In spite of the four hundred years of silence that separated the patriarchal times in Genesis 12 – 50 from the Mosaic era, the theology hardly misses a beat. For example, the brief review of Jacob’s family concludes in Exodus 1:7 with seven words deliberately piled one on another. These evidence the fulfillment of God’s promise that Jacob’s seed had indeed been “fruitful,” “increased greatly,” “multiplied,” and “grown exceeding strong.” It was a clear allusion to the “blessing” promised in Genesis 1:28 and 35:11.

But the seed was now more than a mere family; it would soon be a people — indeed, even a nation. There lies the new distinction for this era. And their experience of the gracious acts of God was more than a collection of personal interventions for selected individuals. Here, as part of their confession, God’s acts would be reaffirmed…