Sojourning in Egypt. First time to Last time - 430 years

1935 BCAbraham 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 BCMakes 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 BCSarah has endeavoured to help her husband through Hagar. Ishmael born. Hagar despises Sarah. Not a happy time. Genesis 16:16
1911 BCGod promises Abraham a son through Sarah. Sarah laughs - yes - that becomes his name.
1910 BCBirth of Isaac. Genesis 21:5-7
1905 BCWith 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 BCBirth of Jacob Genesis 25:26 Became Israel            
  12 sons         1759 BC  
  ||       |       |||||||| |
    Levi   
 
  Judah
  (Jews)
      Joseph
2 sons
  Benjamin
            || 
             EphraimManasseh 
1753 BCGenesis 32:24 At the age of 97 Jacob wrestles all night with a man, an angel. He is crippled at the break of day, but he clings to him for the blessing. And Jacob is renamed Israel, a prince with God. The place is called Peniel in the land of Gilead on the north bank of the Zarqa River (River Jabbok) that flows west into the Jordan. And his brother Esau, previously his enemy, welcomes him on the south side of the river with strong affection. Jacob knows this is God. Shortly after he travels west, crossing the Jordan River into the land of Canaan and settles at Shechem.

But God's hand is heavy upon Jacob (Israel), dishonour, times of weakness, humiliation (a "stink" to fellow-residents), fearfulness follow. First Shechem himself, a prince in the land sleeps with Dinah as she reaches the age of puberty, it's now some years later, she is perhaps 12, and he seeks her hand in marriage. In horrific contempt, deception and fury, her brothers, Simeon and Levi, well, they are young, they insist on circumcision "initiation rites" for the tribe's city. Then they boldly murder all the males while they were still sore, their excuse, "should he treat our sister like a prostitute?" In fear, Jacob separates his family, changing their clothes and removing all the idols, burying them under an oak tree at Shechem. He travels to Bethel and builds an altar, calling upon the Lord.

Next Deborah, the lady who had suckled Jacob's mother Rebekah, died. According to many commentaries, Rebekah herself must have died during the 20 years Jacob was away with Laban, and been buried at Hebron, never seeing her son again. Her old nurse Rebekah who had joined Jacob's family was now buried at the "Oak of Weeping" at Bethel. God meets with Jacob again, calling him Israel, telling him "nations, a multitude of nations, kings will come forth from him". Jacob anoints the place as Bethel ("The House of God").

Next Rachel died giving birth to Benoni ("son of my sorrow") though Jacob renamed him Benjamin ("son of my right hand"). Jacob settles his family beyond the "tower of Edar", near Bethlehem.
Next Reuben shows major disrespect to his father when he sleeps with Jacob's concubine Bilhah. Jacob travels on to Hebron to live near his father Isaac. The years go by and Isaac dies. Jacob is now 120.

Flashback 12 years, in Hebron, to when Jacob was 108. He had made a beautifully coloured coat for his favourite son Joseph. But Joseph offends all his family, telling them of his dreams, of them "bowing to", even worshipping him. In anger, and jealousy of Joseph being the favourite, his brothers sell him, at 17, into slavery, but Jacob is told he is dead.

22 years go by, there is famine in the land, and a strange king of Egypt insists Jacob despatch to him his youngest, his only reminder now of Rachel, his son Benjamin. And, as Jacob does so, the tables turn, and the strange king is revealed as Joseph.

1720 BCJacob 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
1703 BCJacob blesses his sons before dying. Genesis 47:28
1649 BCJoseph 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.
1585 BCMoses born. 40 years in Pharaoh's house, 40 years in the wilderness. Acts 7:23, 30
1505 BCThe Exodus. Moses now leads the Israelites out of Egypt.