| Reaches Canaan. Receives promise "I will give this land to your offspring." Famine prompts him to go down to live in Egypt. First sojourning there. Pharaoh plagued by God for taking Sarah (represents Grace - undeserved favour - beauty) into his house. She is irretrievably linked to Abraham (life of faith) - and not to Pharaoh. Pharaoh sends both her and Abraham away. Abraham is now very wealthy. Genesis 12:7 - 13:2 | |
| 1925 BC | Makes a covenant with God. As a deep sleep falls on Abraham - also a terror of great darkness. God tells him his descendants would be foreigners; they would be persecuted by and working for others for 400 years. God then reaffirms the original promise, moving as a smoking furnace and a torch of fire between the pieces of the sacrifice. Genesis 15:13. Now Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian bond-maid, becomes pregnant to him. |
| 1924 BC | Sarah has endeavoured to help her husband through Hagar. Ishmael born. Hagar despises Sarah. Not a happy time. Genesis 16:16 |
| 1911 BC | God promises Abraham a son through Sarah. Sarah laughs - yes - that becomes his name. |
| 1910 BC | Birth of Isaac. Genesis 21:5-7 |
| 1905 BC | With Ishmael's mocking/contempt, the Philistines seizing his well in Beersheba - the 400 years of persecution / bargaining / paying for land begins. Genesis 21:8-34, 23:4-20 |
| 1850 BC | Birth of Jacob | Became Israel | ||||||||||||
| 12 sons | 1759 BC | |||||||||||||
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| Levi | Judah (Jews) | Joseph 2 sons | Benjamin | |||||||||||
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| Ephraim | Manasseh |
| Jacob receives permission from God to take his family in to Egypt. He is now 130 years old. Genesis 47:9 Joseph is now 39 years old. Genesis 41:46-47, 45:6 | |
| Jacob blesses his sons before dying. Genesis 47:28 | |
| Joseph dies. Genesis 50:26. Israel is now multiplying (increasing at a major rate of knots) and it says the land was filled with them. A new king now comes on the throne of Egypt who has not known Joseph. Tells his people that these people are not loyal to us, they could join with our enemies in the event of war. The only option is to hurt them with hard work and slavemasters so they stop multiplying. But this plan doesn't work, the young ladies (and men) are strong, the children of Israel multiply all the more rapidly. | |
| Moses born. 40 years in Pharaoh's house, 40 years in the wilderness. Acts 7:23, 30 | |
| 1505 BC | The Exodus. Moses now leads the Israelites out of Egypt. |