Genesis 15 teaches two things:

1. Abrahams descendants would be strangers in a country not their own for four hundred years.

2. In the fourth generation descendants would come back to the promise land.

Exodus 12:40-41

People lived in Egypt* 430 years.

* Footnote in many translations Egypt and Canaan.

Galatians 3:17

430 years from the giving of the covenant to Abraham to the giving of the Law to Moses

• How do you line these three passages up?

• Search the scriptures for truth.

Working with peoples ages

Gen. 12:4 Abraham was 75 when God made covenant.

Gen. 21:5 Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born.

Gen. 25:26 Isaac was 60 when Jacob was born.

Gen. 47:9 Jacob was 130 when he entered Egypt

From the Covenant given to Abraham at age 75

to the time Jacob entered Egypt at 130 was 215

years.

Joseph’s Part of the PictureGen. 37:2 says Joseph was 17 when he was sold into slavery.

Gen. 41:46 was Joseph was 30 when he was put second in command in Egypt.

Gen. 45:6 teaches us that 9 years passes from when Joseph was put in charge and he reveals himself to his brothers.

Gen. 50:26 Joseph dies at 110

Exodus

1:1-6 Joseph rules in Egypt for 71 years after his family came to Egypt.

7:7 Moses was 80 at the Exodus.

Put those two times together and you have 151 years.

Question becomes: How much time between 1:6 and 2:2?

A very reasonable guess!

Genesis 15 covenant states that the fourth generation will come back to promises Land.

This is important because it is not just about years but also generations.

Abraham’s son was Isaac.

Isaac’s son was Jacob.

Jacob’s son was Levi.

Levi’s daughter Jochebed gave birth to Moses.

Moses was Levi’s grandson!

Reference Exodus 6:16-20 & Numbers 26:59

Genesis 15 four generations fulfilled in Exodus 6 and it is understood as the fourth generation that entered the land of Egypt where they became slaves and God heard their crying.

I’m going to suggest that the time period between Exodus 1:6 and 2:2 is 64 years and this is the reason why.

Exodus1:1-6 Joseph rules in Egypt for 71 years.

7:7 Moses was 80 at the Exodus.

Put those two times together and you have 151 years.

Add 64 years to that and you have 215 years.

You have 215 years from the giving of the covenant until Jacob enters Egypt.

You have 215 years from Jacob entering Egypt until Moses leads the people out.

215 + 215 equals 430. The same number Paul uses in Galatians and Moses uses in Exodus. In fact Moses says 430 years to the very day.