Smoky Mountain Bible Institute
Lesson #51 The Patriarchs Part 2
Break out your maps and histories as we travel again in our
time machine to examine history & geography through a biblical world view.
Before we get back to the biblical narrative lets do a quick fly over of some
of the things going on in other places in the world from 2000 to 1500 BC. During this window of time a number of
civilizations and cultures are starting to transition from pictographic and
cuneiform methods of writing to literary structures built on letters and
grammar, from the beginnings of the Semitic alphabet to the first of seven
defined periods of Chinese literature.
This is the window of time that Hammurabi and His codes become the first
recorded legal system. As Europe enters
the bronze age, Stone Hinge comes into existence. Other innovations during this
period are Dam building, irrigation and trade routes. Those are some of the things
going on in the world as Jacob spends about 20 years at His (Uncle / Father -
in - Law) Laban's place in Paddan Arram.
We pick up our chronology after Jacob’s second wedding
feast in one week in Paddan Arram near Haran in 1923 BC. After his four wives spend the better part of
the next 7 years competing to see who
can produce for him the most male heirs, his favorite wife gives birth to his
11th (and favorite) son Joseph in 1916 BC. When Joseph is about 5 years old
Jacob decided it is time to return to Cannon in order to depart from the strife
of dealing with Laban and see if he can reconcile with his brother Esau and
live peaceably as his neighbor in the promised land.
A few years after reaching the age of 100 in 1906 BC The
turn of the century brought Jacob a be a few bad years. First after being blessed with 11 sons in the
first 7 years of marriage, it would be 15 years before his next son Benjamin,
the only son born in the promised land caused the death of his favorite wife
Rachel in around 1901 BC. Then a couple
of years later around 1899 BC Joseph is sold into slavery, but of course Jacob
thinks His favorite son has been mauled by wild beast.
Things seem to get better about 15 years later in 1885
BC, they start to bring in bumper corps and this goes on for seven years.
Jacobs little clan of around 70 people is doing well for them selves, they have
more than they need that are dwelling in the land that God promised to his
grandfather, what could go wrong? Then the first year of sevier drought hit and
by the end of the second year of drought and famine they had to look elsewhere
for food. Jacob heard that they were selling grain in Egypt so he sent His sons
to purchase some in around 1876 BC. This began a sequence of events that
eventually led to the reunion of Jacob with the son he thought was dead, but
was now the Grand Vizier to the whole land of Egypt, and the relocation of His
humble and hungry clan on the green lands of Goshen in the eastern part of the
Nile Delta in Egypt. Before He breaths
his last he adopts his two grandsons born to Joseph, blesses all his sons and
has them promise to bury him back in Canaan. and in the words of Genesis 49 "he
drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his
people.". He lived to the ripe old age of 147 and with His death
in 1859 BC would end the period known as the time of the patriarchs. The three
men whom God identifies himself with when He addressed Moses from the burning
bush.....Exodus 3:6 ... "I am the God of your father, the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."...
So thus ends my discussion on the Patriarchs. Next month
we will discuss the entry into Egypt of God's promised people. Their are some inconsistencies between the
biblical chronology and the commonly held Egyptian chronology we will start to
address some of those differences and likely explanations. till then have a
blessed Thanksgiving.
In Christ Pastor Portier
