The situation is bleak for Joseph, stuck in jail for something he didn't do. But one day two other men are made prisoners. When Joseph hears their dreams, he tells them what God is saying about the future. When Pharaoh has a dream, they call for Joseph's help. Pharaoh makes Joseph his right-hand man. 

When Joseph is sold to Potiphar in Egypt, God helps him become the best slave Potiphar ever had! All was well, until Potiphar's wife gets mad and tells a lie about Joseph. Now he has to go to jail.  He is stuck there for a long time. 

From Genesis 37, Joseph has two dreams that make his brothers very jealous. When they get a chance, they sell him to traders who are traveling to Egypt. When they tell their father, Jacob (who God calls Israel), that Joseph was killed, he will never be happy again. But God has a plan for Joseph. God goes with him to Egypt. 

 Jacob goes to Haran to escape Esau's murderous wrath. There he finds his mother's family. His uncle Laban has two daughters, Leah and Rachel. He works seven years so that he can marry Rachel, but his uncle gives him Leah instead. He gets to marry Rachel, too, but he has to work seven more years. Leah and Rachel, with the help of their maids, have twelve children. 

Esau is so mad that he wants to kill Jacob. Rebekah and Isaac want Jacob to go back to Haran. It will give Esau time to cool off, and Jacob could find a good wife there, too. Jacob heads off in the direction of Haran, and has a dream about a ladder going up to heaven. God speaks to Jacob in the dream, and Jacob realizes that he wants to be God's friend, too. 

Isaac is ready to pass the blessing of God to his son, Esau. But Rebekah helps Jacob to get in first. Jacob tricks Isaac into thinking he is Esau. He takes the blessing! 

Isaac and Rebekah have two babies! The older one is named Esau, and the younger one is Jacob. When they grow up, Jacob makes a good deal with Esau. Esau sells him his birthright for a bowl of soup! Now Jacob gets to be the next leader of the family. 

When it's time for Isaac to get married, Abraham sends his servant to find the right girl.  The servant goes back to where Abraham used to live and asks God for help!  God answers his prayer right away. Beautiful Rebekah comes along. She offers to water all the camels!

God tells Abraham to take Isaac up to a mountain and sacrifice him. Abraham gets a few servants, and packs a donkey for the trip. He brings wood, a fire, and a knife. Then he takes Isaac with him and the supplies on a three day journey. When they arrive at the place, Abraham and Isaac walk on ahead, with Isaac wondering where the lamb is. God himself provides the sacrifice! 

Abram was 99, when God talked to him again about the promised child. He changed Abram's name to Abraham, which means the Father of Nations. He changed Sarai's name to Sarah, because she would be the Mother of Nations. God gave Abraham the sign of the covenant, circumcision, to show that Abraham's family belonged to God and not to themselves.  When three visitors came to Abraham's tent, one of them gave Sarah the word of God. God said it, and the next year, Sarah gave birth to Isaac.