God’s promises gain momentum. They pass from Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob, and now Jacob has twelve sons, who will later become the twelve tribes of Israel. Yet once again God’s promise appears threatened. Joseph is Jacob’s favorite son, which the other brothers come to resent. They sell Joseph into slavery in Egypt and tell their father that he is dead. Yet God is with Joseph, causing him to gain favor with Pharaoh and to rise to second-in-command over Egypt.

When a famine comes upon the land of Canaan, Jacob’s only hope is to send his remaining sons to Egypt for grain. When they arrive, they meet their long-lost brother and learn an important lesson: God has been in control all along, planning for their blessing and keeping his promise alive.