some life questions such as why we exist, why people die and what happens after death are
answered through CRE
x. To contribute to the achievement of the national goals of education National goals
of education deal with the improvement of life and include:- ➢ National unity
➢ National development (economic and social needs)
➢ Industrial development and self-fulfillment
➢ Social equality
➢ Respect and development of cultural heritage
➢ International consciousness

In conclusion, CRE makes a contribution to the total development of a person-morally,

spiritually, emotionally, physically, intellectually and socially

2. THE BIBLE
a. The Bible as God’s Word
The Bible is a book accepted by Christians as the written word of God through which
God communicates to them.
It is also referred to as the inspired word of God. This means that what was written was
what God intended them to communicate to other people. God’s power worked through the
writers controlling what was being written.
It contains the history of salvation, that is, God’s purpose in creating and redeeming
human through Jesus Christ

b. Human Authors of the Bible

The authors of the Bible were under direct influence of God and they wrote what God
wanted them to write. Some books were written by prophets like Nehemiah, Ezra and Isaiah.
Luke’s gospel was written by Luke the disciple of Jesus, while Paul wrote various letters to
different churches such as Corinth.

c. Literally Forms used in writing the Bible

Literally forms are the different styles that the authors of the Bible used in writing it.
Some of the literally forms used were:-
i. Legislative texts (Leviticus) ii.
Wise sayings (Proverbs) iii.
Prophetic Speeches (Jeremiah)
iv. Prayers (Nehemiah)
v. Love Songs (Song of Solomon)
vi. Philosophical essays (Job) vii.
Religious epics (Exodus) viii.
Epistles (Romans)
ix. Gospels (Luke)

d. The Bible as a Library

A library is a collection of books. The Bible is referred to as a library because:- ❖
Although its one book, it contains many books

3
 CRE Form One Work 2022
❖ The books were written by different people
❖ The books were written at different times in history
❖ The writers came from different backgrounds
❖ The writers were inspired to write by different circumstances
❖ The authors wrote for different people and for various reasons

e. Major divisions of the Bible The

Bible has two major sections:-
➢ The Old Testament
➢ The New Testament
The word Testament means covenant.
The Bible has 66 books, which have been accepted by Christians all over the world as the
word of God
39 of the books are in the Old Testament while 27 books are in the New Testament.
Some Bibles used by the Roman Catholic Church such as Common Bible and the
Jerusalem Bible contain 45 books in the Old Testament. The six extra books are commonly
referred to as Deutro-Canonical or books of apocrypha.
The word apocrypha means hidden or secret. These books are:-
➢ Tobit
➢ Judith
➢ Ecclesiasticus
➢ Baruch
➢ Meccabees I and II
➢ Books of Wisdom
The books accepted by all Christians, make up the Canon (a Greek word meaning rule,
standard or guidance) of the Old and New Testament

THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS

The Old Testament Books are grouped into four major sections. These are:
➢ Books of Law
➢ Books of History
➢ Books of Prophecy
➢ Books of Poetry

i. Books of Law
These are first five books of the Bible. They are also referred to as the Torah (meaning law)
or the Pentateuch which means five. These books are:- ➢ Genesis
➢ Exodus
➢ Leviticus
➢ Numbers
➢ Deuteronomy
They contain the law of God to the Israelites. They also contain the history of the
Israelites from creation to the time they entered the Promised Land, Canaan.

4
 CRE Form One Work 2022
ii. Books of History
These contain the history of the Israelites from the time they entered and settled in the
Promised Land to the period after the exile. They are 12 in number. These books are:- ➢
Joshua
➢ Judges
➢ Ruth
➢ I and II Samuel
➢ I and II Kings
➢ I and II Chronicles
➢ Ezra
➢ Nehemiah ➢ Esther
iii. Books of Prophecy
These are 17 in number.
Major Prophets are:-
➢ Jeremiah
➢ Isaiah
➢ Ezekiel
➢ Daniel
➢ Lamentation
They are called so due to the larger length of their content
Minor Prophets are:-
➢ Hosea
➢ Joel
➢ Amos
➢ Obadiah
➢ Jonah
➢ Micah
➢ Nahum
➢ Habakkuk
➢ Zephaniah ➢ Haggai
➢ Malachi ➢ Zachariah
iv. Books of Poetry
These are sometimes referred to as writings or books of wisdom. These are:- ➢
Psalms
➢ Proverbs
➢ Job
➢ Ecclesiastes
➢ Song of songs/ songs of Solomon

5
 CRE Form One Work 2022
THE NEW TESTAMENT
These are divided into four major divisions namely:-
i. The Gospels ii.
Church History iii.
Epistles/Letters
iv. Revelations/Prophetic

i. The Gospels
The word Gospel means the announcing of good news. These are the first four books of the
New Testament. Namely:-
➢ Mathew
➢ Mark
➢ Luke
➢ John
The first three books are called the Synoptic gospels because they report similar
incidents about the life of Jesus.

ii. Historical book

➢ Acts of the Apostles This book was written by Luke, the
author of St. Luke’s Gospel. It deals with the history of the Early Church

iii. The Epistles/Letters

These are 21 letters, mainly written by Paul. These letters fall under three categories:-

a. The letters of Paul (Pauline letters)

These are 9.they are:-
➢ Romans
➢ I Corinthians
➢ II Corinthians
➢ Galatians
➢ Ephesians
➢ Philippians
➢ Colossians
➢ I Thessalonians
➢ II Thessalonians
b. The Pastoral Letters
There are 5 Pastoral Letters. These are:-
➢ I Timothy
➢ II Timothy
➢ Titus
➢ Philemon
➢ Hebrews
They are called Pastoral because they are mainly addressed to Shepherds or Pastors. They
show high regard for the duties of pastors and how these duties should be carried out

6
 CRE Form One Work 2022
c. The Catholic Letters
The word Catholic means Universal. Hence these letters can be applied to any group.
They are 7 in number. These include:-
➢ James
➢ I Peter
➢ II Peter
➢ I John
➢ II John
➢ III John ➢ Jude
iv. Prophetic Book
This is the book of Revelation. It is also called apocalypse, a Greek word meaning
revelation or disclosure. It talks of God’s will for the future.

3. TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE FROM ORIGINAL LANGUAGES TO LOCAL

LANGUAGES
a) Bible Translation
The word translation refers to expression of words, books, poems, songs and sayings from
one language to another.
The Old Testament section of the Bible was originally written in Hebrew. It was later
translated to Greek 200 years before Christ was born. This Greek translation is commonly
known as Septuagint. This name refers to the seventy scholars and scribes who worked on the
translation.
The New Testament was originally written in Greek.
During 14th Century AD, the Bible was translated into Latin. A language commonly used in
the Roman Empire. This Latin translation of the Bible is known as Vulgate which means for
common use. This translation was done by a Christian Scholar known as Jerome.
This translation was used for many years by the Christian Churches in Europe up to 16th
Century AD when the period of Reformation began.
English and German translations were done during this period of Reformation. The Catholic
Church, however, continued to use the Vulgate even to date.
As Christian Missionaries left their homelands for new lands, the Bible was translated into
the local languages of the people that they evangelized to.
The first Bible translation in East Africa was done by Johann Ludwig Kraft. He was a
missionary sent by the Church Missionary Society. It took him nine years to translate the Bible
in Kiswahili. Translation has since been done into a number of Kenyan languages. These are:-
➢ Gikuyu 1951
➢ Kikamba 1956
➢ Kimeru 1964
➢ Kalenjin 1968
➢ Luhya 1974
➢ Swahili 1977
In Kenya, the work of the Bible translation is done by the Bible Society of Kenya. Their
work is being complimented by the Bible Translation and Literacy Organization

7
 CRE Form One Work 2022
b) Versions of the Bible used in Kenya today
The word version refers to the style of the language use in the translation of the Bible
texts. A version attempts to make the Bible content better understood by the readers
Examples of versions used in Kenya are:-
➢ Good News Bible
➢ Revised Standard Version (RSV)
➢ The African Bible
➢ Common Bible
➢ King James Version
➢ Jerusalem Bible
➢ New International Version
➢ English Bible
➢ The Authored Version
➢ The Living Bible
➢ The Gideon’s International Version

4. EFFECTS OF THE TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE INTO AFRICAN

LANGUAGES
i. The translation ensured that there is effective communication between the locals and
the missionaries in passing the word of God.
ii. It led to the development of local languages which had to be written down so as to
facilitate the translation
iii. The word of God reached more people in their languages because of the translation
iv. The local people could read the Bible on their own and understand it better
v. It enabled the local people to have a critical outlook on certain issues
such as the
Similarities and differences between Christianity and African Traditional way of life.
vi. It led to high demand for formal education by Africans vii. It led to the
foundation of more mission schools
viii. More Africans became literate and were now able to communicate with others
confidently through writing
ix. It led to the emergence of African Independent Churches and Schools
x. It led to the expansion of the church as more people became believers, leaders in the
churches as priests, catechists and lay leaders
xi. The translation has facilitated research and studies in African Religious Heritage

8
 CRE Form One Work 2022

CHAPTER TWO
CREATION AND THE FALL OF HUMANKIND
Specific objectives
By the end of this topic, the learner should be able to:-
a. Describe the biblical accounts of creation and appreciate creation as the work of God
b. Identify and appreciate the attributes of God from the biblical creation accounts
c. Describe the traditional African understanding of creation
d. Explain and appreciate the teachings from the biblical creation accounts
e. Explain the origin and consequences of sin according to the biblical accounts of the fall
of man
f. Explain the traditional African concept of evil and discuss the similarities and differences
with the biblical concept of sin
g. Explain and appreciate God’s plan of salvation

1. THE BIBLICAL STORIES OF CREATION AND THERE MEANING

(Genesis I and 2)
The Bible contains two accounts of creation in the beginning of the book of Genesis

1ST CREATION ACCOUNT

Genesis 1:12-2:4
This first account gives a record of what was created on specific days. The story is as
follows:-
In the beginning, when God created the universe, the earth was formless and desolate.
The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness. The spirit of God was
moving over the water

1st Day, God commanded “Let there be light”. God was pleased with what he saw. He
then separated light from the darkness. He named light Day and darkness Night.

2nd Day, God commanded “Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in
two separate places” He named the dome Sky.

3rd Day, God commanded “Let the water below the sky come together in one place so
that land would appear.” He named the land Earth and the water which had come together He
name Sea.
3rd Day still God commanded “Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that
bear grain and those that bear fruit.

4th Day, then God commanded “Let light appear in the sky to separate day from night
and to show the time when days, years and religious festivals begin” So God made two large
lights, the Sun to rule over the day and the Moon to rule over the night. He also made the Stars.

9
 CRE Form One Work 2022
5th Day, God commanded “Let the water be filled with many kinds of living beings, and let
the air be filled with birds.” So God created the great Sea Monsters, all kinds of creatures that
live in the water, all kinds of Birds.

6th Day, God commanded “Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life: Domestic
and Wild, Large and small”.
6th Day still, Then God said, “And now we will make human beings; they will be like
us and resemble us” So God created Human Beings, male and female and blessed them to have
many children

7th Day, by the seventh day, God finished what He had been doing and stopped working.
He blessed the day.

Summary of first creation Account

Day Work Work of division and ornamentation
1 I Light and Day
2 II Sky
3 III Land and Sea
IV Vegetation (grass, hearts, trees)
4 V Sun, Moon, Stars
5 VI Birds and Sea creatures
6 VII Animals (cattle and creeping animal)
VIII Human beings (male and female)
7 Resting day (Sabbath)

2nd Creation Account

Genesis 2: 4-25
God had created the universe before but it had no plants because He had not sent any rain
and there was no one to cultivate the land. Water was coming up from beneath the earth surface
and waters the ground.
God took some soil from the ground and formed a man. He breathed life-giving breath
into his nostrils and the man began to live.
Then the Lord planted a garden in Eden where He placed man there.
He made all kinds of beautiful trees to grow there and produce good fruit. In the middle
of the garden stood the tree that gives life and the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and
what is bad.
A stream flowed in Eden and watered the garden. Beyond Eden, it divided into four
rivers. These are Pishon, Gihon, Tigris and Euphrates.
God place man in the Garden of Eden in order to cultivate it He told man that he may eat
the fruit of any tree in the garden except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what
is bad. He warned man that if he eats that fruit, he will die the same day.
God then took some soil from the ground to create man a companion. He created all
animals and all birds and gave man to name them.

10
 CRE Form One Work 2022
God saw that the animals were not suitable companion for man, so He made man fall into
a deep sleep. While man was sleeping, God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the
flesh. He formed woman out of the rib and brought her to him.

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE 1ST AND THE 2ND CREATION ACCOUNTS

i. God is acknowledged as the creator
ii. Creation includes both the living and non-living objects
iii. Human beings are presented as special creatures with responsibilities and privileges
iv. Human beings share in the life of God

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE 1ST AND THE 2ND CREATION ACCOUNTS

i. The creation of the firmament, light, sun, moon, stars, fishes and creeping things are
included in the first account but omitted in the second account
ii. The planting of the garden of Eden and the making of the river are in the second
account but omitted in the first account
iii. In the first account, both man and woman are created at the same time and in God’s
image, while in the second account, man is created from dust while woman out of man’s
rib.
iv. Creation in the first account is out of nothing but, in the second man is made out of the
dust of the ground and plants are made to grow out of garden.
v. In the first account, human beings were created last while in the second they were
created first.
vi. Creation in the first account was completed on the sixth day and God rested on the
seventh day. There are no days mentioned in the second account, and subsequently no
rest is mentioned.
vii. In the first account, everything that God created is good while in the second account,
there is no mention of that.
viii. In the first account, the emphasis on marriage is for procreation, while in the second
account marriage is for partnership
ix. In the second account, there is mention of the forbidden tree but the first account makes
no mention of it.

2. ATTRIBUTES OF GOD FROM THE CREATION ACCOUNTS

The following are identified from the creation accounts
i. There is only one God
ii. He is self-existent: God was there from the beginning.
iii. He is a personal God: he creates human beings to be like Him so that they might enjoy a
personal and loving relationship with Him
iv. He is the sole creator
v. He is a God of order
vi. He is good and perfect. He was pleased with His creation which He saw as good. He is
the source of goodness and happiness.
vii. He is the sole source of life. Through His breath, He gave human beings life. viii. He
is a moral God interested in the behavior of human beings
ix. He is a spirit
x. He is powerful. He simply spoke and it happened

11
 CRE Form One Work 2022
xi. He is the provider and sustainer of the universe
xii. He is a worker

3. TEACHINGS FROM THE BIBLICAL CREATION ACCOUNTS

i. Man and woman were created for love and companionship
ii. Work and leisure are God’s gift to human beings
iii. Human beings are commanded to continue with the work of creation
iv. Human beings occupy a place of honor in God’s created order
v. Life should be respected
vi. Human culture (way of life) is ordained by God
vii. The heavenly bodies (sun, moon, earth) were created to serve human beings
viii. The marriage union is monogamous and permanent
ix. God is real

4. TRADITIONAL AFRICAN VIEW OF CREATION

Every community in Kenya has its own myths concerning the origin of man and the
world. It is generally agreed in these myths that man originated from God. Myths also try to
explain man’s relationship with God. Some myths have cultural meanings. They try to explain
supernatural phenomena such as death.

AGIKUYU MYTHS OF ORIGIN

The myth tells us that at the beginning of things Gikuyu, the founder of Agikuyu tribe,
was called by God (Ngai or Mugai), and was given a land with forests, rivers, valleys, animals
and all other natural things. At the same time, Ngai (Divider of the Universe) made a big
Mountain called Kirinyaga (Mt. Kenya). The mountain was His resting place when He was on
inspection tours. It was also a sign of his splendor and majesty.
After calling Gikuyu, God took him to the top of the mountain and showed him the land
He was to give him. This was a beautiful land full of fig trees (Migumo) in the centre of the
country. God then ordered Gikuyu to descend from the mountain and proceed to the place he had
shown him and establish his homestead there. This place was called Mukurwe wa
Nyagathanga which is in Murang’a county.
Before Gikuyu parted with God, he was advised that whenever he had any need he should
make a sacrifice and raise his hands towards Kirinyaga the mountain of mystery. God promised
him his continued assistance anytime he called on Him.
When Gikuyu arrived at Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga his dwelling place, he found that
God had provided him with a beautiful wife called Mumbai. The name Mumbi means creator or
molder. Both lived happily and were blessed with nine beautiful daughters.
However, Gikuyu was disturbed by the fact that he did not have sons to inherit his
property. He remembered what Ngai had promised him. He therefore made his needs known to
God. he was advised to sacrifice a lamb and a kid, pour the blood and the fat of the two animals
on the trunk of the fig tree, and then burn the meat as a sacrifice.
After this, he was asked to take his wife and daughters home and then come back to the
sacred fig tree where he would find nine handsome young men. God revealed to Gikuyu that the
young men would be willing to marry his daughter on his conditions.

12
 CRE Form One Work 2022
When he returned to the place of sacrifice, he found nine young men as Ngai had
promised. Gikuyu was overjoyed and knew that his Ngai was faithful to His promise. He took
the nine young men to his family, where they were warmly received, entertained and fed well.
They spent the night with Gikuyu’s family.
The next morning, the issue of marriage was discussed. The young men agreed to marry
Gikuyu’s daughters on his conditions. The one condition that Gikuyu gave was that he would be
willing to give his daughters for marriage only if the young men agreed to live with Gikuyu in
his homestead. The young men could not resist the beauty of the daughters of Gikuyu and the
hospitality accorded to them. As a result, they agreed to marry them. After a short time, all the
nine daughters were married and each established their own family sets. These were joined
together under the name Nyumba ya Mumbi (house of Mumbi).
The names of the nine daughters comprise the nine clans of the Agikuyu people. These
are:
Name Clan
Wachera Achera
Wanjiku Agachika
Wairimu Airimu
Wambui Ambui
Wangari Angari
Wanjiru Anjira
Wangui Angui
Warigia/Mwithaga/Warigia Ethaga
Waithira Aithirandu

TEACHINGS FROM THE AGIKUYU MYTH OF ORIGIN

i. God is the chief architect of the world
ii. He created out of nothing
iii. He provides for the needs of human beings
iv. Man and woman are created by God
v. Human beings lived in eternal bliss

5. THE BIBLICAL TEACHING ON THE ORIGIN OF SIN AND ITS

CONSEQUENCES
Genesis 3, 4, 6-9, 11
Definition of sin
Sin could be understood to mean:
❖ To miss a mark, i.e. making an error or mistake of failing to attain a goal.
❖ Iniquity
❖ Transgression
❖ A rebellion or offense against God

Origin of Sin
Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the fruit from the
forbidden tree.
Sin is an offense against God. human beings have been endowed with the ability to make
moral choices.

13
 CRE Form One Work 2022
Adam and Eve sinned because they yielded to temptation
By yielding to temptation, they exhibited greed; a desire to want what did not belong to
them, they wanted to be like God.

The Consequences of Sin

i. Human beings are alienated from God. their friendship with Him changed to fear of God.
ii. What had been innocent and good became shameful. Adam and Eve are now ashamed of
nakedness. iii. Pain will be part of human experience. Eve was told that she will experience
pain during child bearing. iv. The good relationship between God and human beings is
ruined. God sent them out of the garden of Eden.
v. The perfect relationship between man and woman is damaged. God told woman that she
will still have desire and yet be subject to him.
vi. People will have to toil and struggle to meet their needs
vii. The earth itself is under a curse
viii. There is enmity between man and the wild animals ix. Death sentence is passed upon
all people
x. Murderous feelings began to enter people’s hearts, for example Cain killed Abel. xi.
Human beings changed and became prone to sin
xii. The life span of human beings was reduced
xiii. Global violence and forbidden marriages with heavenly beings led God to declare global
destruction
xiv. God felt regret and remorse for having created human beings. God punished the world
through the floods
xv. God confused human language after the flood. This led to dispersion of races.

6. GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION

God’s love and grace for human beings, however, could not allow Him to leave them
with no hope for salvation.
He took steps to heal the damaged situation and relationship. He looked for Adam and
Eve to find out where they were. When He found them, He provided them with clothes and the
means to find food.
The snake is a symbol of evil
The woman was told that her seed will crush the head of the snake
This implies that Jesus, who is the ultimate seed of a woman, will defeat the devil. Jesus
brought salvation to the human race. God’s initiative in reconciling human beings to Himself is
also seen in the call of Abraham.

7. TRADITIONAL AFRICAN CONCEPT OF EVIL

Evil in the African understanding may mean an offense against another person or
community. It can also mean an offence against God, spirits and ancestors. It can also mean any
misfortune that can befall any individual or community.
There are many views concerning its origin and nature.
Many communities believe that God is good and therefore, did not create evil.
Others hold that evil originates from a source outside God.
The Abakusu, for example, believe that evil is caused by an evil black god (WERE
Kumali) who was originally created by God but rebelled against God and became evil

14
 CRE Form One Work 2022
Other communities believe that evil is caused by malicious ancestral spirits who have a
grudge against the living-mainly due to neglect.
Evil people like witches, wizards and sorcerers who are able to tap mystical power and
use it for evil
Evil is also caused by breaking of taboos
Also curses from parents, aunts, uncle and grandparents
Breaking of oaths
Bad omen

Consequences of evil in A.T.S

The consequences of evil in A.T.S are experienced in the here and now (in this world)
and not in the hereafter (next world)
Most African communities believe that the consequences of evil have a great impact. Not
only to the individuals concerned, but also on the relationship between the individual, wider
community, God and ancestors
The consequences are social, religious and physical
The punishment for doing evil is given by God, spirits and ancestors, elders and other
members of the community
It is believed that misfortunes such as barrenness, epidemics, illness, poverty, madness,
drought, birth of physically and mentally challenged children, rebellious children, unstable
families, environmental disasters and even war are punishment for wrong doing
Some also believe that when people die, they continue to experience the same lifestyle
and status as they did on earth. Hence those who lead a good life in this life continue to have a
good life and form a positive link between the living and God.

8. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL AFRICAN

VIEW OF EVIL AND BIBLICAL CONCEPT OF SIN

SIMILARITIES
i. God is the Supreme Being and is good. He is not the author of evil. Evil may be caused
by an external force namely the devil (serpent) in the biblical creation account, or an evil
force (malicious ancestral spirits), witches, sorcerers, evil spirits in traditional African
communities.
ii. Both view sin as arising from human beings’ disobedience, greed and selfishness
iii. Both view evil as misfortunes arising out of a curse by elders because of committing
some offence. In the ATS, parents can curse their children for failing them in some way.
In Genesis 3: 14 Adam and Eve are cursed for betraying God. the forth commandment
demands that children honor their parents so that they can be blessed with long life. This
means that an early death could sometimes be attributed to dishonoring parents.
iv. In both cases evil may result from failing in social or spiritual obligation
v. Both agree that the result of sin and evil is suffering, death and hardships. In the biblical
account, Adam will toil in hardship while in traditional African understanding, illness,
misfortune, death and poverty are said to result from evil doing.
vi. In both cases, sin and evil results in human beings being separated from God and the end
of the original state of goodness and innocence.
vii. In both, God is the guardian of morality, law and order.

15
 CRE Form One Work 2022

DIFFERENCES
i. While the Biblical account emphasizes the personal nature of sin, the African concept
emphasizes more on the social nature and consequences of evil. When Adam and Eve
sinned, each one offended God individually. However, in the African understanding
whatever an individual does affects the whole community.
ii. While the African traditional understanding of evil emphasis the act of evil and its
consequences, in the Bible human beings are sinners by nature because they are tainted
by the sin of Adam. However, Christ’s death on the cross has affected the redemption of
humankind.
iii. Although the Bible recognizes other forces that may lead human beings to sin, emphasis
is on the moral choices people make. African traditional understanding attributes evil to
external forces like spirits or breaking of taboos
iv. The biblical view of sin does not leave human beings doomed to suffer forever. They are
offered an escape and a message of hope through Christ’s death and resurrection. The
African understanding of evil does not offer a final solution to the problem of evil. They
continue in the cycle of appeasing the offended forces so as to be forgiven and
reconciled.

16
 CRE Form One Work 2022

CHAPTER THREE
FAITH AND GOD’S PROMISES-ABRAHAM
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
By the end of this topic, the learner should be able to:-
a. Outline the background to the call of Abraham
b. Define the term “faith in God”
c. Explain how Abraham demonstrated his faith in God and its relevance to Christians today
d. State the promises made by God to Abraham and explain their importance to Christians
today
e. Define the term covenant
f. Explain and appreciate the importance of God’s covenant with Abraham
g. Identify covenants in modem life and appreciate their significance
h. State the importance of circumcision to Abraham and his descendants (the Jews) and
relate to the African circumcision practice
i. Develop and appreciate a sense to live according to Gods guidance and direction

1. BACKGROUND TO THE CALL OF ABRAHAM

Genesis 11: 24-32, 12: 1-9
Abraham lived with his father Terah in Ur. He had two brothers, Haran and Nahor.
Haran had a son called Lot.
The people in Ur practiced Polytheism (worship of many gods or idols) the moon god
was one of the gods.
At the time of his call, Abraham was known as Abram and his wife as Sarai. God
changed their names to Abraham (meaning “father of many nations’) and Sarah (meaning
mother of nations)
Terah left Ur for Canaan with his son Abraham, Sarah and Lot. On their way to Canaan,
they settled at Haran about 1000Km from Ur where Terah died.
While at Haran, God called Abraham at the age of 75. He was told by God to leave his
native land, his relatives, his father’s home and go to a land where God will show him.
He was also promised many descendants, blessings and fame.
Abraham obeyed God’s call. He left Haran to an unknown destination. He was
accompanied by his wife Sarah and his nephew Lot.
On arrival at Canaan, Abraham came to Shechem. There, the Lord appeared to him and
told him that he will give him the land of Canaan. Abraham built an altar of God at
Shechem.
From Shechem, Abraham went to Bethel. At Bethel, he built another altar for God and
worshipped Him.
After awhile, there was famine in Canaan and Abraham left for Egypt where he lived for
some years. In Egypt, Abraham was treated kindly by the king and he was given flocks of
sheep and goats, cattle, donkeys, slaves and camels, making him a rich man.

17
 CRE Form One Work 2022

2. THE MEANING OF FAITH IN GOD

Hebrews 11: 1-6
Faith is complete trust or confidence in somebody or something.
It is a firm belief without necessarily having a logical proof.
Faith in God implies total obedience and trust in Him
The Bible says that without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who
comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

3. ABRAHAM’S ACTS OF FAITH

Genesis 12: 1-9, 15: 1-6, 17:23-24, 21:1-7, 22:1-19
Abraham is referred to as the father of faith for the following
reasons:-
i. He agreed to move from his home Haran to an unknown destination as commanded by
God ii. Abraham believed in God when God promised him a son of his own even
though he was old.
iii. He agreed to circumcise himself at the age of 99. His son Ishmael and all male children
of his household as a sign of the covenant he made with God.
iv. He circumcised his son Isaac at the age of 8 days and made it a command for all hi
descendants.
v. He agreed to sacrifice his own son Isaac when God told him to. vi. He trusted and
believed in the promises God made to him.
vii. He agreed to change his name from Abram to Abraham and his wife’s name from Sarai
to Sarah as commanded by God
viii. He built altars for God at Shechem and Bethel where he worshiped God.
ix. He believed he will have as many descendants as the stars in the sky as God promised
even though he had no son of his own.

Lessons that Christians learn from Abraham’s acts of faith

i. God expects Christians to obey and have absolute faith in Him
ii. Christians should learn not to doubt God but to always remember that God fulfill His
promise in His own time
iii. Nothing is impossible with God. Despite being old, Abraham and Sarah were able to
have a son of their own.
iv. Christians should be prepared to face very difficult situations as tests of their faith
v. Christians are assured of possession of the Promised Land (eternal life) through their
faith in Jesus Christ.
vi. Christians should be ready to make sacrifice to God without questioning
vii. Those who have faith are the spiritual descendants of Abraham.

4. GOD’S PROMISES TO ABRAHAM

Genesis 12: 2-3, 15: 1-21, 17: 1-8, 15-18
Promise means giving an assurance of something to someone.
God promised Abraham the following:-
i. God will give him a land to dwell in
ii. He will give his descendants the land of Canaan to dwell in.

18
 CRE Form One Work 2022
iii. God would make Abraham’s name famous
iv. God would establish an everlasting covenant with Abraham and his descendants. He shall
be their God.
v. God would be a shield to Abraham, He will protect him.
vi. God would give him and his wife Sarah a son of their own.
vii. God would make Abraham’s descendants a great nation
viii. God would make his descendants be enslaved for four hundred years in a foreign land.
God would however free them and deliver them back to their land with great possessions
ix. God would punish the nation that enslaved Abraham’s descendants
x. God would make some of Abraham’s descendants Kings
xi. God would bless him
xii. God would bless those that blessed Abraham
xiii. God would curse those that cursed Abraham xiv. God will make all the families
of the earth receive blessings through Abraham
xv. God would let Abraham live for long and die in peace.

Relevance of the promises made to Abraham by God to Christians today.

i. God continues to call people from different backgrounds such as evangelists, priests, to
serve Him
ii. God continuous to protect Christians in all circumstances
iii. Christians learn that God values personal relationship with Him
iv. Christians are called to leave their past sinful lives and put their whole trust in God
Almighty
v. Through faith in Jesus Christ, all people become children of God and receive God’s
blessings.

5. THE MEANING OF COVENANT

Covenant is a serious or solemn agreement between two persons or groups of person
It can also be referred to as pact or treaty

Characteristics of a covenant
i. It involves two or more persons making a pact
ii. Once parties involved enter into a covenant, it cannot be broken
iii. If one of the parties decides to break the covenant, serious consequences are expected
iv. There must be a ceremony signifying the signing of the covenant
v. There must be an outward sign that shows that the covenant exists
vi. Vows are exchanged between those signing the covenant

Types of covenants
There are two types of covenants
Conditional covenant
This involves two or more parties that regard each other as equals making a
covenant For example, the Sinai Covenant whereby the Israelites promised to keep God’s
commandments as God promised to be their God as long as they kept these promises. In
marriage also, both man and woman give each other promise.

19
 CRE Form One Work 2022

Unconditional covenants
These covenants are made between unequal parties such as between kings and their
subjects
In this case, the subjects are inferior to their masters and they have to obey the
commandments issued by the king without question

Examples of covenants from the Bible

i. The Covenant with Noah in which God entered into a relationship with the whole world
and promised to preserve the life of people. The sign of this covenant is the rainbow
(Genesis 9) ii. The covenant with Abraham in which god promised to fulfill the
promises He made with him. The sign of the covenant is circumcision. (Genesis 15, 17)
iii. The covenant with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai in which God promised to be their
God. The Israelites promised obedience. The sign of this covenant is the Law. (Exodus
24) iv. The covenant with King David in which God promised him that his dynasty
will continue forever (2nd Samuel 7:14-16)
v. Jeremiah’s covenant in which God promises to make a New covenant with the Israelites
where each individual will come to know God personally (Jeremiah 31: 3-34)

6. GOD’S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM

Genesis 15: 1-19, 17: 1-22
God appeared to Abraham in a vision where God assured Abraham that He will shield him
from danger and give him a great reward.
Abraham asked God what good the reward will do to hi and yet he had no child. He told God
that his only heir was Eliezer of Damascus and wondered why his slave should inherit his
property.
God told Abraham that Eliezer will not inherit his property but his own son will be his heir.
God took him outside and told him to look up to the sky and try to count the stars. He told
Abraham that he will have as many descendants as the stars.
Abraham (who was 100 years old then and his wife 90 years) put his trust in God and
because of this God was pleased with him and accepted him.
God then told Abraham that He will give him the land of Canaan.
Abraham wanted an assurance from God that He would fulfill His promises.
God entered into a covenant with him. God told him to bring a heifer (cow), a goat, a ram
each of which three years old and a dove and a pigeon.
He then cut the animals into halves and placed them opposite each other in two rows. The
birds were not split.
Vultures came down on the bodies, but Abraham drove them off.
Towards evening, Abraham fell into a deep sleep and was filled with fear while he slept. The
Lord appeared to him in a vision and told him that:-
❖ His descendants will be strangers in a foreign land and will be slaves but will leave
that land after 400 years. They will however, come out of the foreign land with a lot
of wealth and God will punish the nation that enslaves them.
❖ He will live to a ripe age, die in peace and be buried.
When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch suddenly
appeared and passed between the pieces of the animals.

20
 CRE Form One Work 2022
Then the Lord made a covenant with Abraham and promised to him and his descendants
the land of Canaan.
Note: the physical manifestations of God are called Theophany. In this case, God appeared to
Abraham in form of a smoking firepot and flaming torch. Other examples of Theophany are:
➢ The burning bush in the call of Moses
➢ The pillar of fire and pillar of cloud during the exodus
➢ Thunder, lighting, smoking mountain during the making of the Sinai Covenant
➢ They mighty wind, earthquake and still small voice of calm in the story of Elijah

Importance of the Covenant between God and Abraham

❖ This covenant was unconditional. God took the initiative to enter into a covenant while
Abraham obeyed. Therefore God bound Himself in a personal relationship with a human
being.
❖ As God passed through the pieces of meat, He showed that He will protect Abraham and
his descendants.
❖ This covenant begins a lasting relationship between God and all nations of the earth.
❖ The covenant confirmed God’s choice of Abraham.
❖ God was initiating His plan of salvation for human kind. God was ready to die in the
person of His son, Jesus Christ, so that this covenant would be filled.

7. COVENANTS IN MODERN LIFE

a. Marriage Ceremony
In marriage, the bride, the bridegroom and their families come together.
It happens in customary, civil or church marriages.
Several agreements are made and both sides promise to be loyal to each other for the rest
of their lives.

b. Baptism
This happens in the Christians Churches. The new believers, infants or adults, are
expected to keep vows from the day of baptism for the rest of their lives

c. Loyalty
Leaders in public service, for example, heads of state, government ministries, members of
parliament, senators, governors, administrators such as chiefs and church leader must be sworn
in before they take over their new responsibilities.

8. CIRCUMCISION
a. The importance of circumcision for Abraham and his descendants Genesis
17: 1-16
God appeared to Abraham and reassure him of the promises He had made earlier. God
promised to make an everlasting covenant between Him and Abraham and his descendants.
Abraham was expected to obey and do what was right and pleasing to God. As a sign of
obedience to the Lord, God commanded Abraham to circumcise all males of eight days old
including slaves born within and those brought from foreigners
Those who failed t be circumcised would be considered as outcasts

21
 CRE Form One Work 2022
Abraham’s name was also changed from Abram and Sarah, his wife was changed from
Sarai.
Abraham was circumcised at the age of 99. His son Ishmael (by Haggar, the slave girl)
who was 13 years old was also circumcised.
From that day, circumcision was to take place on the eighth day. It was a mark of identity
for all true Jews, the chosen people of God. Circumcision was now going to be an outward sign
of inner faith
It was also to be a physical sign that Abraham and his descendants had entered into a
covenant with God.

b. Similarities between the African and the Jewish rite of circumcision

i. Circumcision is a physical mark of identity for both the Africans and Jews
ii. The rite of circumcision gives a sense of belonging/ mark of unity to both Jews and
Africans iii. Circumcision is perceived as a religious function
in both communities
iv. The practice of circumcision is passed on from one generation to another
v. Those who fail to undergo the rite are considered outcasts
vi. In both communities, the rite of circumcision is taken as an important stage in a person’s
life.

c. Differences between the Jewish rite of Circumcision and the African practice of
circumcision
i. the Jewish community circumcised eight day old males while the African community
circumcised adolescents between 10-18 years old
ii. In the Jewish community, circumcision is a physical sign for those joined to God in faith.
In the African community it is not only a sign of identity but also marks the end of
childhood and the beginning of adulthood
iii. In the African community the initiates acquire new status and responsibilities. They enter
warrior group, marry, and own property, where as in the Jewish community this is not
possible since circumcision is performed on eight year old males.
iv. In Jewish practice, only boys are circumcised. In some African communities, even girls
are circumcised through clitodectomy.

22
 CRE Form One Work 2022

CHAPTER FOUR
THE SINAI COVENANT-MOSES
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
By the end of this topic, the learner should be able to:-
a. Give the historical background to the call of Moses
b. Describe the call of Moses
c. Outline the ten plagues
d. Explain the Passover
e. Describe Israelites journey during the wilderness including how they worshipped
f. Describe the Sinai Covenant

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Genesis 37: 1-36, 50: 1-26; Exodus 1-2
The history of the Israelites dates back to the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who are
considers being the great ancestors of the Israelites. Jacob had twelve sons. His son Joseph was
his favorite. This made his brothers envy and hate him. As a result, they conspired and sold him
to the Ishmaelite traders who later took him to Egypt and sold him to Portiphar, an army officer
of Pharaoh.
In Egypt, the Lord was with Joseph and he became a successful man in Portiphar’s house.
Later on, he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream which saved the Egyptians from severe famine. He was
then appointed by Pharaoh to be a governor in charge of all the food stores in Egypt. After some
years, there was severe famine in Canaan and Joseph’s brothers went to Egypt to buy food. They
unwillingly landed in the hands of Joseph. Joseph treated them kindly, and gave them food. At
later date, he sent for whole family to come and settle in Egypt. When they arrived in Egypt,
Joseph and Pharaoh settled them in the fertile land of Goshen.
The Pharaoh, who ruled the Egyptians at the time of Joseph, was a Hyksos King. Hyksos
were Semitic people who had conquered the Egyptians. Joseph was from the same Semitic group
as that one of the King and because of that, his family enjoyed protection from Pharaoh. After
some years, Joseph and the Pharaoh who loved him died. Then, there came a new king from
Egyptian community who did not know anything about Joseph. This King feared that the
Israelites, being Semites unlike the Egyptians, might turn and join their enemies in fighting them.
Therefore, the new King ordered that the Israelites be enslaved so that their number and strength
could be reduced.
The King’s order proved futile as the number of the Israelites continued to increase. The
King commanded that every new born baby boy should be killed by being drowned in River
Nile.
It is during that time that Moses was born. His mother hid him for three months. When
she could no longer hide him, she made a waterproof basket, laid the child inside and placed it
among the reeds at the bank of River Nile.
At River Nile, Moses was rescued and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter.

23
 CRE Form One Work 2022
In Pharaoh’s palace, he was given the best education and training of the time. One day,
Moses killed an Egyptian when he was defending an Israelite. He killed the Egyptian as a sign of
identifying himself with his people, the Israelite. When he learned that Pharaoh had discovered
what he had done, he ran to the wilderness to escape punishment.

Explain ways in which Moses background prepared him for his leadership ➢
He grew up in the palace as prince, getting the best education befitting a royal.
➢ Being nursed by his Mother at the place ensured he doesn’t lose his identity as an Israelite
➢ Moses grew up to be an intelligent man, an attribute he used later in his Mission as a
leader of God’s people.
➢ Living in the wilderness as a shepherded, and experiencing all the difficulties of the
wilderness also prepared him adequately to be a shepherded of God’s people.

1. THE CALL OF MOSES

Exodus 3:1-22
When Moses escaped into the wilderness after killing the Egyptian, Jethro, a priest in
Midian, took him in. he became a shepherd, tending Jethro’s flock and later married one of his
daughters.
One day, when Moses was near Mount Horeb, commonly referred to as Mount Sinai,
looking after his father in-laws sheep, he saw a strange sight. A bush was on fire but was not
consumed. He went near to see what it was.
The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flaming fire out of the midst of the bush.
When Moses moved near to see the strange sight, God called him by name and instructed him,
“Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals, because you are standing on a holy ground.”
The removal of shoes by Moose was a sign of spiritual nakedness before God.
God told Moses that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses hid his face,
for he was afraid to look at God. Then God told him that He had seen the suffering of His
people, the Israelites in Egypt. He told Moses that He had come down to liberate them from the
land of bondage
God commanded Moses to go back to Egypt and free the Israelites from the hands of the
Egyptians. Moses protested by saying that he was not worthy to go before Pharaoh
Moses had killed an Egyptian and had run away from Egypt. He was afraid of being
arrested if he went back there.
God assured Moses that He would be with him. He gave Moses a sign of assurance that
when he liberates the Israelites from Egypt, they should worship Him at Mount Sinai.
Moses asked God what His name was. God told him, “I am who I am” meaning that
God was what He was in the past and would always be the same God.
He instructed Moses to tell the Israelites that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. He assured Moses that the Israelites would respond to him positively. However, Pharaoh
would not let them go until several terrifying occurrences would force him to release the
Israelites.
Despite the assurances Moses was given by God, he complained to God that the
Israelites would neither believe nor listen to him.
God gave him two signs he was to use in performing miracles as proof that he was God’s
messenger.
➢ First, he was told to use the rod he had in his hand which would turn into a snake

24
 CRE Form One Work 2022
➢ Secondly, he was to place his hand in his pocket and on pulling it out, it would be
affected with leprosy.

Moses still complained to God that he was not eloquent speaker, but just a stammerer
God assured Moses that the Egyptians would finally cooperate with the Israelites when the
time came for them to leave Egypt. They would acquire a lot of property from the Egyptians.
God also told him that his brother Aaron was to be his spokesman. Then Moses went back to
Jethro’s home, gathered his family members and started his journey to Egypt.

Attributes of God from the call of Moses

❖ God is loving and caring
❖ God is transcendent; He is beyond human understanding. He cannot be limited to time
and space.
❖ God chooses whoever He wills to carry out His plans
❖ God expects total obedience and faith on the part of those He chooses.

2. THE TEN PLAGUES

Exodus 7: 14-11: 1-10
A plague may be a disease or an unfortunate occurrence in one’s life.
When Moses approached Pharaoh, Pharaoh proved difficult and would not release the
Israelites. God intervened with ten severe plagues. God sent to the Egyptians as follows:
i. the plague of Blood
ii. the plague of Frogs
iii. the plague of Gnats
iv. the plague of Flies
v. the plague of Death of Animals vi. the plague of Boils
vii. the plague of Hail
viii. the plague of Locusts
ix. the plague of Darkness
x. the Passover

i. The plague of Blood

Moses was commanded by God to tell Aaron to strike the waters of the Nile with his rod.
He did this in the presence of Pharaoh and the waters of the Nile turned into blood.

ii. The plague of Frogs

The Lord commanded Moses to tell Aaron to stretch his hand over the streams, canals
and ponds. Aaron did as was commanded; and there were frogs all over the land of Egypt. When
the Egyptians were overwhelmed by these frogs, Pharaoh asked Moses to pray for their removal

iii. The plague of the Gnats

Gnats are small two-winged biting flies. This plague was so severe that even the
magicians of Egypt acknowledged the hand and power of God. The Gnats covered the land,
people and animals. Pharaoh did not give in

25
 CRE Form One Work 2022
iv. The plague of Flies
Flies came to the land of Egypt in swarms. They invaded Pharaoh’s palace and the
houses of his officials while there were no flies in the houses of the Israelites. Pharaoh deceived
Moses that he would release the Israelites if the flies were removed. Moses prayed to Yahweh
and the flies left. Pharaoh however, did not release the children of God.

v. The plague of Death of Animals

God sent a plague that killed all the Egyptians animals. Their cows, donkeys, camels,
sheep, goats and horses were killed. However, the animals of the Israelites were not affected.
Still Pharaoh refused to release them

vi. The plague of Boils

Moses and Aaron were told by God to cast ashes into the air. This act produced sores and
open wounds on Egyptians and their animals. Pharaoh remained stubborn and did not release the
Israelites

vii. The plague of Hail

God sent severe hailstorm which affected Pharaoh as well. It was the worst storm Egypt
had ever experienced. Everything left in the open was destroyed and all people who had not
taken shelter were killed. Moses prayed to God and stopped the storm, Pharaoh refused to release
the Israelites.

viii. The plague of Locusts

Locusts came to the Egyptian land, but Pharaoh refused to release them

ix. The plague of Darkness

The Lord sent darkens over the whole land of Egypt. No one could see anything or
anyone for three days. Pharaoh now softened and told Moses that he could take his people and go
to worship God with all his people but leave the animals. Moses told Pharaoh that they had to
leave with all their animals so that they may go and sacrifice to their God in the wilderness.
Pharaoh refused to release them yet again.
After this plague, Moses promised never to appear before Pharaoh again. However, God
was still concerned about the freedom of the Israelites and, therefore, He sent Moses to Pharaoh
one last time.

3. THE PASSOVER
Exodus 12: 1-3
The term Passover is driveled from the Hebrew word Pasach meaning ‘to pass over’
with the aim of sparing or protecting.
In the tenth plague, the first born sons of the Egyptians and those of their animals were to
die, starting with the son of Pharaoh to the son of a slave in Egypt.

Instructions for the Preparation of the Tenth plagues

Moses called all the elders of Israel and gave them the following instructions:-

26
 CRE Form One Work 2022
i. On the tenth of that month, each man had to choose either a lamb or a young goat
for his household. If his family was too small to eat a whole animal, then he and his
next
door neighbor were to share the animal. The animal chosen was to be male, one year
old and without blemish. Using a young animal signified the innocence of the sacrifice
an animal without blemish signified the purity of the sacrifice.
ii. The animal chosen was to be killed on the evening of the fourteenth day of that month.
The animal’s blood was to be smeared on the two door posts and the lintel of the
Israelite’s houses. The blood was to act as a sign of distinguishing the Israelites’
houses from those of the Egyptians. This was to ensure that the angel of death would
spare them when he killed the first born sons of the Egyptians.
iii. The lamb or animal for sacrifice was to be roasted whole, meaning with its head,
legs and inner parts. Roasting was the quickest method of coking since the Israelites
were in a hurry.
iv. The meat was to be eaten that night with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. This
was because there was no time to ferment the dough. The bitter herbs signified the
bitter experiences of slavery in Egypt.
v. They were to eat the sacrificial meat after they were dressed up and packed their
luggage. This was because they were in a hurry to leave
vi. The Israelite women were to ask for jewels, silver and clothing from the Egyptians
women on the eve of departure. These items were to act as compensation for the
free labor the Israelites had given in Egypt.
vii. Everyone was to remain indoors until morning in order to be protected from the
angel of death
viii. The Passover was to be commemorated annually and its significance taught to the
coming generations

The Israelites carried out all the instructions given. On the 14th night, the angel of death or
“the destroyer” passed over the Israelites’ houses, sparing them and killing the first born sons
of the Egyptians. Pharaoh’s son was not spared, neither the sons of slaves in the Egyptian
houses, or the male offspring of their animals. There was wailing and crying throughout Egypt.
The tenth plague broke Pharaoh’s heart and arrogance. He called Moses and Aaron and
commanded them to take the Israelites out of Egypt.

Attributes of God from the Ten Plagues

The plagues revealed that Yahweh was:-
➢ More powerful than the Egyptian gods
➢ Aware of the problems of the Israelites
➢ Determined to save His people
➢ Working through His prophet, Moses
➢ Was just
➢ Requires absolute obedience

27
 CRE Form One Work 2022

4. THE EXODUS
The journey from Egypt to the wilderness by the Israelites is what is called the Exodus
which means “going out”.

a. The crossing of the Red Sea Exodus

14: 5-31
The people of Israel had been in slavery for 430 years when Moses led them out of
Egypt. Moses wanted them to get away as quickly as possible. This is because God had warned
Moses that Pharaoh would pursue them. He led them south, towards the Mountain of God,
Mount Sinai.
Just as God had been with His people in Egypt, so was He with them when they left. He
went before them during the day in a pillar of cloud and during the night in a pillar of fire.
Pharaoh took 600 chariots, horsemen and soldiers, and pursued the Israelites. He hoped
to bring them back because he did not want to lose the slave labor. Pharaoh’s army soon came
close to the Israelites. The Israelites saw a cloud of dust at a distance and knew that the
Egyptians were after them. They were afraid and angry at Moses. They said it would have been
better for them to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert.
Moses assured the Israelites that God would not abandon them. Yahweh ordered Moses
to stretch out his hand over the sea that was ahead of them. A strong wind parted the water and
the people of God crossed on dry ground to safety.
Pharaoh’s soldiers, who had also reached the sea, began to cross. When they reached the
middle of the sea, the water began to flow back and filled the path the Israelites had used. The
chariots and horses could not move. They tried turning back but this was not possible. God ones
again told Moses to hold out his hand over the sea, and the water flowed over the Egyptians until
none of them was left alive.

b. God provides water in the wilderness Exodus

15: 22-27, 17: 1-6
From the Red Sea, Moses led the Israelites towards Mt. Sinai through the desert. Soon,
the people were thirsty and hungry.
Their faith in God came under severe test as they began to grumble because they could
not get water to drink at Marah and Rephidim. They wondered why Moses brought them into the
wilderness to suffer.
Moses sought God’s guidance in a bid to appease the Israelites. At Marah, the bitter
waters were turned sweet after God told Moses to throw a tree into the water. At Rephidim, God
told Moses to strike a rock with his rod and water flowed from it.
After this, God promised to protect the Israelites from diseases if they obeyed Him
because He was their leader.

c. God provides Manna and Quails Exodus

16: 1-13
The people of Israel lacked food while in the wilderness. When they complained and
mourned to Moses, God provided food for them

28
 CRE Form One Work 2022
God provided Manna and each morning the people gathered the day’s portion. Manna
was white seed-like substance that tested like biscuits made with honey. He also provided Quails
which came in large flocks. A Quail is a round-bodied bird with a small tail.
d. Defeat of the Amalekites Exodus
17: 8-16
While at Rephidim, the Israelites were attacked by men from the tribe of Amalek. Moses
had become too old to fight, so he asked Joshua, the son of Nun, to lead the people to battle.
Moses stood on a hill with his hands held out to God in prayer.
Whenever the Israelites saw his hands held up, they knew God was in control, but
whenever Moses got tired and put his hands down, they lost hope and the Amalekites began to
win. Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands and eventually the Israelites won

5. THE MAKING OF THE SINAI COVENANT

Exodus 19, 20: 18-21, 24: 1-8
a. i. Preparation
God made a covenant with the Israelites at Mount Sinai in the wilderness. He brought
them here so that He could enter into a personal relationship with the whole community of
Abraham’s descendants
God called Moses to the mountain to ask him if the Israelites were willing to obey Him.
If they were, He promised to make them: ❖ His People
❖ A Kingdom of Priest
❖ A Holy Nation
When Moses came down to the foot of the mountain, he told the Israelites what God had
said. The Israelites promised to do what the Lord had spoken. As He had promised earlier, God
told Moses to inform the Israelites that He would come down in a thick cloud to meet them.
God wanted to confirm to the people that Moses was His true prophet. In preparation for God’s
coming, the Israelites were to;
➢ Make themselves holy by washing their garments
➢ Mark the boundaries on the foot of the mountains so as to prevent any person or
animal going up the mountain.
➢ Abstain from sexual relationship
On the third day, Moses took the Israelites to meet their God. God manifested His presence in
form of thunder, lightening, earthquake and a thick cloud that covered the whole mountain.
There was also a loud trumpet blast that made the people tremble
Moses went up the Mountain and was given the Ten Commandments. Moses came back
from the mountain and told the people about the laws and ordinances which were to guide them
as a covenant people.
All the people answered in one voice, and said “All the words which the Lord has spoken
we will do”

ii. Sealing of the Covenant

The following morning, Moses prepared a ceremony to seal the covenant. He built an altar at
the foot of the mountain on which he placed twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of
Israel. Then he sent young men to offer burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.
Moses took half of the blood and poured it on the altar, the place of meeting with God. He
then took the book of the covenant, in which the divine laws had been written down by him, he

29
 CRE Form One Work 2022
read it in the hearing of all people and they all said, “all that the Lord has spoken, we will do
and we will be obedient.”
Then Moses took the remainder of the blood and sprinkled it over the people. The sprinkling
of the blood implied that the covenant was binding the Israelites to God.
God concluded the covenant ceremony by giving Moses the two stone tablets on which the
laws were written.

b. The Ten Commandments Exodus 20:1-17

These are the main laws which God gave Moses. The Greek name for them is Decalogue.
These laws were either conditional laws or absolute laws
Conditional law states that if a certain thing happens, then a certain consequence will
follow.
Absolute laws were unconditional, whereby everything had to be followed without
question or discussion
The Ten Commandments are divided into two major groups, these are:-

i. Those which define the people’s duty towards God

Under this category, fall the first four commandments ii.
Those which define one’s duty towards others
Under this category fall the last six commandments

The Ten Commandments are:-

i. You shall have no other gods before Me
The Israelites were to worship God alone. Christians are urged to love God with all their
heart, mind and soul.

ii. You shall not make for yourself a graven image

God was not to be depicted in any form or description such as images or idols

iii. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain
This commandment forbids the use of God’s name in light or careless manner without
regard to His holiness. One should not swear in God’s name

iv. Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy

The Sabbath Day was instituted by God at creation. Since God rested on this day after
completing the work of creation. This is still applicable today.

v. Honor your father and mother that your days may be long
This means that God’s gift of life is passed on to us through our parents. Parents sustain
their children by providing for them in every way they can. Therefore, they deserve respect,
obedience and love from their children. This is the only commandment with a blessing.

vi. You shall not kill

It is God alone who gives life and it should be Him alone to take it. Christians are called
upon to preserve, respect and protect life. Therefore, acts like abortion and murder are evil and
thus condemned by God.

30
 CRE Form One Work 2022

vii. You shall not commit adultery

It is wrong to have sexual intercourse with somebody else’s wife or husband, for such an
act will sow discord in the community.

viii. You shall not steal

Stealing indicates lack of trust in God’s providence. Practices like slavery, robbery,
cheating in trade and refusal to pay debts are condemned.

ix. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor False accusations destroy
respect and love among God’s people.

x. You shall not covet your neighbor’s property

This commandment condemns greed of any nature. Christians are encouraged to practice
self control and acquire what they need justly.

Besides the Ten Commandments, the Israelites were given other rules and regulations to
govern their daily lives. Those rules dealt with matters concerning religious ceremonies,
treatment of slaves and strangers, theft, loses and repayment, violence and bodily injury.

c. The Breaking of the Covenant Exodus 32: 1-35

Although the Israelites had promised to keep the covenant, they did not take long before
they dishonored their pledge to obey God. This happened when Moses had gone to the mountain
to receive the written Ten Commandments
He had left Aaron in charge of the people. When Moses delayed in coming back, the
Israelites became impatient and restless. They asked Aaron to make them a god that would lead
them, for they did not know what had happened to Moses.
Aaron told them to take off the rings of gold which were worn by their sons, daughters
and wives and bring them to him. Then, he melted them and molded a bull calf and the Israelites
said that that was their god which had brought them out of Egypt.
They also built an altar for god. They offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to it and
indulged themselves in eating, drinking and sex.
In the meantime, God revealed to Moses that the Israelites had broken the covenant. God
threatened to destroy them. Moses interceded for them and God changed His mind.
As Moses came down the mountain, he found the Israelites singing and dancing around
the golden calf. This annoyed him and he threw down the stone tablets on which the Ten
Commandments were written on. Moses took the golden calf, burnt it into powder, mixed it with
water and made the Israelites drink. Then he called those who had not sinned and ordered them
to take their swords and kill those who had sinned.

d. The Renewal of the Sinai Covenant Exodus 34: 1-35

The renewal of the covenant came after Moses had pleaded with God not to destroy the
Israelites after they broke the covenant. God spared the Israelites.
The Lord commanded Moses to cut two stone tablets and go up to the mountain. Then He
told Moses that He would make a covenant with the Israelites again.

31
 CRE Form One Work 2022
Conditions that God expected the Israelites to fulfill with the renewal of the Sinai
Covenant
❖ to obey what God commands them
❖ not to make any treaty with the those who live in the land where they were going ❖ To
break down the altars, sacred stones and false gods of the inhabitants of Canaan.
❖ Not to worship any other god
❖ Not to make cast idols
❖ To keep the feast of the unleavened bread
❖ To rest on the seventh day
❖ To dedicate all their first-born male children and first-born male of their domestic
animals to God
❖ To offer to God the first fruits of their crops
After all these commands, God promised the Israelites that He would:
➢ Protect and preserve them
➢ Bless them
➢ Make them prosper so much that the surrounding nations would enquire
about their source of wealth and success.
After these promises, God asked Moses to write these words in new set of stone tablets.
This showed that the covenant between God and the Israelites was now renewed.

6. HOW THE ISRAELITES WORSHIPPED GOD IN THE WILDERNESS

Exodus 20: 22-26, 23: 14-20
Worship refers to the reverence paid to God. It may also refer to the recognition given to
God as the creator and controller of the universe.
During this period in the wilderness, the Israelites worshipped God as individuals and as
a community. This occurred at specific places, at different times and in a particular manner. All
worship involved:-
➢ Offering of prayers
➢ Petitioning God for desired favors
➢ Thanking God for His protection and providence
➢ Singing songs of praise
➢ Offering sacrifices and offerings by priests
➢ Observing the Sabbath Day

Various aspects of Israelites worship and where it occurred:-

a. SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS

In sacrifices, animals were used where as in an offering, agricultural produce was used.
Sacrifices included:
i. Burnt offerings/holocaust
Here the sacrificial animal was completely burnt and therefore, entirely removed from
human possession and given to God.

32
 CRE Form One Work 2022
ii. Atonement/ sin offering
This type of sacrifice was offered when one had sinned either against God or his/her
fellow human beings and wanted his/her sins to be forgiven. The one who had sinned brought an
animal before God and it was offered as a sacrifice. In this case, the animal died on behalf of the
person who had sinned.

iii. Peace offering/communion sacrifice/fellowship offering

In this sacrifice, part of the meat of the sacrificial animal was eaten by the people and
other parts which consisted of fat and blood were burnt on the altar for God. The purpose of this
sacrifice was to bring the worshippers into union with God.

iv. Gift offering

In this offering, the best animal or grains that God had blessed the concerned party was
chosen and offered to God as a thanksgiving

v. Meal offering/drink offering

This type of offering involved both vegetable and animal offerings. Meat offering could
be offered alone, but was usually offered together with fresh agricultural produce.

vi. Incense offering

Incense is a substance composed of sweet smelling herbs. It is burnt before God and it
was a sign of God’s holiness and His acceptance of the sacrifice.

b. FESTIVALS
Festival is a celebration commemorating a past event such as a day of independence in a
given country.
The festivals in the Israelites community included:-
i. The Passover/ Feast of the Unleavened Bread
This feast was held annually at the beginning of each year. Unleavened bread would be
eaten for seven days of the first month in every New Year. The feast was a commemoration of
the Israelites’ liberation from Egypt.

ii. The Feast of Weeks/ Pentecost

This feast originally marked the end of the wheat harvest. Later, it was conducted 50 days
from the Sabbath following the Passover, hence the name Pentecost.

iii. The feast of tabernacles

This festival marked the end of the agricultural year. It took place in autumn when the
fruits had been harvested.

c. ALTARS
Altars are earthly marked meeting places between God and people.
The Israelites built an altar in places where they received a Theophany or God’s physical
manifestation. Examples of altars are like the ones Moses built at the place where Amalek was
defeated and at the foot of Mount Sinai.

33
 CRE Form One Work 2022
d. THE TENT OF MEETING
This was a portable structure in which the Israelites worshipped God in. it was also called
a Tabernacle
The outer court of the Tabernacle consisted of an altar for burnt offerings and a basin
where priests washed their feet and hands.
The interior part of the Tabernacle had two chambers. The outer one contained an altar
for incense, the golden sick and bread of the presence table. The second chamber was known as
the most holy place because it contained the Ark of the Covenant.
The Ark of the Covenant was a wooden box that was covered by pure gold and the inside
contained the two stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written on. It was taken
care of by the Levites who were appointed priests the time of Moses.
The Tabernacle symbolized the presence of God among His people. Only appointed or
elected people would approach the Tent of Meeting. Priests would go inside the tabernacle to
offer prayers and sacrifices to God on behalf of other people.

Identify the elements of Israelites worship which have found place in the Christian
worship today
i. The Passover feast which marked the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt. This is
also referred to as The Lord’s Supper in the New Testament and Christian worship
today.
ii. use of prayers and songs
iii. observing the Lord’s Day (Sabbath) by modern Christians iv. offerings are also
given in form of money, goods and services v. building of altars

7. THE ISRAELITES’ NEW UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURE OF GOD

Exodus 33, 34
Although God introduced Himself to Moses as Yahweh, the Israelites only came to know
Him through their experiences in the wilderness.
The renewal of the covenant showed that the broken covenant relationship could now be
formerly restored. Yahweh showed that He is a merciful and compassionate God by giving them
a second chance.
The favored position of the Israelites in God’s presence was a source of envy by other
nations. They were God’s chosen nation
In the wilderness, the Israelites came to know God as their healer. He promised to heal all
their diseases if they obeyed Him.
Despite the Israelites’ sins, God fulfilled His promises to them of a land of their own. He had
promised to drive away their enemies.
They came to recognize Him as God of Victory for He defeated the Canaanites, Perizzites,
Hittites and Jebusites who had occupied the Promised Land.
The Israelites realized that they could depend upon God as He was faithful.

34
 CRE Form One Work 2022

CHAPTER FIVE
LEADERSHIP IN ISRAEL-DAVID & SOLOMON
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
By the end of this topic, the leaner should be able to:
i. explain the reasons for Kingship in Israel ii.
Explain reasons against Kingship in Israel iii.
Explain King Soul’s failures
iv. Explain the lessons that can be learnt from King Soul’s failures
v. Explain and appreciate the importance of David as King of Israel and as ancestor of
Jesus Christ vi. Explain the qualities of a good leader drawn from King
David’s leadership vii. Explain and asses King Solomon’s achievements and
failures viii. Explain the importance of the Temple in Israel
ix. Desire to seek God’s guidance in leadership

INTRODUCTION
Leadership refers to the manner in which a community’s way of life is ruled or
controlled.
When the Israelites settled in Canaan for the first 200 years, they were ruled by Judges.
THE FIRST Judge was Joshua who took over after Moses died in the wilderness. The last
Judge was Samuel.
However, Yahweh, the God of Israel, remained the sovereign ruler of His people.

DUTIES OF JUDGES
❖ They led the Israelites to war against their enemies
❖ They settled disputes among the people
❖ They acted as religious leaders and led the Israelites in worship. They received God’s
Spirit who gave them the knowledge and power to carry out these duties
❖ Some of the Judges acted as God’s prophets.

1. REASONS FOR KINGSHIP IN ISRAEL

1st Samuel 8: 1-9
The Israelites were led by Judges from the time they settled in Canaan. However, it
reached a time where they made a decision to have an earthly king to rule over them. Some of
the reasons for Kingship are:-
i. Samuel’s sons, Joel and Abidjan, were corrupt and took bribes
When Samuel grew old, he appointed his two sons to be judges in his place. The two sons
lacked good leadership qualities of their father. They were corrupt and took bribes. The Israelites
went to Samuel and asked him to choose a king to rule over them.

ii. The Israelites wanted a warrior king to lead them to war and bring victory to
Israel.

35
 CRE Form One Work 2022
The place where the Ark of the Covenant (Sanctuary) was kept had been destroyed by the
Philistines. The Philistines had also taken the Ark of the Covenant. Canaan; therefore, faced
threat of being a Philistine empire. As a result, the Israelites wanted a warrior king who would
lead them into battles against the philistines so as to recover the stolen ark.

iii. The Israelites wanted kings like the other nations around who had kings
Moabites, Philistines, Amalekites and Phoenicians all had kings. The Israelites saw that they
were the only nation in that region who had no king. Hence, they wanted one.

iv. The Israelites wanted a physical leader whom they could see and approach This
implied that they were rejecting Yahweh as their unseen ruler

v. The Israelites wanted a stable political government ruled by laws and order
They wanted a government that had enough security established through a regular army and
perhaps one with an established law courts to try and punish wrong doers.

2. REASON AGAINST KINGSHIP IN ISRAEL

1st Samuel 8: 10-20
By demanding a king, the Israelites were seen as rejecting Yahweh as their unseen ruler. God
told Samuel to give the Israelites strict warnings and explain how the king would treat them. For
example:-
i. The king would conscribe the Israelites’’ sons forcefully into the army
ii. The king would introduce forced labor
iii. The king would grab people’s land or vineyards for government use iv.
The king would turn people into slaves
v. The king would force their daughters to work for his wives’ sons and for the
royal house in general
vi. Israel would become like other nations which did not know Yahweh and then
they would cease to be a covenant people.
vii. Yahweh would reject them when they cried to Him.
The elders request for a king threatened to destroy the true identity of Israel as a “people of
God” and as a covenant people

3. KING SAUL’S SUCCESS AND FAILURES

1st Samuel 13: 8-14, 15: 7-25
Saul was son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. God commanded Samuel to anoint him.

King Saul’s success

i. Saul was Yahweh’s own choice
ii.Saul received God’s spirit, which gave him power to act as God’s appointee like it had
happened with the judges. iii. Through Yahweh’s help, Saul fought against all Israel’s
enemies everywhere and won. For example he:-
❖ Fought against the Amalekites
❖ Led a successful war against the Philistines
❖ Defeated the Amalekites

36
 CRE Form One Work 2022
King Saul’s failure
i. He became impatient and offered sacrifices to God at Gilgal instead of waiting
for Prophet Samuel
Samuel had told Saul that he would meet him at Gilgal and offer sacrifices to God before
the Israelites’ army went to fight the Philistines. Saul waited for seven days and Samuel
seemed late in coming. The Philistine army started closing in on the Israelites. Saul’s army
started running away to escape from the Philistines. Saul feared that unless he received God’s
blessing before going to battle, the Philistines would destroy them. Saul decided to offer a
sacrifice to god as a matter of urgency.
Just as he finished offering sacrifice, Samuel arrived and was angry with Saul and
rebuked him. Saul had appointed himself as a mediator between God and the people. (He
was neither a priest nor a prophet to do that work) therefore, Samuel prophesied the end of
his rule.
ii. He failed to carry out the law of total destruction of an enemy conquered
The Law of Herem or the Ban required that when the Israelites went to war against any
enemy, they were to destroy everything: man, woman, child, cattle and all property belonging to
the enemy.
However, when Saul led his army against the Amalekites and defeated them, he did not
destroy everything as Samuel had commanded him to do. Saul and his army kept the best sheep,
lambs, cattle and everything else that was good, he intended to offer them as burnt sacrifices to
God. He also captured King Agag alive and spared his life.
Samuel met Saul and he was disappointed with him and refused to listen to Saul’s excuses as
to why he had disobeyed God’s commandment. Samuel told him that to obey God was better
than mere sacrifice to Him.
iii. The spirit of god left Saul and was replaced with an evil spirit that tormented
him
iv. Saul turned against David because David had become popular with the
Israelites.
v. He consulted a median in trying to bring back Samuel’s spirit, hence practiced
idolatry

Lessons learnt from king Saul’s failures

Saul’s failures have messages for both Christians and other leaders, for example:-
i. Need for patience ii. Need for obedience and faith in God
iii. Need for political leaders to listen to advice from Church leaders
iv. Need for not turning against rivals
v. Need for sincerity in worship of God

4. KING DAVID’S IMPORTANCE

1st Samuel 16:1-23; 2nd Samuel 6: 1-15

37
 CRE Form One Work 2022
After Saul was rejected as king of Israel, Samuel was guided by God to go to Bethlehem.
To the home of a Shepherded called Jesse who had eight sons. God would then show him who
among those sons would be anointed as the next king of Israel.
Seven of Jesse’s sons were brought before Samuel; one at a time but God told Samuel
that he had not chosen any of them. However, when the youngest son, David, a shepherded, was
brought before Samuel, God told Samuel that that was the one, he should anoint him.
Samuel then took the olive oil and anointed David in front of his brothers. The spirit of
the Lord then took control of David and was with him from that day on. However, this anointing
had to be kept secret from Saul; otherwise he would plan to kill David. David had to wait until
Saul died before he would take over. David was then employed in the service of Saul to be
playing a lyre and harp to sooth Saul whenever he was possessed by an evil spirit.
As long as David worked for Saul, he remained faithful servant of the King. He was
loved by Saul’s family. He even married one of his daughters. He became a personal friend of
one of Saul’s son called Jonathan.
Many years later, Saul and his sons were killed in a battle against the Philistines. David
then became the next king and ruled for over 40 years as king of Judah and Israel. His successes
lay in the fact that he knew and obeyed God in all his undertakings.

KING DAVID’S ACHIEVEMENTS

I. He was chosen by God
II. He received public anointing at Hebron where he signed a treaty with the elders. This
meant that he had been acknowledged by all the twelve tribes of Israel as their king.
III. He received the spirit of God from the time he was anointed. IV. He was a
brilliant military commander.
He broke the Philistines’ control over Canaan. He also waged successful wars against Moab,
Ammon, Edom, Amalek and Aram (Syria). He concluded a treaty with the Phoenician King,
Hiram of Tyre.
V. He captured the old fortress of Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it his capital
city. Jerusalem was a neutral site belonging neither to the Southern nor to the Northern
tribes of Israel.
VI. He removed the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Abinadab in Shiloh and
brought it to Jerusalem with a great ceremony, singing and dancing. He then brought
priests of Jerusalem and attached them to the royal court.
VII. He expressed faith in God. In this, he managed to kill Goliath, the great Philistine
warrior. He consulted God before going to war and never forgot to thank God for
whatever blessing he had bestowed on him.
VIII. He was a skilled musician and composed many Psalms that were used and are still
being used in temple and church worship.
IX. David respected the prophets of God and always consulted them whenever he wanted
to do anything.
X. He expanded the geographical boundaries of Israel through conquests and after
which he would annex the land.
XI. He was a great diplomat and established good political relations with the neighboring
kings.
XII. He was a shrewd administrator who chose wise elders and counselors to advice him.

38
 CRE Form One Work 2022
XIII. God promised to establish an everlasting kingdom for David where his descendants
would live in security never to be disturbed by anybody.
XIV. David ruled over Israel, administering law and justice to all people.
XV. He insisted on taking census of all Israel.
XVI. He had remarkable leadership qualities. For example he was a brave man, eloquent in
speech, patient and God fearing.
XVII. David was humble. He was ready to accept sins he had committed and repent.
XVIII. David received great favor from the Deutronomist by asserting that David was an
ideal king.

5. DAVID AS AN ANCESTOR OF JESUS CHRIST

2nd Samuel 1-29; Luke 1:26-33
After building a palace for himself, David intended to build a temple for God. He
consulted Prophet Nathan to find out whether it was in order to do so. The prophet approved the
idea. However, later that night Nathan received revelation from God which stated that David was
not to build the temple. God instead made the following promises to David:-
❖ God promised to keep David and his descendants safe from all enemies.
❖ God would give David’s descendants a place to settle
❖ God promised to raise up an heir from the house of David to sit on the throne
❖ He promised to let David’s son be the one to build a temple for Him. God’s
relationship with this king would be like that of a father to his son
❖ God promised to establish an everlasting kingdom for David
❖ God promised to make David’s name great or famous among all other leaders of the
earth.
Some of these promises were fulfilled through Solomon his son, who also built a temple for
God. David’s reign was also marked by period of peace and prosperity.

The promises made to David were also fulfilled in the New Testament through the
coming of Jesus Christ in the following ways:-
1. Jesus was born by a girl in Galilee who had been promised in marriage to Joseph, a
descendant of King David.
2. Angel Gabriel in his annunciation message to Mary says that Jesus will be king like his
ancestor David.
3. Zachariah in his Benedictus says that God has risen up a savior descended from the house
of David.
4. Jesus was born in Bethlehem which was also the birth place of David.
5. The blind man at Jericho hailed Jesus as the son of David and looked to him to restore his
sight.
6. Jesus was hailed by the crowd as the Messiah, descended from David during His
Triumphal entry into Jerusalem
7. The early apostles like Peter and Paul, in their Sermons, made a number of references to
Jesus as a descendant of David
8. Saint Paul asserted that the Good News of salvation is about the son of God that took
human nature and was born from David’s lineage
9. In his genealogy, Saint Mathew also says that Jesus was a descendant of David.

39
 CRE Form One Work 2022
6. QUALITIES OF A GOOD LEADER DRAWN FROM KING DAVID I.
Courage/bravery
David was a courageous military commandment who led his people to wars.
II. Faith
David was a God-fearing man and expressed his total trust in God by consulting Him before
engaging in any adventure
III. Gratitude
David always thanked God for any success or favors he received from Him
IV. Loyalty
David drew the support of his subjects by concluding a number of agreements or treaties
with both the men of Judah and Israel in which the subjects promised their loyalty to him and he
did likewise.
V. Justice
David is said to have administered justice to all his subjects without favoring anyone. He
never practiced tribalism or nepotism.
VI. Wisdom
David was a wise man; he chose wise legal advisors to assist him in his rule and chose
Jerusalem, a neutral spot for administration hence tribal jealousies.
VII. Humility
King David was ready to admit his mistakes and accepted criticism and rebukes from
religious leaders such as prophets. He was ready to repent when he realized his mistakes. VIII.
Kindness
David forgave Saul and spared his life even though the latter wanted to kill him.

7. KING SOLOMON’S ACHIEVEMENTS AND FAILURES

1st Kings 3-11
Solomon was the son of David. He was appointed by his father to succeed him. He was
anointed by Zadok, the priest. He ruled for 40 years like his father David.

KING SOLOMON’S ACHIEVEMENTS

a. He was a successful merchant. He achieved this by establishing and developing
trade with the neighboring countries.
b. He built up a professional army equipped with horse-drawn chariots.
c. Solomon appointed government officials who assisted him in his
administration.
d. He developed a diplomatic relationship with foreign countries by marrying
the daughters of the Kings of Egypt, Moab, Edom, Tyre etc.
e. He was a great wise man and was praised for this.
f. He built the temple for God.
g. Solomon brought the Ark of the Covenant to the Temple of Jerusalem. This
represented God’s presence among His people.
h. He built himself a palace that took 13 years to complete.
i. He composed 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs

40
 CRE Form One Work 2022

KING SOLOMON’S FAILURE

i. He married foreign wives who worshipped other god’s
ii. He built temples for the Pagan gods worshipped by his wives
iii. He introduced forced labor in the building of palace & the temple
iv. He killed his own half brother, Adonijah, he suspected he could be his
rival to the throne
v. He practiced nepotism. Solomon’s own tribesmen from the tribes of
Judah and Benjamin were exempted from forced labor.
vi. He introduced high taxation in Israel. vii. He valued himself more
than God; he spent only seven years in building the Temple, but 13 years
in building his own palace.
viii. He was extravagant in the way he used the wealth belonging to the
state of Israel.
ix. King Solomon sold part of Israelite territory: 20 towns of Galilee to
Hiram, the King of Tyre in repayment for a debt he was unable to settle.
x. He hired the skills of pagan craftsmen who designed, decorated and
furnished the Temple of God.

THE DEATH OF SOLOMON AND THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM

1st King 12
When Solomon died, his son, Rehoboam succeeded him. A delegation of elders from the
ten tribes of the North led by Jeroboam I. son of Nebat, met Rehoboam at Shechem. They
presented their memorandum and told him they were willing to accept him as their king if he
would give them some assurance of better treatment. They wanted him to rule them less harshly
than his father Solomon had done.
Instead of listening to their grievances, he threatened them even with worse treatment
than his father.
The delegation was angered with the harsh reply and rebelled against Rehoboam. They
made Jeroboam I King of the Northern tribes. This split the kingdom into two; Israel comprising
ten tribes and Judah comprising two tribes.
The Kingdom of Judah retained Jerusalem as its capital city. Jeroboam fortified two
cities, Shechem and Penuel from where he ruled Israel in turn. He finally settled at Tirzah to the
north of Shechem.

8. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TEMPLE IN ISRAEL

a. It symbolized God’s presence among His people through the Ark of the Covenant
which was kept in the Temple.
b. It was a dwelling place for God. On the day of dedication to God, God’s glory filled the
Temple in form of a thick cloud.
c. It was a house of worship and prayer.
d. it was a place where all first-born male children were dedicated to God
e. all the Jewish religious festivals or feasts such as the Passover and Pentecost were
celebrated in the Temple

41
 CRE Form One Work 2022
f. The temple was a training place for the Jewish religious teachers. These are the
Scribes
g. The Temple was the place where the prophets and priests lived.
h. The Temple was the only place where all rites of purification were carried out.
i. It was used as a law-court by the council of Jewish religious leaders called the
Sanhedrin.
j. The Temple was the only place where sacrifices to God were offered by the priests
k. Religious ceremonies like naming and circumcision of baby boy took place in the
Temple on the eighth day.
l. It was the place where the right types of animals for sacrifice were brought by the Jews
who had travelled long distances to celebrate the annual feasts.

42
 CRE Form One Work 2022

CHAPTER SIX
LOYALTY TO GOD-ELIJAH
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
By the end of this topic, the leaner should be able to:
a. Identify the factors that led to the spread of idolatry in Israel
b. Explain the effects of Idolatry in Israel
c. Describe the Mount Camel’s contest
d. Explain how Elijah fought corruption in Israel
e. Outline the reasons why Elijah faced danger and hostility as a prophet of God
f. Explain the relevance of Elijah’s prophetic mission to Christians today

1. FACTORS THAT LED TO THE SPREAD OF IDOLATRY IN ISRAEL

Idolatry refers to the worship of idol. (An idol is an image representing a god). The
following contributed to the Israelites idol worship:-

a. The local Canaanite Religion

Characteristics of the Canaanites religion that made it be a constant temptation to
the Israelites
i. It was a nature religion. The worshippers aim was to control forces of nature such as
rain and drought.
ii. The aims of the religion were to ensure continued fertility of land, flock and people.
iii. It was a cyclic religion which meant that seasons were repeated in contrast to
Yahweism which was linear.
iv. It comprised family of gods
➢ the high god was called El, the King and the father of years
➢ The “wife” of El was Asherah, a goddess of fertility.
➢ The storm god was called Baal, also referred to as the god of rain and fertility
➢ The female partner of Baal was called Baalath which means Lady although her
personal name was Ashtarte
➢ The sister of Baal was called Anat, a goddess of war and love.
➢ Mot was the god of drought, famine and death
v. Symbols were used to represent each god. i.e Baal was in the form of bull and stone
pillar, Asherah by a sacred pole.
vi. temple prostitution was practiced. It was believed that if a barren couple imitated Baal
and Ashtarte when having sex, they would be able bear children.
vii. there were many places of worship such as temples under sacred trees and on top of
the hills
viii. sacrifices including human beings were offered to these gods
ix. Festivals and feasts were also celebrated. For example:

43
 CRE Form One Work 2022
➢ Feast of Unleavened Bread which was carried out at the beginning of the barely
harvest
➢ Feast of weeks celebrated during the wheat harvest
Characteristics that made Israelites an easier target to Canaanites Religion and way of life
i. Israelites transformed from pastoral life to agricultural life
ii. The belief that a god was only powerful in his own land
iii. The Israelites were attracted to the visible gods of the Canaanites as
opposed to the invisible Yahweh
iv. The Israelites’ failure to effect God’s command to destroy all the cultic
objects and temples used in the worship of Canaanite gods

b. Religious Schism between Judah and Israel

Schism refers to a division within or separation from an established church/religion but
not necessarily involving a difference in doctrine.
After the separation of the two kingdoms, Jeroboam feared that the people of Israel, will
be won over by Rehoboam in Judah if they continued going to Jerusalem to worship, so he did
the following:-
i. He made two golden calves and placed one at Bethel and the other one at Dan to
act as the visible representation of Yahweh
ii. He ignored Jerusalem as centre of worship and set up two rival places of worship at
Dan and Bethel iii. He made the Israelites to offer sacrifices to the two golden
bulls representing
Yahweh
iv. He built other places of worship on hilltops thus copying the practices of the
surrounding nations.
v. He chose priests from ordinary families to serve Yahweh at the centers of worship
instead of the tribe of Levi
vi. He instituted religious festivals or feasts in the month of his choices vii. He burnt
incense at the altar of idols

c. King Ahab’s Marriage with the Phoenician Priests

When Omri, Ahab’s father, seized power, he made great political achievements for Israel.
He formed an alliance with the king of Phoenicia.
To strengthen further the political union between the two countries, Israel and Phoenicia,
Omri arranged for the royal marriage of his son, Ahab to Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king
of Tyre.
Immediately Ahab became the king of Israel, he tried to please his wife by allowing her
to introduce her religion to Israel.
She imported her Baal (Baal-Melkart) to Israel which was the official protective god of
Tyre.
She also imported 450 prophets of Baal and supported them out of the public treasury
King Ahab built a temple for Baal-Melkart, equipped it with an altar and an image of
Asherah-mother goddess
Jezebel began a strong complain that resulted with the Israelites being forced to worship
Baal hence Baalism became the official state religion.

44
 CRE Form One Work 2022

2. THE EFFECTS OF IDOLATRY IN ISRAEL

i. Syncretism-the process in which certain beliefs or practices from different religions
are fused. Yahweh became one of other gods as the Israelites fused/mixed elements
from Canaanite gods to the worship of Yahweh.
ii. Former places of worship for the Canaanite gods were turned into places of worship
for Yahweh without removing the Canaanite symbols such as altars and pillars.
iii. The Canaanite agricultural calendar was adopted by Israel for the timing of the
pilgrimage festival.
iv. Names of the Canaanite gods (i.e. El, the father of all gods) was used for Yahweh
v. The Canaanite sacrificial system was incorporated into Israelite worship. For example
peace offerings, burnt offerings and cereal offerings were originally Canaanite
vi. Under the influence of Jezebel, king Ahab declared Baalism a compulsory state
religion
vii. Queen Jezebel ordered the destruction of the altars of Yahweh viii. Prophets of
Yahweh were killed
ix. 450 prophets of Baal were made the officials of the royal court

3. ELIJAH’S FIGHT AGAINST FALSE RELIGION AND CORRUPTION

Introduction o Elijah was a prophet from the Northern
Kingdom of Israel
o He prophesized during the reign of King Ahab, sixty years after Jeroboam I had been
ruler of Israel
o This was a time when the worship of Yahweh was on the verge of extinction because of
threats from Queen Jezebel.

a. Elijah’s fight against false religion 1st king 18: 17-46

God told Elijah to go and meet the king. As soon as King Ahab saw him, he called him
trouble maker. Elijah had stated that there would be no rain in the capital (Samaria) until he say
so. This was because of Israelites unfaithfulness
Elijah asked the king to gather all Israelites together with the 450 prophets of Baal to a
contest at Mount Carmel
The contest was to determine there and then, who was the Lord, who had the power to
control rain and fertility
Elijah told them to bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal to take one and offer a sacrifice
to their god and Elijah to offer the other one to God They were not to light any fire and the
people agreed that the God who answered by fire would be the true God
The prophets of Baal were the first to offer their sacrifice. After preparing the altar, they
started praying to their god. Shouting and dancing around the altar.
However, there was no answer. By midday, Elijah started mocking them in four different
ways. He told them to pray harder because Baal is:-

❖ The philosopher, inventor-he is musing or pre-occupied

❖ The patron of Phoenician merchant-he is busy or gone aside

45
 CRE Form One Work 2022
❖ The patron of his sailors-he is on a journey or business trip
❖ The winter sleeper, the vegetable god- he is asleep and must be awakened.

Baal failed to answer his prophets by bringing fire to consume the sacrifice
After this, Elijah repaired the abandoned altar of Yahweh; he set up twelve stones, to
represent each of the twelve tribes of Israel. He poured water on the wood. The purposes of these
rituals were:

➢ To enhance the fire miracle by ensuring that the altar was wet
➢ To bring down rain by imitating the falling of rain

After this, Elijah prayed to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for help. Immediately
after his prayer, the supernatural fire descended from heaven and consumed the sacrifice.
Elijah then condemned the prophets of Baal to death. Afterwards, Elijah performed rain
ceremony. On that day, rain fell in great torrents.

Lessons learnt about the nature of God from the contest at Mount Carmel
➢ Yahweh is the only God. Baal is no god at all
➢ Yahweh is a living God who controls forces of nature
➢ He is the Lord of nature
➢ Yahweh is a powerful God
➢ Yahweh is a merciful God who back wayward hearts
➢ Yahweh is a jealous God who will have no other gods besides Him
➢ Yahweh is a God of justice who punished idolaters and other sinners ➢ Yahweh answers
prayers

b. Elijah fight against Corruption 1st King 21: 1-29

Corruption can be defined as any form of injustice done to the innocent by those in
position of leadership
King Ahab coveted Naboth’s vineyard which was close to his own palace at Jezreel,
Samaria’s second capital. Ahab offered to buy the vineyard at a generous price or have it
exchanged with another one.
But Naboth refused to sell or exchange the inheritance for the one reason that it was a
family estate.
Naboth’s refusal to sell or exchange the vineyard made King Ahab gloomy and he even
refused to eat.
Jezebel, his wife, consoled him and told him not to worry as he was King and would
get the vineyard. She forged letters in the King’s name and accused Naboth of blasphemy and
treason.
Naboth was not given time to defend himself, he was stoned to death in accordance to the law.
The land hence became a state property and Ahab went to possess it.
God sent Elijah to go and pronounce divine judgment on the house of Ahab for what he
had done. He was to tell Ahab that his dynasty was going to be destroyed.
Ahab put on sack clothes as a sign of repentance. God hence promised to effect
punishment during the reign of his sons and not him.
As for Jezebel, God said that dogs will eat her body in the city of Jezreel.

46
 CRE Form One Work 2022

Forms of corruption found in our society today are:-

❖ Tribalism
❖ Bribery
❖ Cheating in business
❖ Stealing
❖ Robbery with violence
❖ Dishonesty
❖ Misuse of public funds/property
❖ Grabbing of personal and public land

c. Ways in which Christians can help in reducing corruption in Kenya

➢ Respecting oneself and others
➢ Respecting laws set up in the constitution
➢ Building a fair and just society by applying life skills such as critical thinking, creative
thinking and making appropriate moral decisions
➢ Pray for the corrupt to change their behavior
➢ Set good example of acting as good role models for others
➢ Educate people on the evils of corruption
➢ Report those who engage in corrupt practices to the relevant authorities.

4. REASONS WHY ELIJAH FACED DANGER AND HOSTILITY AS A

PROPHET OF GOD
1 king 18: 1-46. 19: 1-21, 21: 1-26
st

Because of Elijah’s work as prophet of God, he had direct conflict with the king and
Jezebel. The two wanted to kill him for the following reasons
➢ Elijah had pronounced a three year drought in Israel
➢ Prophet Elijah had put to death the 450 prophets of Baal during Mount Camel
contest
➢ Elijah had boldly condemned King Ahab for taking away Naboth vineyard

5. WHAT IS THE RELEVANCE OF ELIJAH’S PROPHETIC MISSION TO

CHRISTIANS TODAY?
i. Church leaders should remain courageous and firm in condemning any form of social
injustice in society
ii. Christians should remain faithful to God through word and deed even if this would cost
them their lives
iii. Christians should not despair in their missionary work but lean on God for
encouragement and providence
iv. Christians should pray to God in faith as God would answer them
v. Christians should advocate for rights of the poor and speak against any form of
oppression
vi. Christians should not give false evidence against their neighbors like Jezebel did to
Naboth vii. Christians should be persistent like Elijah in their struggle
against injustice
viii. God is able to establish an intimate relationship with His faithful.

47
 CRE Form One Work 2022

SECTION TWO

AFRICAN RELIGIOUS
HERITAGE-MORAL AND
CULTURAL VALUES

48
 CRE Form One Work 2022

THE AFRICAN COMMUNITY

Specific objectives
By the end of this section, the learner should be able to:-
a. Explain the importance of blood kinship in the African communities
b. Explain the factors contributing to harmony and mutual responsibility in the African
Community
c. Explain the importance of rites of passage
i. Birth and naming
ii. Initiation iii. Marriage
iv. Death
d. Explain the changing attitude of African communities towards the rites of passage
e. Explain the role of specialists in the Traditional African communities
f. Discuss and evaluate continuity and change of the African understanding of community
land, property, worship, medicine, old age and dressing

KINSHIP SYSTEM IN TRADITIONAL AFRICAN

SOCIETY
Kinship refers to relationships
In A.T.S, each individual is related to the other person either through blood or marriage
Blood relatives include parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents
Through marriage, the husband or wife acquire more relatives who are referred to as in laws
Every marriage brings new links thus increasing and strengthening the kinship ties.

FAMILY TREE

Great Grandparents Great Grand -parents

Grandparents Grandparents

Aunts Uncles Father Mother Uncles Aunts

Cousins Cousins Cousins Cousins

Brothers Sisters

Nephews Nieces Nephews Nieces

49
 CRE Form One Work 2022
IMPORTANCE OF BLOOD KINSHIP IN AFRICAN SOCIETY
The kinship system extended to ancestors who were seen as part of the living. Kinship
was important because:-
i. It controlled relationship among people ii. It governed
marriage so that clans related could not marry
iii. It encouraged communal living and unity. It bound members of the community
together
iv. It took the responsibility of solving social problems. This provided security to all
concerned
v. It emphasized the brotherhood of human beings and promoted harmony in the society.
It was the duty of each member of the community to ensure that the society lived in
harmony
vi. Each person learnt the values of the society during the rites of passage. This gave
members a sense of belonging
vii. Wishes of the ancestors and spirits were respected so that they did not curse the
family
viii. Family problems were solved to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts ix. Each
adult was responsible for discipline the children
x. Children were taught how to behave toward older people

50
 CRE Form One Work 2022

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO HARMONY AND

MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE AFRICAN
COMMUNITY
These factors include:-
i. Division of labor
ii. Communal
worship
iii. Leisure activities
iv. Rites of passage v. Sharing
vi. Social norms/rules and regulations
vii. Punishments for law breakers
viii. Communal work
ix. Virtues

1. DIVISION OF LABOR
Various tasks to be performed were fairly distributed among the people
Elders -they played political roles and they were the chief counselors
-they maintained laws and order
-they settled disputes
Old women -they looked after the grandchildren
-They educated girls on their roles as future wives and mothers
Young unmarried men -They provided security for the community
Small boys -Helped in handling animals
-Teamed up with their fathers and young men in some of their activities
-They learnt through observation and acquired skills such as smelting, hunting
and building
Girls -They help their mothers in household duties like cooking, looking after babies, fetching
firewood and water
-they learn some skills such as weaving and pottery.

2. SHARING
They shared material things and participated in all activities depending on age, sex and status

Rites of passage
The whole community participated in ceremonies related to birth, initiation, marriage
and death.
All kinsmen, friends and neighbors actively participated in the ceremonies by sharing
responsibilities, eat and feast together.

3. COMMUNAL WORSHIP
During such occasions, people come to thank God for a good harvest or after victory in
battle. In such a function, sacrifices are made and prayers offered. During such times of crisis,
for example, when there is a disaster, an epidemic or serious sickness, people gather and offer
sacrifices to God and to the ancestral spirits in order to appease them.

51
 CRE Form One Work 2022

4. LEISURE ACTIVITIES
In African Traditional Society, leisure is integrated with other activities although after
work; people rest and share jokes. People are occasionally entertained by the youth through
singing and dancing during times when there is little work to be done. In the evenings, men are
entertained by the youth. As the elders watch the youths perform, they encourage and correct
them accordingly and also they identify certain talents among the performers

5. SOCIAL NORMS
In A.T.S, people grow up knowing what is right and wrong. Rules and regulations are
established to govern and regulate people’s behavior. Everybody understands the virtues they
should uphold such as friendship, love, honesty, courage, bravery and b compassion. People
are also discouraged from developing vices such as cheating, theft, selfishness, greed and
dishonesty. Social norms keep the community from disintegrating and they provide peace to the
individual and the society.

6. RITES OF PASSAGE
Rites of passage are important stages in a person’s life. Such rights are turning points
which make changes from old to new stages in one’s life. They include:-
i. Conception and pregnancy ii.
Birth iii. Naming iv.
Initiation
v. Marriage vi.
Death vii.
Burial viii. Life
after death
N/B Each individual involved in each stage goes through a number of ceremonies with three
main characteristics.
a. Separation –being secluded/cut off from the rest of the people around for a period of
time
b. Transition –this is a period of change brought about by new knowledge given during
seclusion period
c. Incorporation –This is a return to the ordinary community.
Ritual performed, assumed both social and religious values. It is through these rites that
kinship ties are strengthened.

A. Conception and Pregnancy

The unborn child is very valuable to the larger community hence the pregnant mother is
greatly taken care of. The expectant mother is not referred to directly as expectant. Terms like:-
❖ She is heavy
❖ She is full
❖ She is satisfied
Direct reference to this stage can easily affect the unborn child. It can lead to miscarriage
or other abnormalities.
Special treatment given to the expectant Mother

52
 CRE Form One Work 2022
i. She had to avoid being in the company of people with various disabilities such as
the blind and the lame.
ii. She had to keep off from metallic objects iii. She had to avoid doing heavy work
like splitting firewood, carrying heavy luggage iv. In some communities, the
expectant mother had to keep off from the husband. v. She was supposed to
abstain from certain food such as eggs and fatty meat. vi. She was supposed to
wear protective charms
vii. She was not supposed to speak to the husband directly. It had to be through an
intermediary

B. Birth of the Child

The birth of the child is a community affair as the child belongs to the whole community. It
is witnessed by elderly women who act as midwives. Men are not allowed to go near the
delivery place.
When the baby arrives, Its sex is announced in various ways such as shouts and ululations.
This is because everybody is eager to know the sex of the baby. Some communities like Gikuyu,
give five ululations for a baby boy and four ululations for a baby girl.
The placenta is disposed off ceremoniously:-
➢ In some communities, it is thrown into a running stream or river.
➢ In others, it is dried up and kept for rituals to be performed later.
➢ In others, it is carefully buried near the homestead or in uncultivated field or in a
shamba with bananas or cereals.
➢ In some, it is hung in the house to symbolize the continuity of life.
All these ceremonies are observed so that the womb may remain fertile to ensure
continuity of life. The umbilical cord is also disposed off ceremoniously. Where birth
took place
➢ A special house has to be built for that purpose
➢ In the house of the expectant mother
➢ In the home of the expectant mothers parents

Rituals and ceremonies conducted during birth

i. The father prepared sugar cane dish-for the mother and the child and for her
strength ii. The child was washed and smeared with oil for cleansing iii. The
father sacrificed a goat- -to purify the homestead
-as a way of giving thanks,
-for protection of the child
-for joining the child with the ancestors

iv. The mother and the child were kept in seclusion

v. The mother and the child were shaved. Shaving of the hair indicated that the mother
had lost out pregnancy and growth of new hair was a symbol of new and clean life

Sacrifices offered during birth

➢ Sacrifice which were of the goat and sheep were intended to bring God and the
ancestors to share the occasion of birth of the child with the clan
➢ They were being appeased to protect the mother and the child

53
 CRE Form One Work 2022
➢ It was for thanks giving for the giving of the baby

C. Naming of the child

a. Describe ways of naming children in African Traditional Society
i. Some of the names given reflected the problems that the parents faced.
For example, a special name is given to a child who is born after many years
of childless marriage. In some instances, if many children have died before the
arrival of another, such is given the name of an animal or ugly name as an
indication that they have little hope that this one will survive.
ii. Some reflected the conditions of weather and seasons of the time of birth.
For example floods, drought and famine. Others reflected certain activities
within the community such as planting, harvesting or hunting. Names like
Wanjala and Nanjala show that these were born during famine. Some also
describe important or strange events that are current among the people
such as wars or the invasion of locust. For example Nasiche for Luhyas' and
Ngige for Kikuyu’s showing the invasion of locusts iii. some names
have religious connotations for example Were for Luhya God.
iv. other names reflected the different labor the mother went through during
delivery
v. twins are given special names
vi. some names are given to remember the departed relatives. This is so
especially when the new born baby shows features of such a person. Names of
the dead relatives show gratitude to the ancestors and retain links between the
living and the dead.

Changing attitude to birth and naming

i. women attend antenatal clinic and eventually give birth in hospitals and health centre.
Doctors play the role of midwives ii. the mother and the child are not secluded
from the rest of the family members iii. the sex of the baby is casually
announced by attending doctors and midwives in hospitals. It is not accompanied by
ululations
iv. the birth of the new baby is no longer a community affair but rather a family affair.
v. The rituals performed to the mother and the child in the past has been down played.
For example participation in shaving of hair and protection rites
As regards naming, many communities have retained their traditions so that the name given
reflects the character and personality of the child or the person they are named after.

D. Initiation Rites in most communities in Kenya, the main initiation rite for boys is
circumcision and
clitodectomy for girls. Others like Luo’s have six of their lower front teeth removed.
Initiation rites involved the whole community. Every member of the community is
expected to undergo the rite, failure to which the person will be looked as an outcast and as a
child no matter how old he/she might be.
Before initiation ceremony is done, the young people are prepared both physically and
psychologically. The physical preparation involves being properly fed on a special diet so
that they are healthy and strong. The psychological preparation involves them being informed

54
 CRE Form One Work 2022
on what to expect and what is expected of them. They are encouraged and challenged to face
the ordeal with courage and taught about its significance.

Reasons why initiation rites are important in A.T.S

i. The initiate gains a new status in life; he/she moves from childhood to adulthood and
is considered a mature and full member of the community.
ii. After initiation, a person acquires new rights and privileges. For example he or she
qualifies to marry. The man can also own property and has a right to inherit his
father’s property. A man can now bury his father, defend his family and the
community.
iii. Initiates receive special education from sponsors during the seclusion period.
They’re instructed on how to behave as adults, warriors, future husbands and parents
iv. Initiation ceremonies bring families, relatives and friends together. They help
strengthening kinship ties for example the shading of blood binds the initiates to the land and
to the ancestors
v. Initiation ceremonies are looked at as an occasion for prayers to God for the well
being of the initiates and the property of the whole community
vi. In some communities, initiation rites help in structuring the community through age
or groups.
vii. In some communities, like among the Maasai and Poket, the initiation rite is a sign of
courage and bravery. It helps to identify the warriors.
viii. The pain endured during initiation prepares the initiates to face the difficulties and
challenges of adult life.

Channing attitude towards initiation rites

i. It is no longer possible to gather together all those undergoing rituals such as
circumcision and keep them in seclusion for long periods. This is mainly due to
demand of formal education
ii. Boys are taken to hospitals individually by their families for the operation for
hygienic and safety reasons
iii. The pomp that used to accompany such rituals is slowly dying out due to economic
reasons
iv. It is difficult for those circumcised at the same time to know one another and even
form age groups or sets
v. Parents organize to circumcise their children when much younger unlike in the past
when this was done at puberty.
vi. Circumcision is being practiced by some communities which never practiced it before
for example the Luo
vii. Education offered during such rites in the past is now being offered formally through
subjects such as Biology, CRE, SEE and Home Science
viii. Many Kenyan communities have abandoned the practice of circumcision of girls

Give reasons why initiates were put in seclusion for some time
i. To give them an opportunity to share experiences
ii. To enable proper feeding for all

55
 CRE Form One Work 2022
iii. In order to undergo some rituals to bond them together
iv. It was easy to guide and counsel them on adulthood responsibilities and customs v.
Seclusion kept them from women and children vi. They were secluded to
cement their brotherhood relation vii. To help in proper check-up and monitoring
of their healing viii. To learn the community secrets, customs and traditions of
the people.

E. Marriage Rites
In A.T.S marriage is looked upon as sacred and ordained by God

Importance of marriage in African Traditional Community

i. Through marriage, new social relationships are created between families and
relatives. As a result, the web of kinship is expanded
ii. Marriage ceremonies (where there is feasting and rejoicing) brings the whole
community together and everybody in the community has a role to play
iii. The new couple is provided with an opportunity to learn new knowledge and skills,
for example, how to build a family, how to fulfill sexual needs and how to love and
be loved. It is in marriage that a man and a woman find mutual love and
companionship
iv. It improves the status of individuals in society. They are more respected and accorded
social responsibilities. Their status increase further when they get children. The
survival of the community is ensured through the children born within marriage
v. Marriage was a source of wealth for the man and the family as a whole. In
polygamous marriage for example, the many wives and their children provided the
necessary labor that was required. The more children the couple had, the more
prestigious they become in society.
vi. Sons born in marriage inherit their father’s property
vii. Children promote the social status of their parents. If a family has many children, the
man and his wife will be accorded more respect than in cases where there are few or
no children. viii. Children make the marriage complete and strengthen the bond
of unity between husband and wife.
ix. Children take care of their parents in old age and give them a decent burial when they
die
x. Children provide security for the home collectively. The young unmarried men were
expected to defend the community against any aggressors
xi. Through marriage, the living, the dead and the yet to be born are brought in harmony.
Marriage makes it possible for the African to regain the loss immortality through the
children born and who are named after dead relatives.

What approaches were used in chasing a marriage partner in African

Traditional Society?
i. Parents chose the partners when the boy/girl was young or not yet born ii.
Some young people made their own choices and then informed their parents iii.
It was made by an intermediary
iv. In some communities, the girl was waylaid on her way home

56
 CRE Form One Work 2022
v. Senior wives made a choice of another wife/wives for her husband vi. In
some communities, twin boys married twin girls
vii. In other communities, marriage was done through inheriting the wife of the
dead brother.
viii. In some communities, rich men/leaders were given wives as gift ix. Some
debtors would give her daughters as a wife for the creditor

Changing attitude to marriage rites

i. Western culture, such as formal education and Christianity have changed marriage attitude
to some extent
ii. It used to be an obligation for all normal persons to get married and have children. This is
not happening today because there are many individuals who decided not to get married.
iii. In A.T.S, pre-marital sex was not permitted and offenders were severely punished.
They also valued virginity among girls and girls of this kind fetched a lot of bride-price on
wedding day. today, the society has become permissive and morality has declined.
iv. The more children a married couple had, the more prestige they gained in society. Today
most couples prefer small families because of economic constrains
v. Today, young people get into serious relationships before they have time to know each
other’s background
vi. Today, divorce cases are on the rise and marriage vows are not taken seriously by people
vii. Marriage in A.T.S was basically for procreation but today a couple can decide to stay
together even without children
viii. Bride price has been highly commercialized today to an extent that it has lost meaning
ix. Today, people prefers monogamous marriages as opposed to polygamy
x. In the past, marriages were carried out within tribes but today there are inter-tribal and
even interracial marriages which have diluted cultural practices.
xi. Today, young people get married late in life because they have to complete formal
education, vocational training and look for employment before they can think about
settling down in marriage

F. Death Rites
Death was the final stage in one’s life. It was a community affair and was seen as inevitable.
Death is a sorrowful event because the dead person is physically and permanently removed from
the living members of the family

Causes of death in African Traditional Society

i. Sorcery/witchcraft/evil
magic ii. Curses of the old iii.
Breaking of taboos/oaths iv.
Punishment from God
v. Failure to respect the
ancestors vi. Eating poisoned food
vii. Accidents viii.
Diseases
ix. Natural calamities for example drought or floods
x. Neglecting the ancestors

57
 CRE Form One Work 2022
xi. Lack of reverence to God

State five rituals performed during the funeral rites in African Traditional Society i.
The corpse was washed in some communities using water and herbal medicine in order to
preserve it and send it clean to the spirit world
ii. In some communities, the dead are buried with their belongings such as food stuffs,
animal, bows and arrows. Such communities believe that the dead will need these
things in the next world.
iii. Pregnant women and children are not allowed to touch or come in close contact with
the corpse so that misfortunes do not befall them.
iv. The dead are buried in a carefully selected places in the ancestral land so that the
spirit continuous to be close to the family
v. The body is also carefully placed in the grave facing the appropriate direction
according to the customs of the people
vi. In some communities, the bodies are properly dressed before disposal while in others,
like the Luhya, they are buried naked in the belief that they will be reborn in the spirit
world
vii. The grave which is a symbol of separation is respected by being protected and made a
family shrine in the cases when the dead were the head of the family. People avoid
walking over it
viii. Before and during burial, the members of the family and all relatives enter a period of
mourning. Normal activities temporarily are halted. In some, people smear their body
with white clay, others stop washing their bodies, refrain from sexual intercourse or
stop eating
ix. During the same period, there is singing or mourning songs and dancing as a way of
expressing sorrow and sending off the departed to the next world
x. In some communities, there is feasting and drinking of bear
xi. After burial, close relatives share their hair as a sign that one of their members has
been separated from them and for cleansing impurities. The new hair that grows
shows that life continuous after death.

Describe ways of expressing solidarity during funeral rites in African Traditional

Community
i. Everyone took part in ceremonies performed by the bereaved family for example
eating and dancing
ii. They helped to prepare home duties for example cleaning and cooking iii. They
brought the food to be eaten during the mourning period iv. They came to
mourn with the family of the dead to give them moral support v. They came
to prepare the grave/digging is done by young men
vi. Members of the bereaved family in form the friends and relatives in the event of death
vii. They attend the funeral to bid farewell to the dead
viii. They sing/dance and sacrifice to the ancestors to express their solidarity ix. They give
the Eulogy to praise the diseased and his/her contribution to the community

Describe ways in which African Traditional Society demonstrated their belief in life
after death

58
 CRE Form One Work 2022
i. Burying the dead with their belongings to enable them to continue with life in
the spiritual world
ii. The dead is buried in his best estate as a sign that he’s with the family iii.
Continued care for the dead through attending of grave
iv. Offerings of sacrifice/libations to the dead are offered to appease them
v. Preparing the corpse through washing in water and herbal medicine to send it clean to
the spiritual world
vi. Purification ceremonies after burial were performed as a sign that no misfortune has
been left
vii. Burying the dead without cloths to ensure quick re-birth in the spiritual world viii.
Singing and dancing to send away the departed peacefully to the next world ix.
Children are named after the ancestors/dead
x. The ancestors were the intermediaries between men and God. they were consulted to
give solutions

Changing attitudes to death and funeral rites ❖

Funeral rites are still taken seriously by all Africans Communities.
❖ Most of the dead are still being taken to ancestral land for burial. Others are buried in
cemeteries in urban centers or wherever they’ve purchased land
❖ The major method of disposing bodies is still by burying although some communities
prefer cremation
❖ Among Christians, although death is sorrowful and painful, it is also looked at as a
gateway to joining the savior in heaven for the righteous. Sinners go to hell where there is
eternal suffering
❖ However, in Traditional African Religion, there is no concept of heaven or hell. Those
who die join the world of spirits
❖ Christians believe in the resurrection of the body but Africans do not have these beliefs

59
 CRE Form One Work 2022

THE ROLE OF SPECIALISTS IN TRADITIONAL

AFRICAN SOCIETY
Specialists are people who have undergone training and have acquired great knowledge
and skills in a certain occupation or study.
In African Traditional Society, specialists are people who have special knowledge
and skills on different subjects in the community. The specialists included:- ➢ The rain
makers
➢ The elders
➢ The diviners
➢ Prophets
➢ Priests
➢ Healers

THE RAINMAKERS
They were normally responsible for bringing rain. Rainmakers normally pray for rain.
They plead with God for rain and they tell the people when the rain will fall.
Identify five duties of rainmakers in African Traditional Community
i. They prayed for long hours for rain ii. They performed rituals
when asking for rain or stopping the rain iii. They advised people about the
time to expect the rain iv. They acted as mediators between God and the
people. They offered sacrifices/prayers/offerings to God. this was done with the
help of priests
v. They acted as diviners and prophets
Outline the methods used to acquire the rain-making skills in African Traditional Society
i. By consulting other rain-makers ii.
Through studying the skies iii. By
studying the habits of trees and plants
iv. They studied the habits of birds for example sparrows, animals or insects
v. By studying the heavenly bodies for example the moon, the sun, the clouds and stars
vi. Use of common sense
vii. There are those who were called by the ancestors

THE ELDERS
State the duties of elders in African Traditional Society
i. They act as a government in the community and are called upon to perform important
functions such as settling family and land disputes
ii. They make major decisions affecting families and the community
iii. They stipulate rules and regulations to be followed for the purposes of maintaining
law and order
iv. They ensure that traditional values and cultural practices are observed and maintained
by all through the education given to the youth and members of the community
v. They play a leading role during important functions in the community; for example,
during the rites of passage
vi. They assist priests in preparing and performing rituals of sex and marriage

60
 CRE Form One Work 2022
vii. They lead the members of their families in religious functions such as sacrifices or
pouring of libation

THE HEALERS
These were also referred to as medicine men. They inherited the profession from their
parents
Roles of healers/medicine men
i. They were responsible for the combating(preventing) sickness and misfortunes
ii. Advising people on prevention methods by pointing out the possible causes of
death such as witchcraft, curses, sorcery and magic, bad omen
iii. Aid in increasing productivity and love among spouses iv. Removing curses
v. Controlling spirits/ancestral powers which could harm the living. vi.
They gave protection and security from evil forces
vii. Guaranteeing prosperity and good fortunes
viii. They were responsible for cleansing harm and impurity

DIVINERS
The main role of the diviners is to find out the hidden secrets or knowledge and then
convey the same to other people. They also work as medicine men
The diviners communicate with the spirit world directly or through mediums. The median
help diviners to find out the following:-
i. Which spirit of the living dead needs to be appeased
ii. Those who bewitch others iii. Types of rituals and
medicine
The practice of diviners has been seriously affected by the adoption of Christian and Western
values

PROPHETS
In African Traditional Society, prophets are also called seers. They possess special powers
and can predict what is going to happen in the future. Some of them receive revelations about the
future through visions and dreams
Sometime, they use their intuition and foresight and are able to advice the community on
issues that concern them. For example they advise and warn the people when to expect problems
like drought, war or raids.

61
 CRE Form One Work 2022

CONTINUITY AND CHANGE OF SOME ASPECTS

OF TRADITIONAL CULTURE
These deals with the continuity and change of some aspects of traditional African
understanding of:-
i. Community land ii.
Property iii. Worship
iv. Medicine v. Old age
vi. Dressing
Changes in African lifestyles have been brought by:-
➢ Modern education
➢ Urbanization
➢ Individualism

COMMUNITY LAND
➢ In most communities, land was a gift from God and it was communally owned
and inherited from ancestors
➢ Land would not be transferred from one family to another
➢ Land provided food, building materials, firewood, herbs
➢ Family land fixed boundaries and nobody could interfere with it.

Changes
➢ Today, land is still believed as God given, it is a source of livelihood. However,
land is like any other property
➢ It is a source of wealth which can be sold when need arises
➢ Land is individually owned and title deeds are evidence of individual ownership
➢ It is subdivided among individuals in different families
➢ Greed has resorted in land grabbing or conflicts

PROPERTY
In the African Traditional Society property was acquired
through:- i. Inheritance ii. Gifts-cattle iii. Winning
in wars/raiding iv. Payment of dowry v. Individual effort
Wealth was seen in terms of land, cattle, wives, and children. Property was a source of
security and social prestige. Property was commonly owned. The share holders were;- ➢ The
family
➢ The clan
➢ The tribe and
➢ The living dead
Changes ❖
Property is individually owned
❖ There is competition for property even among family members
❖ The poor are neglected
❖ Wealth takes different forms:- money, houses, land etc

62
 CRE Form One Work 2022
❖ Daughters are no longer seen as a source of wealth because many do not get married ❖
Wealth can be acquired unethically through stealing, land grabbing

WORSHIP
The African had a clear concept of the God they worshipped and they called upon Him at
all times to help them. God would be worshipped at individual, family or community level
the purpose of worship was to petition God, thank Him and appease ancestral spirits.
God was worshipped through sacrifices, offerings, prayers, singing and dancing
Places of worship such as forests, hill tops and caves were regarded as sacred and set
aside

Changes
Today many Africans follow the Christian faith and other foreign religions. They have
integrated certain aspects of traditional religion with the Christian faith, for example: -
i. Prayers at individual, family and community level
ii. Congregational or communal worship is regularized at least once a week where
people meet in the house of God for worship
iii. Although God can be worshipped everywhere, there are certain places (buildings) set
aside for worship
iv. Offerings in form of money and material gods v. Singing and dancing vi.
Invocations
African Christians no longer sacrifice animals to God as the case was in the past

63
 CRE Form One Work 2022

AFRICAN CONCEPT OF GOD, SPIRITS AND

ANCESTORS
A. GOD
The traditional idea of God is that He is a Supreme Being/Deity. He was a perfect human
being. The supreme God is that who excels in all good qualities of man. This Being does not
have material body but exists as a spiritual being.

Attributes of God
➢ God is good-He’s the giver of life and sustainer
➢ God is merciful- Proven in times of danger, anxiety etc
➢ God is all knowing –(Omniscient) nothing is/can be hidden for Him
➢ God is holy hence those offering sacrifice ought to be pure
➢ God is all powerful (Omnipotent) supersede everything in power and strength
➢ God is all understanding hence forgiving
➢ God is all present (Omnipresent) simultaneously worldwide
➢ God is limitless not limited by time or space
➢ God is self existent God originated on His own
➢ God is spirit He is invisible and everlasting
➢ God is ever lasting (Eternal) lives beyond lifetime of a person, an animal or a plant. ➢
God is the creator all was created by Him

B. SPIRITS
Spirits are believed to be existing between God and human beings in the universe. There are
many types of spirits and all of them are believed to have been created by God. however, it is
also believed that some spirits were once human beings who died many years back and the living
people can no longer identify them.

Spirits

Nature spirit Human spirit

Sky Earth Long Recently

Spirits Spirits Dead Dead

(Ghosts) (Ancestors)

i.Nature spirits
a. Nature spirits of the sky
These are the spirits which are associated with objects and forces of the sky like the sun,
the moon, the stars, rain, thunder and lightning. The belief in these spirits help people to explain
the mysteries of the forces of nature connected with the sky.

64
 CRE Form One Work 2022

b. Nature spirits of earth

These spirits are connected with forces of the earth such as hills, mountains, rocks and
trees etc

ii.
Human Spirits
They are in two categories, namely: the ghost’s spirits belonging to those who died long
ago and the ancestral spirits (the living dead), whose identity is still alive in the memories of
people. These spirits are believed to appear to the living in visions, dreams or even in the open.
In general, people fear ghosts more than the ancestral spirits.

iii. Divinities
Some African communities in West Africa like the Ashanti of Ghana, Yoruba of Nigeria
and Mande of Sieraleon believe in category of spirits between God and the spirits described
above i.e. divinities
These divinities are believed to have been created by God and they represent His
activities on earth.

The role of the spirits

i. Some spirits (the good ones) appear in people’s dreams especially the diviners,
priests, medicine men and rainmakers to relay information. This information is then
used as given to avoid any punishment from the spirits.
ii. The naughty spirits may call someone by name but on turning round to see who called
the person, there would be nobody.
iii. The religious specialists may also consult the spirits as part of their normal training
and practice
iv. The belief in the existence of spirits provides people with the explanation of many
mysteries which they find in the universe
v. Spirits relay God’s response to human beings
vi. Bad spirits sometimes possess a person. This could cause the person to leave home
and go to the forests, jump into the fire and get burnt etc

C. ANCESTORS
These are the fore-fathers or founders of the African clans or tribes. They are people who
died and whose names and identity are still remembered by the family or clan members

Role of Ancestors
Like spirits, ancestors are believed to appear to the living in various forms such as dreams
and visions. Reasons for appearance are:-
i. To enquire about the family affairs as they are still part of the family
ii. To give instructions to the family as to what should be done in certain areas affecting
it.
iii. To rebuke and worn of the impending punishment to those who failed to carry out
certain instructions

65
 CRE Form One Work 2022
iv. To request for something like an animal to be slaughtered for them if need be v. To
act as mediators between the living and God vi. They punish those who commit
crime
THE AFRICAN UNDERSTANDING OF THE
HIERARCHY OF BEINGS
The African understanding of the universe is that it consists of two parts:-
➢ The visible (the Earth) and
➢ The invisible (sky) which is regarded as the home of God.

a. HIERARCHY OF BEINGS
This universe has a specific order of created beings with God, the Creator, occupying the
highest rank. This ordering is what is referred to as the hierarchy of beings. It can be divided
into seven categories:-
i. God, the Supreme being is at the top. He is believed
to be responsible for the existence and sustenance of
human beings and all other beings
ii. 2nd are the Divinities iii. 3rd are the Spirits
iv. 4th are the Living Dead, (ancestors). This forms an intermediate stage between the
human beings who are alive and the spirit world
v. 5th position is Human Beings. They include those who are physically alive and those
who are yet to be born
vi. 6th are the Living Things like animals and plants
vii. Lastly are the Natural and Artificial Things without biological life such as rain,
rivers, mountains, rocks and all other lifeless objects.

God

Divinities

Spirits

Living Dead (Ancestors)

Human Beings

Plants and Animals-Living Things

None Living Things

b. THE INTER-RELATIONSHIP OF ALL THINGS, LIVING AND

NONELIVING
According to the African view of the universe, all created beings depend on each other
and on God

66
 CRE Form One Work 2022
a. Human Beings and God
i. Human beings, depend on God for most essential requirements of life for example
rain, air and sunshine
ii. They are less powerful than God
iii. They are under all obligations to obey the laws and commandments given by God
iv. Failure to obey these regulations may lead to punishment
v. They must offer sacrifices to God to maintain good relation with him vi.
Natural calamities like draught, floods and earthquakes are believed to be
controlled by God and are beyond people’s power.

b. Human beings and animals

God gave animals to people for their use and they should be handled responsibly
Importance of animals to man
➢ Domestic animals like cattle, sheep and goats are used as food and for payment of dowry
➢ Possession of these animals is also seen as a sign of prestige and wealth
➢ The skins of these animals can be used as clothes
➢ Some are used as sacrifices to God and as payment for a fine by an offender to the
offended person

c. Human Beings and Plants

Ways through which human beings depend on plants are:- ➢
Certain plants like vegetables are used for food
➢ Pastoralists and those rear animals depend on grass and foliage for their livestock
➢ Trees are used for fuel and for building purposes
➢ Plants are also used for conservation of wildlife for example trees

d. Human Beings and Non-living things

None-Living things like rain, rocks and rivers are given a religious significance. For
example, rain is seen as great blessings from God because it brings pasture for pastoralists and
good harvest of crops for agriculturalists. Natural phenomena like thunder are seen as God’s
movement or God’s voice. They are therefore seen as signs of warning from God.

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LIVING TOWARDS GOD, SPIRIT AND ANCESTORS

a) Traditional African worship of God

Worship is people’s attempt to meet and communicate with the spiritual world especially
with God
❖ Sacrifices and offerings were made to God, spirits and ancestors for the following
reasons:-
i. In recognition of God’s absolute ownership of life and property
ii. To invoke God for special blessings to the clan at large
iii. To thank God for various reasons such as success in war or plentiful
harvest by the community or individual
iv. To express a person’s fellowship or communion with God v. To
avert evil

67
 CRE Form One Work 2022
❖ Prayers always accompanied offerings and sacrifices so that the purpose of the occasion
is declared.
❖ Singing and dancing was also done as a way of worship
❖ Prayers, invocation and blessings also formed part of African way of worship

b) Veneration of Ancestors
Every effort made to ensure that good relationships are maintained and that these spirits
and ancestors are not offended
Ways of maintaining good relationship with the ancestors:-
i. Pouring libation of beer, milk and water to the spirits
ii. They are consulted through a diviner or a medicine man when a major family
undertaking or decision is about to be made
iii. They are remembered by naming the children after them iv. They are remembered
through rituals

c) Communication with the spirits

People came to know what the spirits want through the use of specialists especially the
diviners and mediums. The medium who normally works with a diviner gets “spirit possession”
through various means. For example by;
i. Sitting quietly in a place
ii. Singing iii. Dancing iv. Clapping of hands
The medium then loses his/her senses and become an instrument of the spirit. The spirit
begins to speak, giving requests sort and can also make demands on the living

Quiz
i. Identify ways which the Africans sort reconciliation with God ii.
Explain the means through which Africans communicated with God iii.
Identify occasions when prayers were offered in Traditional African
Communities

68
 CRE Form One Work 2022

69