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1930 BC JACOB JOURNEYS TO HARAN
Isaac commanded his son Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman but to return to Haran in northern Mesopotamia (modern-day Turkey), where his grandfather Abraham had lived and where his uncle Laban was still living (Genesis 28:1-5). On the way, he had a vision of a stairway leading to heaven, known as Jacob's Ladder. Above it stood the Lord, who confirmed the Abrahamic Covenant to Jacob (Genesis 28:11-17). Jacob ratified the covenant by an oath of allegiance to the Lord (Genesis 28:20-22). This experience proved to be Jacob's spiritual conversion. He named the place Bethel, the "house of God" (Genesis 28:19). He continued on to Haran, where he met his uncle Laban and fell in love with his cousin Rachel. He agreed to work for Laban for seven years to earn the right to marry Rachel (Genesis 29:1-19).
1923 BC JACOB MARRIES LEAH AND RACHEL
Jacob worked seven years for his uncle Laban to fulfill his contract to marry Laban's daughter Rachel. However, on the wedding night, Laban deceived Jacob by substituting Leah, his older daughter, for Rachel. A week later, Laban allowed Jacob to marry Rachel also, but only after Jacob agreed to work for another seven years (Genesis 29:15-30). Jacob the deceiver (Genesis 27:1-38) was himself deceived. Eleven sons and one daughter were born to Jacob during the next thirteen years he was in Haran. Jacob showed particular favor to Joseph, the elder son of Rachel, though he was not the firstborn among his brothers.
1910 BC JACOB RETURNS TO CANAAN
After Jacob had worked for Laban for twenty years, during which time he had built up his own flocks at the expense of Laban's. God commanded him to return to Canaan. In leaving Haran, Jacob had to deal with his father-in-law, whom he had deceived; in entering Canaan in 1910 BC, he had to deal with his twin brother, Esau, whom he had also deceived (cf. Genesis 27:1-45). But before Jacob arrived in the Promised Land, "a man came and wrestled with him until dawn" (Genesis 32:24). This divine adversary struck Jacob's hip and "knocked it out of joint at the socket" (Genesis 32:25). Because the hip was regarded as the seat of reproductive powers, the smiting of Jacob's hip foreshadowed the smiting of the Messiah, the descendant of Jacob who would be smitten by God (Isaiah 53:4), and who by his sufferings would justify Jacob and all of God's people (Isaiah 53:11). At this time, God gave Jacob a new name: Israel (Genesis 32:28), which means "one who struggles with God."
1899 BC JOSEPH IS SOLD AS A SLAVE
In 1899 BC, when Joseph was seventeen, his brothers sold him as a slave to merchants, who in turn took him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the captain of the palace guard (Genesis 37:2-36). Joseph's brothers hated him because he was their father's favorite son (Genesis 37:3-4) and the recipient of the family birthright with its double portion of the inheritance. The birthright had initially belonged to Reuben, Jacob's firstborn and the eldest son of Leah, but because Reuben committed adultery with Bilhah, his father's concubine (Genesis 35:22), the birthright was transferred to Joseph, the elder son of Rachel (1 Chronicles 5:1). Selling their brother with his birthright as a slave to Egypt was in direct disregard of their responsibility under the Abrahamic Covenant to possess the royal grant of the Promised Land "as a permanent possession" (Genesis 13:15). God's resulting judgment on the children of Israel was to enslave all of their descendants in Egypt for four hundred years (Genesis 15:13).
1888 BC JOSEPH IS SENTENCED TO PRISON
While serving in Potiphar's house, Joseph was accused of rape (Genesis 39:6-20) and was sentenced to prison in 1888 BC. During his time there, he correctly interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker, who were also in prison. The baker was later hanged, but the cupbearer was restored to his position in the palace (Genesis 40:1-23). In 1886 BC, when Pharaoh sought to have two of his own dreams interpreted, the cupbearer remembered how Joseph had correctly interpreted his dream two years before and recommended him to Pharaoh (Genesis 41:1-13). Joseph then correctly interpreted Pharaoh's dreams, predicting seven years of abundant crops that would be followed by a seven-year famine (Genesis 41:14-32). As a result, Pharaoh installed Joseph as second-in-command of Egypt (Genesis 41:41-43), making him responsible to store food for the nation during the seven years of abundance so that there would be enough for the seven years of famine (Genesis 41:33-49).
1886-1872 BC GOD SENDS BUMPER CROPS AND FAMINE
In fulfillment of Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dream, God sent seven years of bumper crops to Egypt, beginning in 1886 BC. Joseph purchased one-fifth of each year's crop and stored it in anticipation of the coming seven years of famine (Genesis 41:46-49). When, as predicted, seven years of worldwide famine followed the years of plenty, only Egypt had stockpiles of grain because Joseph had stored it during the time of abundance. Joseph sold the grain not only to Egyptians but to other nations as well (Genesis 41:54-47:26). The nations of the world were being blessed through the seed of Abraham (Genesis 12:3).
1878 BC JOSEPH'S BROTHERS SEARCH FOR FOOD IN EGYPT
When the famine extended to Canaan, Jacob sent ten of his sons to Egypt in 1878 BC to purchase food. Jacob held back Benjamin, his remaining son by Rachel. When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them but disguised himself so they would not recognize him. Though he sold them grain, he accused them of being spies and kept Simeon as a hostage until they would bring back Benjamin (Genesis 42:1-38). The sons returned to Canaan, and when they had eaten the grain they had purchased in Egypt, Jacob reluctantly let them take Benjamin to Egypt to buy more grain (Genesis 43:1-45:15). On this trip, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, telling them, "God has sent me here to keep you and your families alive so that you will become a great nation" (Genesis 45:7).
1876 BC JACOB AND HIS FAMILY MOVE TO EGYPT
After Joseph, the ruler of Egypt under the Pharaoh, revealed himself to his brothers, he commanded them to bring Jacob and the rest of their families to Egypt as quickly as possible (Genesis 45:1-28). As Jacob was leaving Canaan with his family, God appeared to him in a vision, telling him that God would make his descendants into a great nation in Egypt and would bring them back to the Promised Land. Jacob and his sons traveled to Egypt with their families, and Jacob had an emotional reunion with Joseph. The house of Israel, which now numbered seventy people, settled in Goshen, the most fertile part of Egypt (Genesis 46:1-47:12). Seventeen years later, in 1859 BC, after blessing his twelve sons, Jacob died in Egypt at the age of 147 (Genesis 49:1-33).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The
Isaac commanded his son Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman but to return to Haran in northern Mesopotamia (modern-day Turkey), where his grandfather Abraham had lived and where his uncle Laban was still living (Genesis 28:1-5). On the way, he had a vision of a stairway leading to heaven, known as Jacob's Ladder. Above it stood the Lord, who confirmed the Abrahamic Covenant to Jacob (Genesis 28:11-17). Jacob ratified the covenant by an oath of allegiance to the Lord (Genesis 28:20-22). This experience proved to be Jacob's spiritual conversion. He named the place Bethel, the "house of God" (Genesis 28:19). He continued on to Haran, where he met his uncle Laban and fell in love with his cousin Rachel. He agreed to work for Laban for seven years to earn the right to marry Rachel (Genesis 29:1-19).
1923 BC JACOB MARRIES LEAH AND RACHEL
Jacob worked seven years for his uncle Laban to fulfill his contract to marry Laban's daughter Rachel. However, on the wedding night, Laban deceived Jacob by substituting Leah, his older daughter, for Rachel. A week later, Laban allowed Jacob to marry Rachel also, but only after Jacob agreed to work for another seven years (Genesis 29:15-30). Jacob the deceiver (Genesis 27:1-38) was himself deceived. Eleven sons and one daughter were born to Jacob during the next thirteen years he was in Haran. Jacob showed particular favor to Joseph, the elder son of Rachel, though he was not the firstborn among his brothers.
1910 BC JACOB RETURNS TO CANAAN
After Jacob had worked for Laban for twenty years, during which time he had built up his own flocks at the expense of Laban's. God commanded him to return to Canaan. In leaving Haran, Jacob had to deal with his father-in-law, whom he had deceived; in entering Canaan in 1910 BC, he had to deal with his twin brother, Esau, whom he had also deceived (cf. Genesis 27:1-45). But before Jacob arrived in the Promised Land, "a man came and wrestled with him until dawn" (Genesis 32:24). This divine adversary struck Jacob's hip and "knocked it out of joint at the socket" (Genesis 32:25). Because the hip was regarded as the seat of reproductive powers, the smiting of Jacob's hip foreshadowed the smiting of the Messiah, the descendant of Jacob who would be smitten by God (Isaiah 53:4), and who by his sufferings would justify Jacob and all of God's people (Isaiah 53:11). At this time, God gave Jacob a new name: Israel (Genesis 32:28), which means "one who struggles with God."
1899 BC JOSEPH IS SOLD AS A SLAVE
In 1899 BC, when Joseph was seventeen, his brothers sold him as a slave to merchants, who in turn took him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the captain of the palace guard (Genesis 37:2-36). Joseph's brothers hated him because he was their father's favorite son (Genesis 37:3-4) and the recipient of the family birthright with its double portion of the inheritance. The birthright had initially belonged to Reuben, Jacob's firstborn and the eldest son of Leah, but because Reuben committed adultery with Bilhah, his father's concubine (Genesis 35:22), the birthright was transferred to Joseph, the elder son of Rachel (1 Chronicles 5:1). Selling their brother with his birthright as a slave to Egypt was in direct disregard of their responsibility under the Abrahamic Covenant to possess the royal grant of the Promised Land "as a permanent possession" (Genesis 13:15). God's resulting judgment on the children of Israel was to enslave all of their descendants in Egypt for four hundred years (Genesis 15:13).
1888 BC JOSEPH IS SENTENCED TO PRISON
While serving in Potiphar's house, Joseph was accused of rape (Genesis 39:6-20) and was sentenced to prison in 1888 BC. During his time there, he correctly interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker, who were also in prison. The baker was later hanged, but the cupbearer was restored to his position in the palace (Genesis 40:1-23). In 1886 BC, when Pharaoh sought to have two of his own dreams interpreted, the cupbearer remembered how Joseph had correctly interpreted his dream two years before and recommended him to Pharaoh (Genesis 41:1-13). Joseph then correctly interpreted Pharaoh's dreams, predicting seven years of abundant crops that would be followed by a seven-year famine (Genesis 41:14-32). As a result, Pharaoh installed Joseph as second-in-command of Egypt (Genesis 41:41-43), making him responsible to store food for the nation during the seven years of abundance so that there would be enough for the seven years of famine (Genesis 41:33-49).
1886-1872 BC GOD SENDS BUMPER CROPS AND FAMINE
In fulfillment of Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dream, God sent seven years of bumper crops to Egypt, beginning in 1886 BC. Joseph purchased one-fifth of each year's crop and stored it in anticipation of the coming seven years of famine (Genesis 41:46-49). When, as predicted, seven years of worldwide famine followed the years of plenty, only Egypt had stockpiles of grain because Joseph had stored it during the time of abundance. Joseph sold the grain not only to Egyptians but to other nations as well (Genesis 41:54-47:26). The nations of the world were being blessed through the seed of Abraham (Genesis 12:3).
1878 BC JOSEPH'S BROTHERS SEARCH FOR FOOD IN EGYPT
When the famine extended to Canaan, Jacob sent ten of his sons to Egypt in 1878 BC to purchase food. Jacob held back Benjamin, his remaining son by Rachel. When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them but disguised himself so they would not recognize him. Though he sold them grain, he accused them of being spies and kept Simeon as a hostage until they would bring back Benjamin (Genesis 42:1-38). The sons returned to Canaan, and when they had eaten the grain they had purchased in Egypt, Jacob reluctantly let them take Benjamin to Egypt to buy more grain (Genesis 43:1-45:15). On this trip, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, telling them, "God has sent me here to keep you and your families alive so that you will become a great nation" (Genesis 45:7).
1876 BC JACOB AND HIS FAMILY MOVE TO EGYPT
After Joseph, the ruler of Egypt under the Pharaoh, revealed himself to his brothers, he commanded them to bring Jacob and the rest of their families to Egypt as quickly as possible (Genesis 45:1-28). As Jacob was leaving Canaan with his family, God appeared to him in a vision, telling him that God would make his descendants into a great nation in Egypt and would bring them back to the Promised Land. Jacob and his sons traveled to Egypt with their families, and Jacob had an emotional reunion with Joseph. The house of Israel, which now numbered seventy people, settled in Goshen, the most fertile part of Egypt (Genesis 46:1-47:12). Seventeen years later, in 1859 BC, after blessing his twelve sons, Jacob died in Egypt at the age of 147 (Genesis 49:1-33).
—Complete Book of When and Where, The