WAEC Christian Religious Studies (CRS) 2019 Theory — Question 3

Model answer

(a) REASONS FOR THE PRONOUNCEMENT (1 Kings 11:1-13) After Solomon became king of Israel and grew influential, he established a harem, loving many foreign women against God's command — including the daughter of Pharaoh, and Moabite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women. God had commanded Solomon against marrying these foreign women, because they would turn his heart away from Him — and indeed, as Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods. Solomon had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, and went after foreign gods such as Chemosh (the abomination of Moab) and Molech (the abomination of the Ammonites), even building high places for his wives' gods. God had appeared to Solomon twice, commanding him against worshipping foreign gods, but Solomon did not obey. God, angered by Solomon's deviation, told him: 'Since this has been your mind and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes... I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.' But for the sake of David, God would not tear the kingdom away in Solomon's own time, but in his son's time — and even then, would not take all of it away, but would give one tribe to his son for the sake of David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which He had chosen. (b) HOW A LEADER'S BAD POLICIES AFFECT HIS FOLLOWERS i. The country and the people may face war and economic hardship. ii. Corruption and all forms of social vices become inevitable. iii. Bad policies can attract rebellion and rejection from the people/followers. iv. Bad policies may lead to poverty; the poor get poorer when bad policies are implemented. v. Bad policies may attract the anger of God.