JMJ
6th Grade Religion (Priests, Prophets and Kings)
Final Examination Review 2015
In addition to all of the notes you have in your religion journals, know the following:
The Bible is God’s Word: God inspired people to write it, gather it and share it (Inspiration).
Revelation is how God talks to us and shows us that he loves us.
Hebrew Scriptures = Old Testament = the sacred writings of the Hebrews that contain God’s revelation to us
There are 46 books in the Old Testament; they are divided into 4 categories:
Law
Historical
Prophetic
Wisdom
Pentateuch means “five scrolls” and refers to the first five books of the Bible:
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Torah means “law” and refers to the Pentateuch or to all of the Jewish laws revealed by God in the Old Testament
The Hebrews (Jewish people) are God’s chosen people
Shalom = “peace” in Hebrew
God reveals Himself through creation and Scripture, but Jesus is the perfect revelation of God.
Jesus is the Fulfillment of the Law because He fulfilled the Old Testament promises that God made; He is the Messiah
born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:1) that was promised to God’s chosen people.
Each book in the Bible is divided into chapters; each chapter is divided into verses; Biblical references list the book, then
the chapter, then the verses (Luke 24:13-35)
God creates out of NOTHING! Everything God creates is GOOD!
God can be revealed through creation; He wants us to be good stewards of the earth.
Genesis tells the story of creation; it teaches truth, not scientific or historical facts. Whether God created the universe
in six days or six million years doesn’t matter; what does matter is:
There is only one God
God is good, wise, powerful, orderly and loving
Everything and everyone depends upon God
God created human beings in his image
Men and women have equal dignity
Humans are stewards of creation
Know the order of The Ladder of Creation (the hierarchy of creation):
God (The Uncreated Spirit)
1. Spirit Life (Angels are pure spirits—beings that have no body)
2. Human Life (us – made in the image of God)
3. Animal Life (dogs, cats, horses, cows, mice)
4. Plant Life (flowers, trees, vegetables, fruit, wheat, oats)
5. Nonliving Things (rocks, stones, sand, air, sunshine)
Humans are made in the image of God; our Souls enable us to live forever
Free Will is our ability to choose between right and wrong, good and evil
Intellect is our ability to learn, to understand, to reason
Sin separates us from God and hurts our relationships with others. Sin causes conflict, destruction, pain, suffering and
unhappiness in the world. Remember our news articles? Pride, Greed, Envy, Wrath, Lust, Gluttony and Sloth are the
seven deadly sins; most ‘bad news’ can be traced back to these sins.
Sin came into the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve; their choice to disobey God resulted in every
human being born into Original Sin, our separation from God and our tendency to sin.
Know the three stories in Genesis that show how sin spread through the world:
The story of Cain and Abel (jealousy, wrath, murder)
The story of the Great Flood (Noah’s Ark) and God’s Covenant (Rainbow)
The story of the Tower of Babel (confused languages)
Baptism restores God’s grace within us (Sanctifying Grace) and helps us resist the temptation to sin.
When we do sin, God’s love and mercy help us.
Reconciliation heals our separation from God and/or our separation from others.
We should forgive others because God always forgives us. Forgiveness leads to peace and happiness.
God calls and we respond.
Salvation History is the story of God’s love for his people; we see Salvation History in three parts:
1. The Old Testament (God’s people experience his power and loving care)
2. Jesus fulfills God’s promise to send a Messiah (the New Testament)
3. The Church Today (we belong to this part!)
God created you here & now for a reason! Be able to write about your Mission and what you think your part in
Salvation History might be!
Patriarch: father or ruler of a Jewish tribe
Covenant: sacred promise made between God and people
Fertile Crescent: area of rich soil between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Ur: the city in Chaldea from which Abraham moved
Haran: the city Abraham moved to (from Ur)
Chaldea: land through which Abraham journeyed
Canaan: the land God promised to Abraham’s descendents
Palestine: the land of Canaan given to Abraham’s descendents; the Holy Land
Abraham (his name means ‘father of many nations’)
Abraham was the first patriarch or the father and ruler of the chosen people
His wife Sarah gave birth to Isaac
The Canaanites (the pagans who lived in Canaan) often sacrificed their first-born children to their gods; God tested
Abraham’s faith by telling him to sacrifice Isaac. God was pleased with Abraham’s faith, trust and obedience; the God of
Abraham did not want human sacrifices!
Our God, unlike the pagan gods, wants our sacrifices to be good—serving others and praying; trusting in God and His
Providence.
Isaac married Rebekah and had two sons: Esau and Jacob. Know this story!
Esau: hairy/traded his birthright for stew!
Jacob: tricked Isaac (who was blind) with Rebekah’s help (goat skin)
* dreamt of a ladder at Bethel (known as Jacob’s Ladder)
* worked for Laban so that he could marry Rachel, but got tricked into marrying Leah first
* tricked Laban by taking all the best sheep and goats (gave to Esau as a peace offering)
* wrestled with the Divine and demanded a blessing
* had his name changed to Israel
* received his mission to be the patriarch of God’s chosen people, the Israelites
* from his twelve sons came the Twelve Tribes of Israel
Know the story of Joseph (one of Israel’s twelve sons):
Favorite son with a fine, long tunic (later stained with animal’s blood)
Dreams, jealous brothers, thrown into a dry well
Sold to a caravan of traders for 20 pieces of silver
Slave to Potiphar, one of the pharaoh’s officials
Falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife
Thrown into prison
Interpreted dreams of the Pharaoh’s baker and cupbearer
Interpreted the Pharaoh’s dreams (seven years of plenty/seven years of famine)
Pharaoh promoted him to governor over all of Egypt
Israel sends his sons to get food and grain in Egypt
Joseph plots revenge on his brothers
Hides his silver cup/accuses them of being thieves/spies
Keeps his brother Simeon as a prisoner
Demands Benjamin (the youngest brother) as a slave, but relents (has compassion!)
Reveals his true identity
Tells his family to move to Goshen so he can care for them
The Israelites remained in Egypt and prospered
When Israel is about to die, he blesses his son Judah by telling him he will be as powerful as a lion and rule over all the
others. The Messiah, the one promised to deliver all people from sin, would come from Judah’s family (Jesus comes
from the Tribe of Judah)!
Be able to write a short explanation about how God’s Providence worked in Joseph’s life.
Joseph (betrayed by his brothers, sold for twenty silver pieces, forgave his enemies) prefigures Jesus Christ; the Old
Testament often suggests (points to) or prefigures things that will happen in the New Testament.
Sanctuary: a holy place; in a church, the area around the altar
Know the story of Moses (told in Exodus)
The Israelites (Hebrews) are enslaved by the Egyptians
Pharaoh orders all newborn Hebrew boys to be drowned (worried about their numbers)
A basket with a baby boy is found in the reeds of the Nile River
Pharaoh’s daughter adopts the boy and names him Moses (which means “drawn from the water”)
Moses is raised in the Pharaoh’s court
He kills an Egyptian and flees to Midian
He stays with a Midianite priest, Reuel, and marries one of his daughters
He works as a shepherd for many years
Encounters God on Mt. Sinai (also called Mt. Horeb) in the burning bush; Holy ground
Moses discovers his mission
“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Let my people go”
God hears the prayers of his people and wants to lead them to a land of “milk and honey”
Pharaoh refuses to listen; he makes things worse for the Hebrews
Ten Plagues (frogs, disease, boils, hailstones, locusts, darkness…)
The final plague is the death of every firstborn in the land. (Hebrews are “passed over”)
Pharaoh finally relents; Moses parts the Red Sea; Pharaoh’s chariots are obliterated
Wandering in the desert for forty years:
God feeds his people:
Wilderness (dangerous journey); the Israelites wandered for forty years
Manna (white flakes on the ground in the morning)
Quail (sent in the evening)
Water (Moses struck a rock in the desert and pure water flowed forth)
Ten Commandments: God’s laws; God’s covenant with the Israelites
Ark of the Covenant: the chest where the commandments were kept; a sign of God’s presence
Tent of Meeting: a portable sanctuary
Idolatry: while Moses is on the mountain, the Israelites create and worship a golden calf
Stiff-necked People: the Israelites are stubborn and haughty
Passover: feast celebrating the Hebrew’s deliverance; they marked their doorposts with the blood of a spotless lamb so
that the angel of death would pass over their homes
Seder meal: The Jewish Passover meal with symbolic bitter herbs/matzoh (unleavened bread); it prefigures our Christian
Eucharist
Exodus: refers to the Israelites’ departure from Egypt, their wanderings through the desert, their journey to the
Promised Land
Liturgy of the Word: (first part of the Mass) we hear the Word of God and the story of our salvation
Liturgy of the Eucharist: (second part of the Mass) we are fed by the body and blood of Christ and strengthened and
united as His people
Lectionary: contains all the readings for the liturgy
Votive Masses: celebrate the mysteries of the Lord or honor Mary or the saints
Liturgical Year: celebrations of the church year that revolve around Christmas and Easter
Ordinary Time: time between the seasons of Christmas and Lent/Easter and Advent
Holy Days of Obligation: feast days in which we honor Jesus, Mary, or the saints
Advent: season of preparation for Christmas
Lent: season of preparation for Easter
After Solomon’s reign, the Kingdom was divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of
Judah
Wicked Ahab and his evil queen Jezebel ruled the northern kingdom of Israel; Jezebel was so bad, she worshipped Baal
(the pagan god who demanded human sacrifices); Elijah was the prophet who told them about the TRUE God of Israel
(around 800 BC)
Assyria: powerful nation that conquered Israel and made Judah pay a tribute
Ahaz: King of Judah who made a deal with Assyria (tribute)
Hezekiah: King of Judah who fought for freedom (from Assyria)
Tribute: a high price paid for protection
Exile: many good things came from the Babylonian exile; the Israelites returned to God; they wrote down the words of
the prophets; they learned that God was with them even though there was no Temple; they built Synagogues to help
them keep the Sabbath holy and to pray for faithfulness
Babylon: the ancient capital city of Babylonia known for its wealth, luxury and evil; the Israelites served their exile (for
40 years) in Babylon when the Babylonians destroyed the city of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.
Synagogue: a place for prayer and the reading of Scriptures; NO sacrifices allowed
Temple: the Temple of Jerusalem (also called Solomon’s Temple) was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 B.C.; the
Israelites were punished because they were practicing idolatry and injustice; Jeremiah tried to warn them but they
didn’t believe him.
Jews: the name given to the Israelites because they were descendents of the Tribe of Judah; they were called Jews after
their release from exile in Babylon because they were the REMNANT of the Tribe of Judah that was promised a new
covenant with God.
First, Second and Third Isaiah: the OT books that promise a remnant of the Tribe of Judah will remain and the Messiah
will come; the second and third books (chapters 40-66) might have been written by Isaiah’s disciples
Book of Lamentations: the OT prophecies of Jeremiah telling the Israelites they will be punished for their evil works
PROPHETS: A Prophet is someone called by God to speak/write God’s Word
There are FOUR major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel) and TWELVE minor prophets
Amos: a minor prophet of Israel who told the rich/selfish people of Israel that they were unjust and greedy; his prophecy
that Israel would be punished came true when Assyria conquered them (around 750 BC). Amos reminded the people
that God had been faithful to them (brought them out of Egypt, fed them in the desert, brought them to the Promised
Land).
Isaiah: major prophet of Judah who foretold the Messiah (the suffering servant) and told the kingdom of Judah that they
would be conquered (the kings of Judah did not believe him) but that God would preserve a REMNANT of the people
(the Tribe of Judah) (around 750 BC)
Jeremiah: major prophet (wrote Book of Lamentations) who tried to warn the Israelites that they would be exiled from
Jerusalem and that the Temple would be destroyed (they didn’t believe him)
Ezekiel: major prophet who encouraged the Israelites to have HOPE (not despair) while they were exiled in Babylon
because God would not abandon them; Ezekiel had several powerful visions—remember the field of dry bones that
turned into skeletons and then became covered in flesh; this vision was a SYMBOL of the power of God’s Word to bring
a spirit of life into a dead people.
Daniel: major prophet who ministered to the captives in Babylon and showed them how to be faithful to God’s Word.
Ezra: a priest who helped the Jews to follow the Law of Moses after they returned (from their Babylonian exile) to the
Promised Land
For Christians Today: Salvation History helps us understand that God is always with us and that he can make good come
from suffering; God wants us to be faithful to him, even when we fall into bad habits, and God wants us to know he
loves us.
Know: Virtues and Vices; be able to identify The Seven Sacraments, especially those that use anointing
Justice: virtue that gives everyone fair treatment
Social Justice: making society and the world better for EVERYONE
Works of Mercy: we perform Corporal Works (body) and Spiritual Works (Spirit) to be like Christ
The Ten Commandments
1. Worship God (I am the Lord, your God, you shall not have other gods besides me)
2. Honor God’s Name (You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain)
3. Keep God’s Day Holy (Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day)
4. Obey (Honor your father and your mother)
5. Be Kind (You shall not kill)
6. Be Pure (You shall not commit adultery)
7. Be Honest (You shall not steal)
8. Be Truthful (You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor)
9. Keep Desires Pure (You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife)
10. Keep Desires Honest (You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods)
Jesus summarized the first three commandments:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”
(Mark 12:30-31)
Jesus summarized the last seven commandments:
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself”
The Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated.
What is your mission? All Christians continue the life and work of Jesus, but each one of us has been given special gifts
and talents to do this!
Communal Prayer: praying with a group (at Mass, during class)
Private Prayer: praying alone (morning, noon and night)
Providence: God’s watching over us with loving care; God can make good come from bad!
What is LOVE? Love wants what is best for the other.
Understand the role of John the Baptist (last and greatest prophet), Mary (the Magnificat) and the Messiah (Jesus)
Understand key concepts learned in the Theology of the Body classes taught with Mrs. Paulus
Be able to identify the important traits of a good and healthy relationship.