by Jeremy Lallier

Weeks ago, we covered the promise God made in Genesis 12:2. God promised Abraham, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.” Quite a bit happened between that initial promise to Abraham and this statement to Jacob. Generations had passed, birthrights had traded hands, families had been born and children had been lost and then found—just to name a handful of events.

In all that time, though, God never forgot about His original promise to faithful Abraham. In fact, He was actively working toward fulfilling that promise. By positioning Joseph as Egypt’s second-in-command and using him to save the surrounding areas from the devastating famine, God provided a home for all of Jacob’s household.

Upon arriving in Egypt, that household totaled about 70 persons (Genesis 46:27), but by the time we get to the book of Exodus, we’re told “the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them” (Exodus 1:7).

The chapters between Genesis 12 and 46 might appear to be nothing more than a maze of tangentially related events, but when we step back and take a careful look, we can see God’s hand guiding the course of history as He worked out His plan. But most of all, we can see this powerful truth: God never forgets His promises—even if we do.

To review the promises God made to Abraham, read our article “Promises to Abraham.”

Tomorrow on the Daily Bible Verse Blog: “A Tearful Reunion.”