Exodus 2 introduces Moses. Forbidden to keep a baby boy, his mother hid him as long as she could, but eventually left him in a basket by the bank of the Nile. Pharaoh's daughter found the baby and took him and raised him as her own son. Later, when Moses was grown, he had compassion on the Hebrew people and defended them against the Egyptians. He once even killed an Egyptian who had been beating a Hebrew slave, When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled to Midian. There, Moses met and married Zipporah, and had a son, Gershom. During this time, the Israelites groaned and cried out to God, and He heard them and remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, "So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about thiem."

Exodus 1 begins the oppression of the Israelites by the king of Egypt. He said " the Israelites have become much too numerous...we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country." So they enslaved and oppressed them into forced labor and worked them ruthlessly, making their lives bitter. The king of Egypt also told the midwives to only allow the girl babies of the Israelites to live, but the midwives said to him, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives even arrive." So God was kind to the Israelites, and they became even more numerous. But, Pharaoh, then gave an order to all his people, "Every (Hebrew) boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live."

In Genesis 49-50, Jacob again blessed his sons and gave them his final instructions and then died. After a period of mourning, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers. His brothers were worried that now Joseph might pay them back for the wrongs they did to him, but he said, "don't be afraid.. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." Joseph lived in Egypt, having seen three generations of children, and then said to his brothers, " I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

Genesis 48 begins with Joseph discovering that his father is ill, so he brought his two sons and visited Israel. Israel then reckons Joseph's two sons to be his own and blesses them with God's promises to his descendants. Then he blessed both sons and Joseph also saying, "... may God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm--may He bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth." Joseph was surprised that Israel had intentionally placed his right hand on the younger son, Ephraim, saying, " The younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations. The older son will too become a people, and he too will become great." Then Israel said to Joseph, "I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers".

In Genesis 47, God continued his plans of provision for the people of Israel during the famine, using Joseph in leadership, coordinating the rationing of food and negotiating payment by various means ( livestock, land, service, harvest,etc). And the people said , “you have saved our lives! May it please you to let us be Pharaoh’s servants.”

In Genesis 44-45, Judah pleads with Joseph to let Benjamin return with them back to Jacob, or their father will surely die in sorrow and misery. Unable to control his emotions, Joseph ordered all to leave his presence, except his brothers, and he wept loudly as he told them that he was their brother. The brothers were terrified, but Joseph said, "do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save the lives that God sent me ahead of you... God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save our lives by a great deliverance... So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. " Joseph then sent them to tell their father and to ask him to bring all his household, flocks, and belongings, and come to live in Goshen. When Jacob learned about Joseph, " he was stunned; he did not believe them. But when they told him everything Joseph said to them, and all that Joseph had sent, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, ' I'm convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go see him before I die." Genesis 46 records that God spoke then to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!". "Here I am," he replied. "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes." When they arrived in the land of Goshen, Joseph threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. "Israel said to Jacob, 'Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive."

Genesis 42 is the account of Joseph being reunited with his brothers as they come to Egypt to buy grain during the famine. Their father Jacob sent only the ten brothers, keeping Benjamin safe at home. The ten brothers bowed before Joseph, now recognizing him only as the Egyptian official who would sell them some grain. Joseph's dreams had come true. And, God had used the evil actions of the brothers in his providential purposes. God then used Joseph for the correction and restoration of his brothers, allowing them to confess and release their guilt and anguish that they had carried for many years regarding their treatment of Joseph. Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die". When Jacob learned of what had transpired, he said "Everything is against me!", which implied that he was losing faith that God would provide and take care of the things which he did not know or understand. With much hesitation and reservation, Genesis 43 records that Jacob finally agreed to allow them to take Benjamin, saying " If it must be, then...may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man ( Joseph) so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved." Joseph became very emotional when he saw the brothers return with Benjamin and he was gracious to them and served them a feast.