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Forms of corruption in the society

30/9/2016

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Forms of corruption in the society

CHEMISTRY TOPICAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

The following are the forms of corruption found in the society today:

Tribalism.
Bribery.
Cheating in business.
Stealing.
Robbery with violence.
Dishonesty/telling lies.
Misuse of public property/funds.
Grabbing of personal or public land.

ways-of-fighting-against-corruption-in-the-country-today.html

Any form of corruption is wrong as it is an unfair dealing and causes suffering to individuals who fall victim.

It can also retard development in society.
A Christian has a duty to play in building a fair and just society by applying the life skills of critical thinking, creative thinking and making appropriate moral decisions.

English KCSE Set Books

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Elijah’s fight against corruption

29/9/2016

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1 Kings 21 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Naboth’s Vineyard
21

Later the following events took place: Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.
And Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard, so that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house; I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.”
But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you my ancestral inheritance.”
Ahab went home resentful and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him; for he had said, “I will not give you my ancestral inheritance.” He lay down on his bed, turned away his face, and would not eat.
His wife Jezebel came to him and said, “Why are you so depressed that you will not eat?”
He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard for it’; but he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”
His wife Jezebel said to him, “Do you now govern Israel? Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal; she sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who lived with Naboth in his city.
She wrote in the letters, “Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth at the head of the assembly;
seat two scoundrels opposite him, and have them bring a charge against him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out, and stone him to death.”
The men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them. Just as it was written in the letters that she had sent to them,
they proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the assembly.
The two scoundrels came in and sat opposite him; and the scoundrels brought a charge against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city, and stoned him to death.
Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned; he is dead.”
As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Go, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
As soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab set out to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
Elijah Pronounces God’s Sentence
Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:
Go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, who rules in Samaria; he is now in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession.
You shall say to him, “Thus says the Lord: Have you killed, and also taken possession?” You shall say to him, “Thus says the Lord: In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, dogs will also lick up your blood.”
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you. Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord,
I will bring disaster on you; I will consume you, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel;
and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.
Also concerning Jezebel the Lord said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the bounds of Jezreel.’
Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat; and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the air shall eat.”
(Indeed, there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord, urged on by his wife Jezebel.
He acted most abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites.)
When Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth over his bare flesh; he fasted, lay in the sackcloth, and went about dejectedly.
Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite:
“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster on his house.”

Prophet Elijah fought moral corruption by condemning King Ahab’s behaviour involving Naboth’s vineyard.

Ahab coveted Naboth’s vineyard, which was adjacent to the palace.
He offered to buy it but Naboth refused because it was a family inheritance.
The king was depressed but Jezebel planned a corrupt scheme to acquire it.
She forged letters using the King’s Seal and accused Naboth falsely for:

(i) Showing disrespect to God/ Blasphemy.
(ii) Cursing the king/ treason.

This led to the stoning to death of Naboth.
Ahab went and possessed the land.

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Conditions that made it difficult for prophet Elijah to stop idolatry in Israel

29/9/2016

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Conditions that made it difficult for prophet Elijah to stop idolatry in Israel

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Lessons learnt about the nature of God from the contest at Mt. Carmel

29/9/2016

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Lessons learnt about the nature of God from the contest at Mt. Carmel

Yahweh is the only true God. Baal is not a god at all.
Yahweh is a living God who controls force of nature/ He is the Lord of nature/ He has power over nature.
Yahweh is a powerful God.
Yahweh is a merciful God who wins back way ward hearts. I Kings 18:37.
Yahweh is a jealous God who will have no other gods beside him. vs. 21
Yahweh is a God of justice who punishes idolaters and other sinners/He punishes evil.
Yahweh answers prayer/He is a faithful God.
God should be worshipped.
He works through human beings e.g. appointment of Jehu.
God wants human beings to obey him.
He is omnipresent.

-israelites-new-understanding-of-the-nature-of-god.html

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Factors which lead people away from the worship of God today

27/9/2016

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Factors which lead people away from the worship of God today

Drunkardness

Materialism, love/craving for earthly possessions/wealth at the expense of spiritual development.
Corruption which makes people mistrust God/come to the conclusion that God does not care.
Permissiveness in society which makes people lose value especially religious values/social influence from peer groups.
Mass media /pornography where people spend time listening and watching T.V, videos and films. They may influence people’s activities which are contrary to the true worship of God.
Urbanization leads people to lose their identity/change values which may lead to degeneration of morals.
Dehumanization where the value of a person is not considered but the service they can provide.
Threats to human life/human dignity; caused by wars nuclear power/abortion which make people lose faith in God.
Confusion arising from religious pluralism. Some people wonder which is the true religion as some religions advocate worship of idols/Satan.
Oppression. Social/political/cultural/economics/religion suffering might make some people loose faith in God.
Sexual immorality/adultery, fornication, prostitution, homosexuality take away some people from the community of worshippers.
Scientific discoveries. People come to place their faith in science and technology. They believe it can solve all their problems.

-Addiction to drugs.
-Social prejudices/discrimination racism/tribalism destroys the unity of humanity.
-Poverty dehumanizes the unit of humanity.

give-six-reasons-why-the-use-of-the-gifts-of-the-holy-spirit-brought-disunity-in-the-church-at-corinth.html

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LOYALTY TO GOD – PROPHET ELIJAH

27/9/2016

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Elijah means “Yahweh is my God”

Factors that led to spread of idolatry in Israel

Introduction:

Idolatry refers to worship of idols.
An idol is an image representing a god usually made using materials such as bronze, stone or hard wood.
The images of these gods would be kept in the places of worship where the worshipers went to ask for whatever needs they had.
The 2nd commandment Ex. 20:4 forbids making of images of anything “In the heavens above or the earth below…”
The Israelites were forbidden from bowing down to /worshipping these images. (Deut 5:8 – 10 and Lev 26:1)
To guard against the temptations to turn to the worship of the Canaanite gods, Yahweh through Moses had forewarned the Israelites that when they enter Canaan, they were supposed to destroy all the worshipping places e.g. temples/shrines and cultic objects (Ex .34:13).

The Israelites were not supposed to:

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THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TEMPLE IN ISRAEL

27/9/2016

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THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TEMPLE IN ISRAEL

The Temple of Jerusalem played important roles in religious, social and economic lives of the Israelites as follows.

It symbolized God’s presence among his people through the Ark of the Covenant which was kept in the Temple.
It was a dwelling place for God. I Kings 8:12 – 13.
It was a centre/house of worship and prayer for the Jews/ priests offered sacrifices, burnt incense and prayers to God in the Temple.
All the Jewish Religious festivals/feasts such as Passover, Pentecost and New Year were celebrated in the Temple.
The Temple was a symbol of national security because the Jews believed that the Temple would never be destroyed.
Religious rites were performed in the Temple e.g. Purification and dedication rites, naming, circumcision of baby boys and lepers were cleansed in the temple.
It was a place for pilgrimage for the Jews living in Palestine and the Jews of the Diaspora
It was a commercial centre and housed the Jewish treasury where currencies were exchanged and animals for sacrifices sold.
It was a centre for Jewish learning where the teaching of the law was conducted
It was used as a law court where social and religious issues could be solved by the Sanhedrin/council of Jewish religious leader.
11. It was a symbol of Jewish unity. It united the Jews as the people of God, since it was built and maintained by Kings. It was a royal sanctuary thus providing stability for the monarch.
It was the residence for the religious leaders and the place where priests and prophets Lived, e.g. prophetess Anna, Luke 2:36 – 38.
The Jews believed that the Messiah would appear in the Temple.
The Temple was the only place where sacrifices to God were offered by the priests.
God revealed himself to many in the Temple e.g. Hannah, Isaiah etc.

CRE NOTES AND SYLLABUS

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THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL (I Kings 12.)

26/9/2016

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The death of Solomon and the Division of the Kingdom

Death of King Solomon

After the death of King Solomon, his son Rehoboam succeeded him. Not all tribes of Israel accepted him as their King and therefore it split into two. The Northern 10 tribes formed Israel while the 2 Southern tribes formed Judah. Judah retained Jerusalem as the capital city.
Factors that led to the division/reasons for the rise of schism in Israel

Solomon practiced idolatry which made God to punish him by splitting the kingdom.
Solomon built high places for idols.
The introduction of forced labour and heavy taxation led to discontentment among the Israelites and this made them rebellious.
Solomon had many foreign wives who brought with them the worship of foreign gods to Israel.
Rehoboam’s failure to heed to the elders wise counsel to rule the Israelites less harshly.
Rehoboam’s acceptance of the foolish advice given by the youth to rule the people more harshly than his father had angered the people.
Long standing feuds in David’s house.
Jeroboam was ready to lead the rebellious groups against Rehoboam.
Solomon’s favor extended towards the Southern tribes making the northern tribes to rebel/Solomon practiced nepotism and tribalism making northern tribes rebel.

state-five-factors-which-led-to-the-division-of-the-kingdom-of-Israel-after-the-death-of-king-Solomon

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Lessons Christians learn from King Solomon’s reign

26/9/2016

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Lessons Christians learn from King Solomon’s reign

King Solomon

These lessons include to:

Be sexually pure.
Be Monogamous. Solomon’s seven hundred wives led him into worshipping their foreign gods.
Be just and fair.
Respect and honour God.
Not misuse national resources.
Put God above everything else.

king-solomons-failures.html

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King Solomon’s failures

25/9/2016

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King Solomon’s failures

Although Solomon was a successful King, he had many failures. These include;

King Solomon weaknesses

He married many foreign wives who brought with them the worship of foreign gods to Israel. Ex 34:16.
He allowed his foreign wives to worship their gods in Israel.
He built high places of worship/temples for the gods of his wives. Ex 20:4 – 5.
Solomon worshiped the gods of his wives alongside the God of Israel thus broke the covenant with God.
He imposed heavy taxation on his subjects and his districts in order to raise part of the government revenue.
Solomon overspent and misused the wealth of the Kingdom by building a huge palace.
He overtaxed his subjects to maintain high standard of living in his royal court/ was extravagant.
He introduced forced labour to carry on his building programmes. E.g. palace and temple, therefore breaking the covenant rule of brotherhood.
He gave King Hiram of Tyre an area of Israel’s land to pay off his debts thus treating the nation’s land as his own personal property.
He killed his half-brother Adonijah (1Kings 2) because he suspected that Adonijah could be his rival to the throne thus committing murder.
He practiced nepotism by exempting his own people from taxation and forced labour i.e. tribes of Judah and Benjamin exempted from forced labour and payment of taxes.
He hired the skills of pagan craftsmen in the construction of the Temple and his palace.
He made treaties with foreign Nations/neighbouring nations against the covenant requirements.

leadership-in-israel-the-12-mind-blowing-questions-about-solomon-and-answers.html

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QUALITIES OF A GOOD LEADER DRAWN FROM DAVID’S LEADERSHIP

25/9/2016

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QUALITIES OF A GOOD LEADER DRAWN FROM DAVID’S LEADERSHIP

A good leader should posses the following attributes:

Have faith in God. A leader should be a God fearing man/seek God’s guidance as all authority comes from him.
Have courage/bravery and fearlessness in spite of many dangers: a leader should be more courageous than his people.
Be just and fair. All leaders must ensure that there is fair treatment for all in society/was a good administrator/ he never favoured anyone.
David led his armies into battles. Christian leaders should be in the forefront when their people have problems to be solved.
Humility. When David sinned he was ready to ask for forgiveness from God. A leader should accept mistakes and be willing to ask for forgiveness/ repentance.
David consulted the prophets of God in all his undertakings. A leader needs to recognize God’s chosen servants, priests; pastors co-operate with them and constantly ask Gods guidance before indulging in any venture.
Kindness. David had a forgiving heart towards some of the offenders e.g. spared Saul’s life 1 Sam 24:10. Therefore modern leaders should be willing to accommodate their rivals even forgive their offenders.
David felt that he was ruling for God. He was just a servant of God not his master. A leader should lead as a servant of God.
A leader should be patriotic to his country and be ready to sacrifice his life for the sake of unity, love and peace.
A leader should be patient in decision making. David gave his people to decide whether to accept his rule or not.
12. Loyalty. David drew support of his subjects and never imposed his will on them. Modern leaders should never betray their oath of loyalty they make to serve their subjects faithfully after taking office.
Gratitude. David always thanked God for any success or favours he received from him (Samuel 7:18 – 29). Modern leaders should not be boastful over their personal achievements. It is God who gives such success.
Obedient and humble. He humbled himself before God and his Prophets and obeyed God’s commands/compassionate, loving, kind and merciful. He was tolerant with King Saul. He also helped the needy.
Shrewd administrator. He chose wise leaders to help and advise him. Modern leaders should choose wise people to advise them in their administrative duties.

CRE NOTES AND SYLLABUS

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David’s weaknesses

25/9/2016

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David’s weaknesses

King David had the following weaknesses

King David

He committed adultery with Uriah’s wife.
He plotted for Uriah’s murder.
He coveted his neighbor’s wife.
He forced a soldier to meet the wife.
He broke military laws by putting Uriah in the frontline instead of the back.
He married many wives which took a large portion of state money.

Conclusion: He repented and God forgave him.

king-David's-importance.html

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KING DAVID’S IMPORTANCE

25/9/2016

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KING DAVID’S IMPORTANCE

Introduction:
He was the second King of Israel, was anointed by Samuel after Saul failed and regarded as the most successful King in Israel.
Importance:
Refers to his successes, achievement and qualities also King David’s achievements as the king of Israel

I Samuel 16:1 – 23, 2 Sam 6:1 – 1

He was chosen by God to be the king of Israel/anointed by God’s prophet Samuel.
David was filled with God’s spirit right from the time of anointing/throughout his reign.
He had outstanding qualities of leadership e.g. he was charismatic, generous, patient, honorable, wise, brave, eloquent in speech, God-fearing.
He knew and obeyed God/He was a man after God’s own heart/faithful/ trusted God throughout his life.
David consulted prophets of God in all undertakings.
David was acclaimed/accepted/chosen as King of Israel by the whole of Israel at Hebron, 2 Sam 5:1 – 5
He courageously fought and defeated his enemies e.g. the Philistines.
He captured the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites/He made it the political administration capital for the nation and a religious centre.
He chose Jerusalem a neutral city of his nation. 2 Sam 5:6 – 10, 6:1 – 19
He recaptured the Ark of the Covenant.
He united his people through personal efforts.
He extended the boundaries of his kingdom by capturing smaller states.
He established a standing army / he was a good military commander. He broke the Philistines control over Canaan once and for all and shut them up in coastal plain 2 Sam 5:17 – 25, 21:15 – 22.
He also waged successful wars against Moab, Ammon, Edon, Amalek and Aram/Syria and concluded a treaty with the Phoenician King, and Hiram of Tyre. David came to be recognized as the ruler of an empire that stretched from Lebanon Mt. to the boarders of Egypt, from Med. Sea to the desert of Arabia.
He established a long lasting dynasty /Davidic which lasted for 400 years.
He was a shrewd/ good administrator /He chose wise elders and counselors to advice him.
He organized religion through the Temple music/ composed Psalms.
He was humble/ repentant. He was ready to accept the sins he had committed e.g. when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife and arranged for the death of her husband, he was later remorseful. He put on Sackcloth as a sign of repentance after Prophet Nathan rebuked him for the offence (2 Sam 12:1 – 15).
Divided his Kingdom into small administrative districts.
He came up with the idea of building the Temple for God.
God made a covenant with David through Prophet Nathan.
David respected the Prophets of God and always consulted them whenever he wanted to do anything e.g. when he wanted to build the Temple he consulted Prophet Nathan. (2 Sam 7:1)
He was a great diplomat and established good political relations with the neighbouring Kings.
David ruled over Israel, administering Law and justice to all people, (2Sam 8:15).
He insisted on taking census of all Israel 2Sam 24: 1 – 9. The information collected was for the purpose of recruiting young men into military service and deciding on the policy of taxation.
He made his nation rich by taxing his enemies

CRE NOTES AND SYLLABUS

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LEADERSHIP IN ISRAEL: DAVID AND SOLOMON

24/9/2016

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Background to Kingship in Israel

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 period after Joshua’s death was characterized by political and social disorganization and was between the Israelites and their neighbouring nations.
To restore order, God raised judges to rule over the people of Israel e.g.

Othniel      - Judges 3:9 – 10.
Eliud         - Judges 3:15.
Shamgar    - Judges 3:31.
Deborah    - Judges 4:4.
Gideon      - Judges 6:11 – 24, 7:1 – 2.

The Roles of the Judges /Characteristics of judges

They were charismatic.
Temporary leaders who led the Israelites battles.
Upheld covenant faith.
Acted as God’s spokesmen/women and.
Settled disputes.
They ruled Israel on behalf of God.
Some judges acted as God’s prophets.
They acted as religious leaders and led the Israelites during religious functions.
Acted as the conscience of the nation/kings.
Condemned idolatry and preached the worship of Yahweh.

Prophet Samuel was the last judge. When he grew old, he appointed his two sons as judges, but they failed as leaders. The people of Israel went to Samuel and demanded for a king.

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Attributes of God shown in the Jewish Passover

24/9/2016

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Attributes of God shown in the Jewish Passover

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THE PASSOVER

24/9/2016

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Exodus 12:1 – 31

Passover is derived from Hebrew word Pasach meaning “to pass” with the aim of sparing or protecting.

Preparations for the Passover

God instructed Moses to prepare the Israelites for the tenth plague. Moses called all the elders of Israel and gave them the following instructions.

On the tenth day 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 a male, one year old and without blemish. Using a young animal signified the innocence of the sacrifice while an animal without blemish signified purity of the sacrifice.
The animal chosen was to be killed on the eve of the 14th day of that month/eve of the night of the Exodus.
The blood of the animal was to be smeared on the door posts and lintel of Israelites’ houses. The blood was to act as a sign of distinguishing the Israelites houses from those of the Egyptians so that the angel of death would spare them when he killed the first-born sons of the Egyptians.
The lamb/animal for sacrifice was to be roasted whole i.e. with its head, legs and inner parts. Roasting was the quickest method of cooking since the Israelites were in a hurry.
The meat was to be eaten that night with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The bitter herbs signified the bitter experience of slavery in Egypt.
Everything was to be eaten and whatever remained was to be burnt.
They were to eat the sacrificial meat after they had dressed up and packed their luggage (Vs 9 – 11)
The Israelite women were to ask for Jewellery, Silver and clothing from the Egyptian women on the eve of their departure. These items were to act as compensation for the free labour the Israelites had given Egypt.
Everyone was to remain indoors until morning in order to be protected from the angel of death.
The Passover was to be to be commemorated annually and its significance taught to the coming generation.

Please note that:

On that night the Angel of death “passed over” the houses of the Israelites and killed the entire male first born of the Egyptians, including Pharaoh’s son.
There was great wailing in Egypt.
Pharaoh summoned Moses and released the Israelites.
The Israelites left Egypt for the Promised Land through the wilderness/Exodus.

CRE NOTES AND SYLLABUS

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Attributes of God learnt from the ten plagues

24/9/2016

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previously: THE PASSOVER

Attributes of God learnt from the ten plagues

The ten plagues (Exodus 7:14 -11: 1-10)

1. God is almighty/all powerful/ omnipotent and no other forces or power can challenge him. The magicians could not match his powers and accepted that God’s powers are great (Exodus 8:18 – 19).

The Plague of Blood [Exodus 7:19-21]
19 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels[a] of wood and stone.”
20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood.
21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

Exodus 8:18-19 New International Version (NIV)
18 But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not.
Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere,
19 the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said.

ATTRIBUTES OF GOD LEARNT FROM THE TEN PLAGUES

2. God empowers the people he sends to perform miracles and do his work. He gave Moses the rod with which to work and cause the plagues.

Exodus 7:20-21 New International Version (NIV)
20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood.
21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

3. God is determined to fulfill his plans/to save his people no matter how hard the task may appear to the human eye. He does not give up on his people. Exodus 8:22, 9:6, 10:23.

Exodus 8:22 New International Version (NIV)
22 “‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land.
Exodus 9:6 New International Version (NIV)
6 And the next day the Lord did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died.
Exodus 10:23 New International Version (NIV)
23 No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.

4. God gives everyone a chance to repent. He forgives the repentant. Each time Pharaoh promised to release the Israelites, God relieved the Egyptians from the plagues.

Exodus 8:8-14
8 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.” 9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.” 10 “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.
Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God.
11 The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.” 12 After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. 13 And the Lord did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. 14 They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

5. God is God of justice/ he punishes the wrong doer and protects the oppressed. He afflicted the Egyptians who had enslaved his people. He spared the Israelites.

The Plague on Livestock [Exodus 9:1-7 New International Version (NIV)]
9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.” 2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3 the hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. 4 But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”
5 The Lord set a time and said, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.” 6 And the next day the Lord did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died.7 Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.

6. God fulfill his promises/ He is faithful. The Israelites finally left Egypt as God had promised Exodus 3:7 – 10, Genesis 15:13 – 14, 26:3 – 4.

Exodus 3:7-10 [New International Version (NIV)]
7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

7. God expects total obedience and faith from the people he sends.

Exodus 7:1-7 [New International Version (NIV)]
7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, 4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my handagainst Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”
6 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. 7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

8. God is a loving/ caring God. He sees the plight and suffering of his people and works to release them from their suffering.

The Plague of Flies [Exodus 8: 20-21]
20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 21 If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.

9. More powerful that the Egyptian gods.

The Plague of Gnats [Exodus 8: 16-19]
16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” 17 They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. 18 But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not.
Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, 19 the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said.

10. God was aware of the problems of the Israelites.

The Plague on Livestock [Exodus 9:1-4)
9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.” 2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3 the hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. 4 But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”

11. Determined to save his people.

Exodus 3:7-8 [New International Version (NIV)]
7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

12. God was working through Moses. This strengthened faith of the Israelites on Moses their liberator

The Plague of Darkness [Exodus 10:21-29]
21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.
24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the Lord. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.”
25 But Moses said, “You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the Lord our God. 26 Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the Lord our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the Lord.”
27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go. 28 Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die.”
29 “Just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never appear before you again.”

next >> LEADERSHIP IN ISRAEL: DAVID AND SOLOMON

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THE TEN PLAGUES (EXODUS 7:14-11:1-10)

24/9/2016

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Introduction

When Moses reached Egypt, he gathered all the Israelite elders then told them what God had sent him to do.
He performed all the miracles God had shown him and the Israelite elders believed in his mission.
When Pharaoh was approached to let the Israelites go, he became stubborn and increased the workload for the Israelites
Moses had to perform plagues on Egypt. (A plague may be a disease or an unfortunate occurrence in one’s life) (Exodus 7:4 – 5)
The signs and the wonders of the plagues were to make the Israelite and Egyptians know that only Yahweh was worthy of the title God.

1. The plague of blood (Exodus 7:14 – 25)

Moses was commanded by God to tell Aaron to strike the waters of the Nile.
He did this in the presence of Pharaoh and the waters of the Nile turned into blood.
All the fish died and there was no water to drink. This lasted seven days.
He did not release the Israelites.

2. Plague of frogs (Exodus 8:1 – 15)

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.
On seeing this, Pharaoh pleaded with Moses and Aaron to pray to the Lord to get rid of the frogs and he would release them.
They prayed and all the frogs died when Pharaoh saw that the frogs were dead, he changed his mind.

3. Plague of gnats (Exodus 8:16 – 19)

Gnats are small two-winged biting flies.
The Lord instructed Moses to tell Aaron to strike the ground.
Aaron did and all the dust in Egypt turned into gnats.
The gnats covered the entire land.
Even the magicians accepted it as God’s work, but Pharaoh still refused to let the Israelites go.

4. Plague of flies (Exodus 8:20 – 32)

The Lord warned Pharaoh through Moses that he would send swarms of flies to the Egyptian houses. But the Israelites houses would be spared.
When this happened, Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and promised to let them to go and worship so that the flies would go away.
Moses prayed and the flies went away. However, Pharaoh changed his mind and again refused to let the Israelites go.

5. Death of livestock (Exodus 9:1 – 7)

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

6. Plague of boils (Exodus 9:8 – 12)

Moses threw ashes into air as God had instructed.
This produced boils which became open sores on the skin of the Egyptians.
Unmoved by the suffering of his people, Pharaoh would still not let the Israelites go.

7. Plague of hail (Exodus 9:13 – 35)

Moses raised his stick and there was a hailstorm with lightning and thunder. The people, animals and plants that were struck were killed and destroyed.
Pharaoh promised to let the Israelites go but as soon as Moses had prayed and all the hail and thunder stopped. Pharaoh changed his mind yet again. He did not let the Israelites go.

8. Plague of Locusts (Exodus 10:1 – 20)

Locusts covered the whole land and ate all the crops in the fields.
The locusts ate all that had not been destroyed by the hail.
Pharaoh once more pleaded for the plague to be lifted.
As soon as locusts were out of Egypt, Pharaoh changed his mind. He still would not let the Israelites out of Egypt.

9. Plague of darkness (Exodus 10:21 – 29)

God instructed Moses to stretch out his hand to heaven.
There was total darkness in Egypt for 3 days. The Israelites had light where they were living.
Pharaoh remained unmoved and would still not let the Israelites go out of Egypt.

10. Death of first-born sons (Exodus 12:1 – 31)

The last plague is the death of the Egyptians male first born.
The Lord would kill all the first born sons and first male animals of the Egyptians at midnight.
The Israelite males would be spared.

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Christian values learnt from the call of Moses

24/9/2016

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Christian values learnt from the call of Moses

Humility.
Courage.
Faith.
Love/ mercy/ care.
Honesty.
Obedience.
Reverence/ respect/ honour/ God-fearing.
Service.
Holiness.
Inquisitiveness/ knowledge/ curiosity.
Patience/ persistence.
Justice.

list-the-qualities-of-moses-shown-during-his-call-at-mount-sinai.html

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What Moses learnt from this incident/call about God

24/9/2016

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What Moses learnt from this incident/call about God

God is a God of History i.e. He is a God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
God is loving and caring and is concerned with the welfare of his people.
God is transcendent i.e. He is beyond human understanding and description.
God chooses whoever he wills to carry out his plans e.g. He chose Moses, a murderer, fugitive stammerer.
God expects total faith and obedience from the people he chooses to serve him.
God fulfills his promises i.e. he was ready to deliver the Israelites from bondage/ slavery he had promised Abraham.

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Attributes of God learnt during the call of Moses

23/9/2016

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Attributes of God learnt during the call of Moses

God is Holy/ pure. He told Moses to remove his shoes for he was standing on a Holy place.
God ears the cries of his people/answers prayers Vs.7.
Just/God punishes the wrong doers.
Deliverer.Vs.8.
God of History, vs. 15 and Vs. 6
Caring/loving/ merciful/ compassionate.Vs.7.
Faithful/ fulfills promises e.g. fulfilled the promise made to Abraham.
Demands faith and obedience from those he calls/sends.
Transcendent/mysterious/beyond human understanding e.g. burning bush.
Personal/knows us by name e.g. called Moses by his name.vs.4.
Uses human beings to accomplish a task e.g. Moses/God commissions people to perform certain tasks/ works through people He chooses.
Empowers those He sends/doesn’t give people impossible tasks e.g. enabled Moses to perform miracles e.g. changing stick into snake.
Awesome/demands respect vs.5/ worthy of respect.
Knows our suffering vs.7. He had seen the affliction of His people in Egypt.
Has power over nature/all powerful vs.2 e.g. bush burning though not getting consumed/ almighty/ omnipotent.
Eternal. vs. 14 I AM WHO I AM.
All-knowing i.e. knows us by name, our sufferings e.t.c.
Protects his people vs. 12 e.g. promised to protect Moses.
God is omnipresent.
Uses events to reveal Himself to people e.g. burning bush.
God is miracle working God.

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Reasons why Moses was reluctant to accept God’s call

23/9/2016

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Reasons why Moses was reluctant to accept God’s call

He was a murderer.
He was a fugitive / a run away.
He was a stammerer.
He was not sure of God/ God’ name.
The people would doubt him.
He knew Pharaoh would refuse to let the people go.
He felt he was worth the task.

CRE NOTES AND SYLLABUS

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How Christians show respect to God

22/9/2016

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How Christians show respect to God

They set aside a day of worship.
Set aside holy places of worship.
They do not mention God’s name in vain.
They pray to him asking for forgiveness/ confessing to Him.
Live exemplary lives/ role models.
Giving offering/ tithes.
Praise Him for His wonders.
Taking care of the environment.
Looking after the needy.
Preaching/ spreading His word.

CRE NOTES AND SYLLABUS

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Summary of the ways Israelites worshipped God in the wilderness

22/9/2016

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Summary of the ways Israelites worshipped God in the wilderness

Through offerings, incense, grain gift.
Through sacrifices/ Holocaust, atonement.
Through festivals/ feasts e.g. Passover, feast of weeks, Terbanacle.
Had the Tabernacle/ the tent of meeting.
Use of prayers; for thanksgiving and asking for God’s protection.
Use of songs and dances.
Built altars to signify the presence of Yahweh/ approached the altars with respect/ earthly meeting place where they had Theophany.
Male folk presented themselves to God three times a year.
Observed the Ten Commandments/ had laws.
Assembled at the foot of Mt. Sinai where they received the Ten Commandments.
Burnt incense to the Lord/ Yahweh.
Observed the Sabbath as a day of worship by keeping it Holy and dedicating to God.
Paid tithes for the upkeep of the Tabernacle.
Consecrated the Tent of meeting.
Levite priests led the Israelites in worship/ Religious leaders e.g. Aaron, Moses, Levitical Priests.
Made the Ark of the Covenant and carried it whenever they went which symbolized God’s presence.
The dedication of the first born male children to God in memory of the Passover in Egypt.

CRE NOTES AND SYLLABUS

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Elements of the Jewish worship found in the Christian worship today

22/9/2016

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Elements of the Jewish worship found in the Christian worship today

There are a number of elements of Israelite worship which have been carried over from the time of the Exodus to Judaism the early church and to the present time.

These elements include:

The Passover feast which found its origin from the Passover which marked the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt. This is referred to as the Lord’s Supper in the N. T and Christian worship.
Use of prayer and songs in worship.
Observing the Lord’s Day / Sabbath by modern Christians.
Offerings are also given in form of money, goods and services tithes.
Altars. Most Christian churches have altars also called sanctuary.

NB: The worship of God by the Israelites was more similar to that one of the Traditional African worship.

Observing the Ten Commandments.
Burning of incense e.g. catholic church.
Spiritual leaders e.g. pastors, priests.
Dedication of children to God.

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Forms of corruption in the society

Conditions that made it difficult for prophet Elijah to stop idolatry in Israel

Lessons learnt about the nature of God from the contest at Mt. Carmel

C.R.EQUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Factors which lead people away from the worship of God today

Elijah means “Yahweh is my God”

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TEMPLE IN ISRAEL

The death of Solomon and the Division of the Kingdom

Lessons Christians learn from King Solomon’s reign

King Solomon’s failures

QUALITIES OF A GOOD LEADER DRAWN FROM DAVID’S LEADERSHIP

David’s weaknesses

KING DAVID’S IMPORTANCE

Background to Kingship in Israel

The Roles of the Judges /Characteristics of judges

READERS' RESPONSE

​Attributes of God shown in the Jewish Passover

Exodus 12:1 – 31

Preparations for the Passover

Attributes of God learnt from the ten plagues

1. God is almighty/all powerful/ omnipotent and no other forces or power can challenge him. The magicians could not match his powers and accepted that God’s powers are great (Exodus 8:18 – 19).

2. God empowers the people he sends to perform miracles and do his work. He gave Moses the rod with which to work and cause the plagues.

​​3. God is determined to fulfill his plans/to save his people no matter how hard the task may appear to the human eye. He does not give up on his people. Exodus 8:22, 9:6, 10:23.

​4. God gives everyone a chance to repent. He forgives the repentant. Each time Pharaoh promised to release the Israelites, God relieved the Egyptians from the plagues.

​5. God is God of justice/ he punishes the wrong doer and protects the oppressed. He afflicted the Egyptians who had enslaved his people. He spared the Israelites.

6. God fulfill his promises/ He is faithful. The Israelites finally left Egypt as God had promised Exodus 3:7 – 10, Genesis 15:13 – 14, 26:3 – 4.

7. ​God expects total obedience and faith from the people he sends.

8. ​God is a loving/ caring God. He sees the plight and suffering of his people and works to release them from their suffering.

9. ​More powerful that the Egyptian gods.

​10. God was aware of the problems of the Israelites.

11. Determined to save his people.

12. God was working through Moses. This strengthened faith of the Israelites on Moses their liberator

Introduction

1. The plague of blood (Exodus 7:14 – 25)

2. Plague of frogs (Exodus 8:1 – 15)

3. Plague of gnats (Exodus 8:16 – 19)

4. Plague of flies (Exodus 8:20 – 32)

5. Death of livestock (Exodus 9:1 – 7)

6. Plague of boils (Exodus 9:8 – 12)

7. Plague of hail (Exodus 9:13 – 35)

8. Plague of Locusts (Exodus 10:1 – 20)

9. Plague of darkness (Exodus 10:21 – 29)

10. Death of first-born sons (Exodus 12:1 – 31)

Christian values learnt from the call of Moses

What Moses learnt from this incident/call about God

Attributes of God learnt during the call of Moses

READER'S RESPONSE

Reasons why Moses was reluctant to accept God’s call

How Christians show respect to God

Summary of the ways Israelites worshipped God in the wilderness

Elements of the Jewish worship found in the Christian worship today

Categories

Archives

Send Us a Message

Attributes of God shown in the Jewish Passover

3. God is determined to fulfill his plans/to save his people no matter how hard the task may appear to the human eye. He does not give up on his people. Exodus 8:22, 9:6, 10:23.

4. God gives everyone a chance to repent. He forgives the repentant. Each time Pharaoh promised to release the Israelites, God relieved the Egyptians from the plagues.

5. God is God of justice/ he punishes the wrong doer and protects the oppressed. He afflicted the Egyptians who had enslaved his people. He spared the Israelites.

7. God expects total obedience and faith from the people he sends.

8. God is a loving/ caring God. He sees the plight and suffering of his people and works to release them from their suffering.

9. More powerful that the Egyptian gods.

10. God was aware of the problems of the Israelites.