CRE Topical Questions and Answers-   Moses and the Sinai Covenant

1.         Significance of the events that took place on the night of the Passover.                   

• Each family was to sacrifice a young lamb or goat without blemish to signify the innocence and purity of the sacrificial animal.
• Blood of the sacrificial animals was to be collected and applied on door post so as to
• distinguish the house of the Israelites from those of the Egyptians so that the Angel of   death would spare the first born males of Israelites.
• The sacrificial  meat was to be roasted whole to signify the hurry the Israelites were in to leave Egypt.
• The Israelites were to eat while standing dressed and luggage packed to signify the hurry to leave.
• Israelites women were to ask for jewellery from the Egyptians. This was to act as compensation for their fee labour to the Egyptians
• Everyone was to remain indoors till morning to be protected from

2.         a) The importance of the wilderness period to the Israelites

1. For purification against pagan influence
2. To worship God
3. T learn to accept Moses as their leader
4. To witness God’s providence
5. To be given the ten commandments
6. To realize the saving hand of God e.g. he saved them from the Amalekites
7. To be moulded into a special nation by God/ for God to use them to bring salavation to human kind
8. To strengthen them against future challenges

b)  It is important for Christians to keep promises;

1. Keeping promises minimized mistrust/ promote trust
2. It promotes cordial relationship between different parties
3. Keeping promises minimizes conflicts in the society
4. It strengthens family relations
5. It promotes good relationship between man and God
6. Keeping promises enables one to feel happy/ not guilty of breaking promises
7. It is obeying the commandments of God/ Though shall not bear false witness
8. God himself keeps (fulfills) his promises to us, therefore we should emulate God’s example
9. It enhances team work/ togetherness

3.         The significance of the events that took place on the night of the Passover.                        

• Each family was to sacrifice a young lamb or goat without blemish to signify the innocence and purity of the sacrificial animal.
• Blood of the sacrificial animals was to be collected and applied on door post so as to
• distinguish the house of the Israelites from those of the Egyptians so that the Angel of
• death would spare the first born males of Israelites.
• The sacrificial  meat was to be roasted whole to signify the hurry the Israelites were in to leave Egypt.
• The Israelites were to eat while standing dressed and luggage packed to signify the hurry to leave.
• Israelites women were to ask for jewellery from the Egyptians. This was to act as compensation for their fee labour to the Egyptians
• Everyone was to remain indoors till morning to be protected from.

4.         a) How Moses demonstrated his obedience to the God of Israel                                          

1. When asked to remove his sandals during his call- he obeyed
2. When asked to throw down his rod, to pick it up, to put his hand in his bosom, to remove it….. he obeyed
3. He accepted to carry out God’s instructions in Egypt- leading to the ten plagues that faced the Egyptians
4. He struck the waters of the Red Sea with his rod and a way was provided for the Israelites
5. In the provision of food and water for the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness- Moses obeyed God’s instructions
6. He prepared the Israelites to meet with God as instructed at Mt. Sinai             

b) Importance of Decalogue to Christians

1. Teaches that there is only one God
2. Helps Christians to worship the true God and not idols
3. Helps Christians to honor leisure time
4. Helps Christians to respect life as God given
5. Helps Christians to respect other peoples property
6. Helps Christians to love their neighbors by not bearing false witness
7. Helps Christians to be contented with what they have thus they avoid coveting
8. Help Christians to live a chaste life by avoiding sexual immorality             

c) What Christians learn about God on the call of Moses in the wilderness

1. Christians should obey God
2. Christians should respond to God’s call
3. Christians have to repent before God
4. Christians must humble themselves before God
5. Christians must believe God/ have faith in God
6. Christians should present their needs before God
7. Christians should not fear any challenges when called by God                         

5.         (a) 5 ways on how Moses was prepared by God to be the future leader of the Israelites                                                                                                                             

1. His life was spared when he was rescued by pharaoh’s daughter and brought up as a prince
2. He was nursed by his own mother through Gods plan and design
3. He acknowledges his family background and the true God through his mother who gave him his true identity as an Israel.
4. Life in the wilderness hardened him to be bold and to preserver hardships.
5. He learnt to be patient, keen and responsible as a shepherd.
6. He learnt family responsibility through taking care of his own family and that of  Jethro.
7. He acquired leadership qualities while living in pharaoh’s palace.
8. He learnt literacy and numeracy skills while in the palace.
9. He was not stranger to pharaoh and Egypt hence he could approach him freely

(b) 6 similarities between the Jewish Passover and Christian Easter          

i) Both are annual events

ii) Both involves sacrifice i.e. lamb and Jesus.

iii) In both cases there is movement from slavery to freedom.

iv) Both incidences are important historical events

v) Both are central points to belief and worship of Judaism and Christianity respectively.

vi) They both point towards God’s saving power.

(c) 4 reasons why Christians should live by laws of God     

1. Laws help Christians to keep off idolatry
2. Laws help one to respect other people’s property
3. They encourage sexuality uprightness/avoid sexual immorality
4. They help Christians to avoid telling lies and accusing other people falsely.
5. They help Christians to respect life and not to take it away
6. By obeying laws Christians escape Gods judgment
7. By obeying laws Christians receive blessings from God
8. They enable Christians to develop obedience to everybody around and hence create a peaceful co-existence                                                          

6.         a) 7 ways in which the Israelites worshipped God in the wilderness during the Exodus      KKC

1. Approached God altars with respect/reverence.
2. They honoured the altar of God/kept it tidy
3. They built an altar of earth and in cut stones for God in places where God appeared to them.
4. All men folk presented themselves to God  3 times in a year.
5. Celebrated yearly festivals, the Passover, the Pentecost and tabernacle to honour God.
6. Kept ten commandments to guide them in their daily license to God.
7. Gave offering of various articles such as silver, gold, bronze, to God.
8. Assembled /held the  covenant ceremony at Mt. Sinai
9. Observed the Sabbath as day of worship.
10. Prayed to God.
11. Concentrated the tent of meeting.                                                                                    

b) The new understanding Moses gave the Israelites about the nature of God from the Exodus

1. God of their fore fathers – Abraham, Jacob and Isaac.
2. Powerful than other gods – led them across the Red Sea on dry land.
3. Holy – restriction on Mt. Sinai to avoid contact with people.
4. Provider – gave food/manna/quills etc.
5. Personal God – initialed covenant ceremony on Mt. Sinai
6. Just God – punished idol worshipers
7. Demands total obedience – His instruction during the renewal of the Sinai covenant.
8. God is awesome – shown in peoples fear of Him at Mt. Sinai
9. God is omnipresent – moved with them in pillar of cloud/fire.
10. God is jealous, expressed in the commandments.

c) 6 reasons why Christians should not covet their neighbors property

1. it’s a caution against greed/selfishness
2. it instills the virtues of hard work/honesty
3. create satisfaction/contentment amongst them
4. it’s away of self control
5. to avoid the deliberate will to wish to posses what is coveted.
6. To create dependent trust in Gods in his providence.

7.         a) Covenant making between God and the Israelites at Mt. Sinai Gen24:1-8                   

1. At Mt .Sinai, God entered into a covenant relationship with the Israelites
2. God promised to make the Israelites his own possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation if they obeyed him
3. The Israelites unimarsly agreed to obey God
4. God promised to meet the Israelites on the third day
5. They prepared to meet God by abstaining from sex, purifying themselves, washing their clothes and marking boundaries on the mountain
6. On the third day, God appeared to them in form of thunder, lightening, earthquake, trumpet, thick cloud, fire and smoke
7. The Israelites frightened the Israelites hence they asked Moses to be their mediator to speak to God on their behalf
8. Moses prepared for a special ceremony for seal covenant
9. He built an altar at the foot of Mt. Sinai and set up the 12 stones to represent the 12 tribes of Israel
10. Young men sacrificed oxen as fellowship offering
11. Moses took hay of the blood of the animals and put it in basin
12. Half of the blood was sprinkled on to the altar, a place of meeting with God
13. Moses then read the book of the covenant to the Israelites
14. Moses took the blood in the basin and sprinkled it on the people
15. Moses told the people that the blood had sealed the covenant                           

b) Israelites new understanding off God from the Exodus to the renewal of the covenant

1.  God is slow to anger
2. God’s compassionate
3. Good leaves no sin unpunished/ just
4. He is a jealous God who does not tolerate the worship of other gods
5. He is all powerful/ omnipotent
6. He is the controller of a natural forces
7. God of
8. He is a faithful/ keeps his promises
9. He reveals himself through nature                                                                      

c) Reasons why some Children disobey the commandment “Obey your parents”

1. Affluence/ riches i.e. when children get more than their parents they disregard them
2. Permissiveness in the society allows one to so as he/she pleased feels
3. Urbanization it affects / influence children negatively
4. Traditional valves towards parents are decaying
5. Poor role models from parents
6. Drug abuse/ alcoholism
7. Expose to pornographic literature
8. Poor parental discipline / removal of cane from schools
9. Westerness i.e. when a child get modern education they become proud and disobey parents
10. Children’s rights under the UN convention makes children to wise hence disobedience
11. Negative peer influence from the environment                

8          a) Describe the call of Moses.                                                                                              

• Was called while herding his father –in – law flock on Mt. Sinai.
• He saw a burning bush that was not being consumed.
• Moses heard his name being called.
• He was told no to move nearer.
•  He was instructed to remove his shoes as he was standing on a holy ground.
• God told Moses he had chosen him to go and liberate them.
• Moses inquired the name of the God sending him and he was told it is “ I AM WHO I AM”.
• Finally Moses went to Egypt to carry out the task.                                                         

b) The conditions given to the Israelites during the renewal of the Sinai Covenant             .

• To obey what God commanded them.
• Not to make nay treaty with people of the land where they were going.
• To destroy their altars/smash their sacred stones/cut down their Asherah.
• Not to worship any idol/other god.
• To keep the feast of unleavened bread
• To rest on the seventh day.
• Not to intermarry with foreigners
• Not to make idols
• To offer to God the first fruits of their crops.
• To dedicate all their first born male children and first born male of their domestic animals to God

c) The importance of Modern day covenants.                                                           

• Modern day covenants promote peace.
• They help Christians to be organized as order is promoted.
• Covenants such as trade agreements help countries to develop economically.
• Unity between people is promoted for instance through reconciliation covenant enable people to develop trust in relationship.
• They promote understanding in the society.
• People are enlightened of their rights.    
• Religious covenants encourage people to have the right relationship with God.
• Commitment to Christian principles enable people to face and overcome emerging daily challenges that are part of life.
• Secular covenants remind and encourage office bearers to serve the nation in the spirit of total loyalty.

9.         a) The conditions that God gave the Israelites during the renewal of the Mosaic  covenant                                                                                                                                   

1. They obey the Decalogue/ commandments
2. Not to make treaties with foreign nations
3. To destroy all idols and their high place
4. To observe the Jeinshi religious festival
5. To offer the first harvest to the temple
6. Not to intermarry
7. To observe the Sabbath
8. To dedicate their first born to God                                                    

b) The worship practices that the Israelites adopted in the wilderness after the covenant                                                                                                                              

1. Observing the Sabbath
2. Offering sacrifices and offerings to God
3. Observing God’s commandments (the mosaic law)
4. Honoring the Ark of the covenant by placing it in the tabernacle
5. Celebrating the Jewish religious festivals annually
6. Not having treaties with foreign nation
7. Not intermarrying with foreigners                                               

c) The Israelites new understanding of the nature of God

1. God is loving and caring
2. God is forgiving and merciful
3. God is moral and Holy
4. God punishes evil
5. God cares for his chosen people
6. God is just
7. He fulfills his promises
8. He is powerful
9. God hates sin
10. God is concerned with the salvation of human being

10.       (a) 4 ways in which Moses early life prepared him for his future role           

i) God used pharaoh’s daughter to rescue Moses life

ii) Moses learnt skills of leadership in the palace

iii) He received the best education in the palace

iv) Moses learnt his true identify as a Jew and not an Egyptian

v) Learnt about Jewish and Egyptian gods

vi) Moses lived with shepherds –it hardened him and made him more responsible

vii) He married and had a family.                                                     

(b) 7 plagues Moses had to perform in Egypt before the Israelites could be released         

i) Turning water into blood

ii) Frogs filling Egyptian land

iii) Swarms of flies

iv) Boils

v)Hail storm

vi) Swarm of locust

vii)Darkness filling the land

viii)Death of cattle

ix)Death of Egyptian first born sons

x) Gnats

             (c) 5 lessons Moses learnt about God from his call 

i) Yahweh is God of history

ii) God is loving and caring

iii) God is holy

iv) God is beyond human understanding (transcendent)

v) Gods chooses whomever he wills to carry out his plans

vi) God expects total obedience and faith

vii) God is all knowing/ omniscient

viii) God uses events to reveal himself

            ix) God punishes the enemies of his people   

11.       (a) The role of Moses in the history of the Israelites:-                                            

• He received God’s call with a mission to liberate the Israelites
• He performed extra-ordinary miracles for the purpose of overpowering Pharaoh to liberate to Israelites
• He liberated and delivered the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.
• He led the Israelites throughout the wilderness during the Exodus.
• He mediated between God and the Israelites who complained and asked him for provision
• He endured suffering for the sake of the Israelites who complained and asked him for provision
• He led the Israelites into making the Sinai covenant with God
• He was given 10 commandments by God to guide the Israelites to live according to the covenant.
• He sought God’s  providence for Israelites e.g. manna & water
• He made the Israelites renew the covenant with God
• He protected Israelites against hostile desert tribes e.g. the Amalekites
• He led them during the crossing of the Red sea

(b) The conditions given by God to the Israelites during the renewal of the Sinaic covenant:-

• To obey God
• Not to make any treaties with other tribes
• To destroy the altars of gods of  other tribes & places of idol worship
• Not to make or worship other gods
• To observe 3 main festivals feast of unleaven bread feast of weeks and the feast of the inganering
• To celebrate Sabbath & keep it holy
• No to intermarry with foreigners
• To dedicate first born males to God
• To give the first fruits of their fields and flocks to God
• To give a tenth of their produce to God

(c) Importance of covenants in today’s society

• Fosters commitments
• Fosters trust in one another
• Protects the parties form exploitation
• Fosters faithfulness & accountability
• Promotes peaceful & harmonious living
• Promotes moral uprightness
• Bounds one loyalty to their promises
• Promotes communal living as the witnesses to the covenant have the collective responsibility to ensure no one breaks it.

12.       (a) Ways through which God manifested Himself are:                                                         

• Pillar of cloud/thick cloud
• Earthquakes
• Trumpet bast
• Thunder
• Lightning
• Pillar of fire during the night
• Smoke /fire
• Ten commandments         

(b) The Sinai covenant was sealed (Exodus 24:4-8)  through:-

• Moses built an altar of 12pillars to represent the 12 tribes of Israel
• He then sent young men to offer/sacrifice oxen to the Lords as burnt offering
• He took half of the blood and poured in a basin
• Half of the blood was sprinkled in tee altar
• He then took the book of th covenant and read it to the Israelites
• The people promised to obey God
• He took the remaining blood and sprinkled it upon the people
• The blood was the covenant that the Lord made with the people
• God promised to bless them, if they obey Him
• A new relationship was established between God and the Israelites

(c)  7 leadership qualities a modern Christian leader should learn from Moses are;-

• A leaders should have confidence in God
• He should be courageous/brave
• He should be wise/educated/talented/intelligent
• He should be humble/compassionate/loving
• He should obey/respect God
• He should be determined/endure
• He should be diplomatic
• He should be inquisitive
• He should be patient        

13.       a) 6  commandments given to the Israelites that teach how to relate to one another                                                             

• Honour    your father and  mother 
• You  shall not kill
• You shall not  commit  adultery
• You shall not steal
• You shall not  bear false witness  angst  your  neighbours
• You shall not  covet  your neighbours property  or wife

 b) 4 ways in which Moses early life prepared him for his future role as a leader                   

• he  was brought up  in pharaoh’s house and learnt leadership  skills
• his  expensive  as an Egyptians  prince  helped  him to handle  pharaoh
• his  Egyptian education helped him to write the Decalogue
• he was  brought up by his mother  so  he was familiar with the customs of  the  Jews
• his experiences  in the desert  hardened him  to be  bold  to persevere hardships
• he as a shepherd of his  father  in law  and this  helped  him to be keen and  responsible
• he married while in Midian this  helped  him to show  love, tolerance  and  concern for  the  Israelites
• his early experience  in Egypt  helped  to demonstrate  the  power of  Yahweh

c) 6 reasons why God made a covenant with the Israelites on Mount Sinai                              

• because  God is faithful to his  promise
• God  wanted to   guide them  on how  to  relate  with him
• God  wanted them  to remember  that he was powerful  and had rescued them  to  come  and worship  him at mt. sinal
• God wanted to  guide  them  on how  to  relate  to  each other
• God expected that  after the  covenant the Israelites  would  obey and  have  faith in him  whole  heartedly
• God  wanted  to enable  the  Israelites to enjoy  his blessings
• God wanted  to provide  guidance to the people  as they  entered  Canaan

14.       5 reasons why the Pharaoh was reluctant to release the Israelites from Egypt         

• He wanted free labour
• He was revenging. At one time the Egyptians were ruled by Semitic Pharaohs
• He wanted the Israelites to continue worshipping him as God
• God was using him to fulfill the promise he had made to Abraham                                                      

15.       a) 10  moral teachings contained in the ten commandments                        

• It stresses respect of parents and elders
• It stresses people to respect and not use God’s name in vain
• It stresses love of God and other people in the society
• It tells us to respect other people’s property and not to steal
• It wants us to speak the truth all the time
• It wants us to be faithful to our marriage partners
• It wants us to be contented with what God has given us and not covet
• It directs us to work hard for six days then rest on the seventh day
• It directs us to respect human life. We should preserve it
• It directs us to worship only one true God and not to be involved in devil worship                                      

b) 5 ways the Israelites worshipped God in the wilderness                                       

• They worshipped Yahweh as the only God
• They celebrated the three yearly feasts i.e. Passover, Pentecost and the feast of tabernacle
• They build an altar for God where they sacrificed the holocaust and communion sacrifices
• They observed the ten commandments to guide them in their day to day living
• They observed the Sabbath and kept it holy
• They prayed, sung and danced to God
• They paid tithes
• They moved from place to place with the ark of the covenant where the stone tablets containing the 10 commandments were kept                    ) 

c) 5 ways Christians worship God today                                                                   

• They read the Bible
• Priests interpret the scriptures for them
• They attend church service on Sundays
• They observe important events in the history of Christianity e.g. Easter, Christmas e.t.c.
• They sing songs of praise and dance to God
• They undergo baptism
• They give offerings to God
• They lead exemplary Christ like life                    

16.       (a) 7 nature of God as revealed on Mt. Horeb when Moses was called by God      

1. God fulfills his promises
2. God is holy
3. God can use anyone to pursue his purpose
4. God is powerful
5. God is loving
6. God is protector
7. God is omnipresent
8. God cannot be described using human terms / He is spirit
9. God forgives
10. He reveals himself through natural phenomena 

(b) God cared for the Israelites during the Exodus    ;                                              

1. Liberated Israelites from slavery in Egypt
2. He helped the Israelites to cross the Red sea
3. He made the Egyptian soldiers to perish in Red sea
4. Provided water/manna /quails to satisfy their needs
5. Helped the Israelites to defeat the desert tribes e.g Amelikites
6. Led Israel by a pillar of fire at night and pillar of cloud during day time
7. He gave Israel 10 commandments to safeguard them and relate with God
8. Hr accepted to renew the covenant with Israel after breaking it/ forgave Israel after worshipping the Golden Calf
9. He dwelt among the Israelite through the Ark. of the covenant
10. He provided leaders e.g Moses /Harun/Joshua                           

(c) 6 reasons why some Christians have lost faith in God today                                          

1. Their prayers are not answered
   1. Why they suffer and die and yet non-Christians prosper and lead good life
   1. Why there should be prolonged poverty/starvation/famine and drought
   1. Wrangling in Church leadership
   1. Bad examples by Church leaders due to corruption/immorality
   1. Over delaying of Jesus  coming
   1. God’s failure to punish law –breakers
   1. Some leaders fail t condemn evils in society/compromising abuse of justice by leader

17.       (a) Ways how Israelites worshipped God.                                                                             

• Sacrifices
• Festivals
• Altars
• Tent of meeting.
• Offerings                                                              

(b) Why Sinai Covenant was broken.

• Moses overstayed on the mountain.
• Haron was a weak leader.
• They needed a visible God.
• They had not forgotten the worship of gods.
• They had lost faith in God and Moses.
• They hoped that the golden calf would represent the same strength and fertility in the Egyptian gods.                                                                     

(c) Why Christians can’t follow the laws of God.     

• Lack of faith.
• Worldly pleasures.
• Poverty
• Lack of exemplary Christian leaders.
• Influence from non-Christians.
• Indulgence in traditional beliefs and practices.
• Influence of western culture.
• Negative influence of the media.
• Lack of committed Christian community
• Political persecution.
• Due to lack of quick response by God to their prayers.
• Influence of secularization.

18        a) The commandments given to the Israelites that teach on how to relate to one another

1. You shall not kill
2. You shall not covet your neighbours property
3. You shall not steal
4. You shall honour your father and mother
5. You shall not commit adultery
6. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour                                    

b) The conditions the Israelites were given during the renewal of the Sinai covenant

1. Not to worship any other God other than Yahweh
2. To keep the feast of unleavened bread
3. To obey God’s command
4. Not to make any treaty with those who were in the land where they were going
5. Not to intermarry with people of other tribes
6. To breakdown cananites altar, smash the sacred stones and cut down their Asheral
7. Not to make cast idols & images
8. To observe the sabath day
9. To sacrifice and offer their best produce and animals to God
10. To dedicate all their first born male children and first male domestic animals to God                                                                                                                        

19.       (a) Ways how Israelites worshipped God.                                                                            

• Sacrifices
• Festivals
• Altars
• Tent of meeting.
• Offerings                                                                          

(b) Why Sinai Covenant was broken.

• Moses overstayed on the mountain.
• Haron was a weak leader.
• They needed a visible God.
• They had not forgotten the worship of gods.
• They had lost faith in God and Moses.
• They hoped that the golden calf would represent the same strength and fertility in the Egyptian gods.                                                                     

(c) Why Christians can’t follow the laws of God.     

• Lack of faith.
• Worldly pleasures.
• Poverty
• Lack of exemplary Christian leaders.
• Influence from non-Christians.
• Indulgence in traditional beliefs and practices.
• Influence of western culture.
• Negative influence of the media.
• Lack of committed Christian community
• Political persecution.
• Due to lack of quick response by God to their prayers.
• Influence of secularization.