For the delivered Israelites, the Joseph narrative explains why the nation went down to Egypt in the first place and the covenantal basis for God’s delivering them. It does not evidence direct revelatory engagement between God and His people, but both Joseph and his brothers come see God’s providential working in the events that unfold.
Abrahamic Covenant
The Covenant with Jacob (Gen. 28:10-36:43)
The Jacob narrative is bookended by his time in Bethel. It is in Bethel, when he is fleeing from his brother Esau that he receives a vision of a ladder between Heaven and Earth on which angels of God were ascending and descending (Gen. 28:12). Jacob learned hesed, covenantal love during his sojourn in Padan Aram.
The Continuation of the Covenant Under Isaac (Gen. 24:1-28:9)
The literary division of Genesis along the lines of generations (Heb. toledot) goes from 25:19 until the end of ch. 35, but narratively the focus shifts at 28:10 from Isaac and his immediate family to his son Jacob in particular. In the Genesis narrative, the account of Jacob provides the pivotal connection between the patriarchal … Continue reading The Continuation of the Covenant Under Isaac (Gen. 24:1-28:9)
The Covenant with Abraham (Gen. 12-22)
There are multiple episodes in the development of God’s covenant with Abraham, but they should be treated as all part of one covenant. Through all these experiences, Abraham not only grew in faith in trusting the LORD, but grew in covenantal love to the LORD. The term for this in the Old Testament is hesed, and the richness of the concept does not translate neatly into English.
Covenantide 