I'm very pleased that you accept the fact that if you
count back 430 years from the time the Children of Israel left Egypt, it
brings you to God's promise to Abraham in Genesis chapter 15. It is disturbing
that you will not simply look to see what transpired 400 years prior to
their departure. You will be amazed to discover that you will find the "cutting
of another covenant" and the subsequent birth of Isaac. Do you think that
was a coincidence?
Gen
15:5 And he
brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the
stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall
thy seed be.
Gen
15:13 And
he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger
in a land [that is] not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict
them four hundred years;
Gen
15:14 And
also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall
they come! out with great substance.
Please note that the promise is to the "Seed." Obviously,
this could not began until Abraham had a "Seed." That accounts for the
30 year difference.
Abrahamic covenant instituted 2018 years from Adam,
then Abram returns to Haran for five years. At age 75 Abram returns to
Canaan. The famine in Canaan results and Abram going to Egypt and Sarai
receiving Hagar. Hegar is with them for 10 years before she is given to
Abram.
Gen 16:16 And
Abram [was] fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
(86 years old).
Then Abraham and God "cut" another covenant.
Gen 17:1 And
when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared! to Abram,
and said unto him, I [am] the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou
perfect.
Gen 17:2 And
I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
Gen 17:4 As
for me, behold, my covenant [is] with thee, and thou shalt be a father
of many nations.
Gen 17:5 Neither
shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham;
for a father of many nations have I made thee.
Gen 17:6 And
I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee,
and kings shall come out of thee.
Gen 17:7 And
I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after
th! ee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto
thee, and to thy seed after thee.
Gen 17:8 And
I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land
wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting
possession; and I will be their God.
Gen 17:9 And
God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and
thy seed after thee in their generations.
Gen 17:10 This
[is] my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed
after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
Gen 17:11 And
ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be
a to! ken of the covenant betwixt me and you.
Gen 17:21 But
my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee
at this set time in the next year.
Isaac is born 2048 years from Adam, exactly 400 years
prior to the Children of Israel leaving Egypt. There is no " theory" about
it. Check the Scriptures, history, and Jasher. Therefore fulfilling:
Gen 15:13
And he said unto
Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger
in a land [that is] not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict
them four hundred years;
Act 7:6
And God spake on this wise, That his seed should
sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage,
and entreat [them] evil four hundred years.
Now concerning Joseph:
I agree that Joseph was 17 years old when he was sold
by his brothers to Egypt. And he was "set over all the land of Egypt"
when he was 30.
Gen 41:41 And
Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:46 And
Joseph [was] thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt.
But Joseph (Abraham's Seed), was still a "stranger
in! anothers land" and was serving Pharaoh.
Gen 41:40 Thou
shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people
be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
Knowing human nature, I am sure many Egyptians despised
the "Seed of Abraham" from the beginning, because of the position they
were given. No different than the attitude of Ishmael toward the birth
of Isaac.
We see the exact same pattern with Daniel. Daniel was
placed over the whole province of Babylon, but he was still in captivity
in a strange land and many continued to persecute him and his brethren.
Dan 2:46 Then
the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and
commanded that they should offer an oblatio! n and sweet odours unto him.
Dan 2:47 The
king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth [it is], that your God
[is] a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing
thou couldest reveal this secret.
Dan 2:48 Then
the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made
him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors
over all the wise [men] of Babylon.
Dan 2:49 Then
Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel [sat] in the
gate of the king.
And Daniel was still a servant to king Nebuchadnezzar,
in the same manner that Joseph ! served Pharaoh. If you recall, the captivity
in Babylon was "so severe" that many chose to remain there when given
their freedom to return to Judea. LOL! Quite similar to the time when
Joseph was "Viceroy over Egypt."
Jovial stated:
"Also, let's keep in mind that the prophecy was
about Israel, AS A NATION, being not only persecuted, but IN SLAVERY."
My response:
You are incorrect. The prophecy is about Abraham's "Seed."
It states that over a 400 year period of time that Abraham's "Seed" will
be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and that they will serve and
be afflicted by the people of that land. Abrahams "Seed" will sojourn
in a strange land, they will be brought into bondage and will be treated
evil. After 400 years the "Seed" would be set free from their bondage
and given the land of Canaan for an everl! asting possession. And that
God will be their God. And this is exactly what transpired, and was fulfilled
to the letter, long before the book of Judges and the Babylonian captivity.
Jovial stated:
"I find the chart I have above the most plausible
explanation, because otherwise, we have to pick and choose what we include
and don't include.'
My response:
I don't believe it!
You are telling us that we shouldn't "pick and choose"
which individual years should be included in the "400 year period prophecy."
But the years that you "pick and choose "in your "chart" is the
"most plausible" explanation!
A warning to everybody. God does have patterns which
are repeated. But God has no "Gaps"! All "Gaps" are contrived by man.
When God says "400 years,"! he means a continuous 400 years. Seeing that
these "400 years" concerned Abrahams "Seed," he could not begin until
Abraham had the promised Seed. Once the Seed was produced, 400 years later
it became a nation which was released from Egypt's captivity. Now that's
a real "plausible explanation."
Shalom, John