Important Events In Hebrew History: Abraham was chosen by God to leave his home in Caldea and travel to a foreign land, one" flowing with milk & honey." He was told by his creator that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. With this promise in mind, he set out with his wife Sarah to follow God's plan and fulfill his destiny. As it turned out, Abraham and Sarah could not have children for many years. When they had given up home and had a son through Sarah's handmaiden; God took pity on them even in their foolishness and impatience. Sarah had a son, even at the ripe old age of 90 and they named him Isaac.
When Isaac was a young teenager, God suddenly instructed Abraham to make a sacrifice to him. He ordered him to kill Isaac, sacrificing him on the altar. Surprisingly, Isaac complied and Abraham did as God told him, although his heart overcame him. He'd waited forever for his only son and now God wanted him to give him back. Yet, just as he was about to slay his son, God changed his mind and said no. Abraham learned that God was only testing him on how far he'd go to prove his obedience and subservience. Isaac eventually married to Rebekah and had two sons, Jacob and Esau.
Jacob and Esau had a serious fight when they were young men. Esau was to be given the birthright by his father. However, Jacob was deceived by his mother into stealing it from Esau. He disguised himself to look like Esau and his father blessed him with the coveted birthright. When it was discovered what had happened, Jacob was banished to a new land to visit his Uncle Laban, where he meets the beautiful Rachel. He works seven years for his Uncle to marry her, only to be lied to and marry Leah! He is furious when he discovers this deceit, but works seven more years to finally marry her!
During this time, he has six sons with Leah, while Rachel remains barren, Eventually, she gives birth to Joseph and Benjamin. Sadly, she dies upon having their second son. During this time, Jacob had experienced increasing problems with Laban. His uncle has cheated him out of multiple plots of land, animals, as well as wives. Eventually, he's had enough and leaves with his seven sons, two wives, and two concubines ( Leah & Rachel's maids). Laban chases after his runaway nephew and they nearly have a battle, ending in bloodshed. However they at last make a peace pact and resolve their issues. Jacob and his family move on, settling in the land of Bethel.
Now, when Joseph becomes a teenager, his eleven brothers become jealous of his father's increasing attention and favor of him. Because Joseph was Rachel's son, Jacob spoils him and gives more affection and special things. His brothers' jealousy and hatred of him finally push them into selling him into slavery. But they lie to their father and tell him he was eaten by a wild animal! Jacob is heart-broken and becomes depressed and lifeless, because of his sons's downright cruelty. Meanwhile, Joseph thrives in Egypt, working as a servant for a renowned general, Potiphar. His master is impressed by his work-ethic and loyalty and treats him well.Unfortunately, his wife tries to seduce Joseph and then when he refuses, blames it on him! Joseph is sent to prison for his supposed crimes against his master's wife.
God uses these horrible things for good, when Joseph is able to interpret two prisoners troubling dreams correctly. When the king of Egypt discovers Joseph's ability, he sends for him to decipher his own nightmares. Joseph predicts that there will be 7 years of famine and 7 years of plenty. Upon choosing to believe this, the king of Egypt appoints him to plan and prepare for this. Joseph stores up loads of food( grain, wheat) in large packing sheds for the famine. Then, when the years of famine arrive, people from all over the world come to Egypt for food. Thanks to Joseph's foresight, no one goes hungry or wants for sustenance. His brothers, starving in the land of Bethel, eventually visit him for food. He messes with them for quite some time, refusing to give them any and accusing them of crimes they didn't commit.
At long last, he reveals them self and they fall to their knees in shame. He weeps aloud, signaling for all of his workers to leave him alone. His brothers hug him and they reunite, making amends. Joseph is appointed as second only to the king and Egypt thrives and is successful under his careful guidance and advice.Joseph's family moves to Egypt, where they live and multiply for the rest of their lives. Joseph sets aside a plot of land for them to build on and plenty of food for them to eat.
But more rough seas are to be sailed. Upon Joseph's death, a new cruel, merciless leader is appointed. This king has no compassion for the Israelities or the customs. He forces them to become slaves and takes away all their privileges, treating them in an awful fashion.
They are starved, beaten, and forced to work exhausting hours making bricks in the hot sun. They receive little to no rest and older, useless workers are murdered! In addition to this, the king issues a decree to murder all the boy babies, to decrease the birth rate. Moses is preserved by his mother, who hides him in a basket weaved of straw. She floats it down the Nile River, where it is discovered by the king's daughter, the princess of Egypt. She thinks it is a gift from the Gods and takes the baby under her wing, calling him Moses.
She appoints his sister, Miriam to nurse the child and raises him as a prince in Egypt. As Moses grows up though, he realizes he doesn't fit in with the other palace inhabitants. He is angered and disturbed by how he sees his fellow peers being disregarded and cast aside as mere animals. One day, in a fit of rage, he murders a slave owner who is beating a man to death! Fearful for his life, he flees to to the land of Midian where he marries Zeparoah. They have two sons and then he sees God in the burning bush. God speaks to him, telling him to return to Egypt and lead his people out of slavery. Moses doubts his ability to speak and then God sends his brother Aaron to assist.
Together, after many years in Midian, Moses and his brother Aaron travel to Egypt to tell the king God's plan. Of course, the King laughs it off and then is blown away by the twelve plagues that torment his country. Because of his stubborness, the King loses his only son and his once beautiful land is torn apart, strewn with the bodies of dead or sickly animals and the graves of his dead people. He finally consents to the Israelities leaving for the land of milk and honey, as he has put up with enough horrors. They set on, only to be back-tracked when he chases after them with an army! The Israelities are angered at Moses for leading them on their journey, only to be murdered in the desert by their captors! But God intervenes once again and creates a large wall of water on both sides. The Israelities walk through the ocean, in this way, unharmed by the roaring waters.
But when the Egyptians attempt to run after them, they are swept away by a falling wall of ocean waves, perishing in their folly. Moses leads the Israelities through the desert for 40 years, because of their constant complaining and sin. He travels up to the mountain to receive the ten commandments. But while he's gone, they construct a golden calf from all their jewelry and golden goblets taken from Egypt. In drunken reverly and sin, they party and worship this calf for three days. When Moses comes down, he is so furious he breaks the tablets of stone on which the rules are written on. Many people are murdered because of their bad decision and impatience.
The Israelities continue to wreak havoc, when their food and water run on. Moses eventually loses his patience with their constant ranting and complaining. He is forbidden from entering the land of Canaan, because he disobeys God in his anger. He strikes a rock to produce water more times than God said to and is therefore not allowed to go in the land. Because of their sin, the Israelities are cursed from the time they begin their journey, leaving nothing but pain and turmoil for their descendants to endure.
