“And Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when the man saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him. And the man said, "Let me go, for the day breaketh." And he said, "I will not let thee go, unless thou bless me." And he said unto him, "What is thy name?" And he said, "Jacob." And he said, "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." And Jacob asked him, and said, "Tell me, I pray thee, thy name." And he said, "Why is it that thou dost ask after my name?" And he blessed him there.” (Genesis 32:24-29 KJ21)
That night was the beginning for the people of Israel.
Jacob, whose name has the meaning of "supplanter" (=one who wrongfully or illegally seizes and holds the place of another) or "holder of the heel" (because he held the heel of his brother Esau), didn't grow up as a cheater:
“And the boys grew. And Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.” (Genesis 25:27 KJ21)
Other translations speak of "quiet, peaceful". Not particularly the words to describe an evil man.
Agitated by his mother Rebekah, he cheated on both his father and his twin brother and stole the birthright including its blessing. Esau, who didn't care a lot about his birthright for he gave it away for some soup, cried to his father:
“And he said, "Is not he rightly named Jacob [that is, A supplanter]? For he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright, and behold, now he hath taken away my blessing." And he said, "Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?"” (Genesis 27:36 KJ21)
Isaac's answer wasn't cause for Esau to burst with joy:
“And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, "Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him. And what shall I do now unto thee, my son?" And Esau said unto his father, "Hast thou but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father!" And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, "Behold, thy dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck."” (Genesis 27:37-40 KJ21)
Jacob acted in a despicable way, but it had the outcome God predicted to Rebekah:
“And the LORD said unto her, "Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy body; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger." And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was threescore years old when she bore them.” (Genesis 25:23-26 KJ21)
Whether or not Rebekah and Jacob acted as they did, God would have made His word come true.
Jacob and his kin (without his wives Rachel and Leah, they already died) came, miraculously led by the Almighty, in Egypt, where his "perished" son Joseph meanwhile had become second in command. Joseph told his brothers, who went ahead:
“Hasten ye, and go up to my father and say unto him, ‘Thus saith thy son Joseph: God hath made me lord of all Egypt. Come down unto me, tarry not; and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me—thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks and thy herds and all that thou hast. And there will I nourish thee (for yet there are five years of famine), lest thou and thy household and all that thou hast come to poverty.’” (Genesis 45:9-11 KJ21)
When Israel (=Jacob) learned about Joseph, he responded as follows:
“And Israel said, "It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive! I will go and see him before I die." And Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke unto Israel in the visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here am I." And He said, "I am God, the God of thy father. Fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will there make of thee a great nation. I will go down with thee into Egypt, and I will also surely bring thee up again; and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes."” (Genesis 45:28-46:4 KJ21)
God blessed Israel in Egypt:
“And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew and multiplied exceedingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the whole age of Jacob was a hundred forty and seven years.” (Genesis 47:27-28 KJ21)
After Israel's death and burial in the cave where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah and Leah were buried, Joseph's brothers became afraid of him. After all, they had sold him to some merchants:
“And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, "Joseph will perhaps hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him." And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, "Thy father did command before he died, saying, ‘So shall ye say unto Joseph, "Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren and their sin, for they did unto thee evil."’ And now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father." And Joseph wept when they spoke unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold, we are thy servants." And Joseph said unto them, "Fear not; for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore fear ye not; I will nourish you and your little ones." And he comforted them, and spoke kindly unto them.” (Genesis 50:15-21 KJ21)
Joseph died, his brothers died and things changed for the worst for the people of Israel:
“Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, "Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply and it come to pass, when there befalleth any war, that they join also unto our enemies and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land." Therefore they set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew; and they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar and in brick and in all manner of service in the field; all their service wherein they made them serve was with rigor.” (Exodus 1:8-14 KJ21)
In those days the kin of Israel must have thought of the words the Lord spoke to Israel's granddaddy, Abraham:
“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. And also that nation whom they shall serve will I judge, and afterward shall they come out with great substance.” (Genesis 15:13-14 KJ21)
Israel suffered immensely and cried outto the Lord:
“And it came to pass in process of time that the king of Egypt died. And the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried; and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God took heed of them.” (Exodus 2:23-25 KJ21)
God installed Moses as His servant who would deliver Israel from under the yoke of the Egyptians. Pharaoh didn't want to cooperate until the tenth plague came over him and his people: their firstborn died.
Israel got instructions, like the institution of the Passover, and had to strike blood from a lamb without blemish (!) on the two side posts and on the upper door post of their houses:
“Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said unto them, "Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the Passover. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out from the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon the lintel and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. And ye shall observe this thing as an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. And it shall come to pass, when ye come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as He hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, ‘What mean ye by this service?’ that ye shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses.’" And the people bowed their heads and worshiped. And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron; so did they. And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne, unto the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle.” (Exodus 12:21-29 KJ21)
God had judged the Egyptians, pharaoh gave in and let the people of Israel go:
“And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night and said, "Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel! And go, serve the LORD, as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said; and be gone, and bless me also." And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, "We are all dead men." And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses, and they borrowed from the Egyptians jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment. And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they despoiled the Egyptians.” (Exodus 12:30-36 KJ21)
What did God tell Abraham?
“...and afterward shall they come out with great substance.” (Genesis 15:14b KJ21)
And so they did!
Because of this the people of Israel still celebrate Passover, the blood of the lamb without blemish saved them. This being a foreshadowing of the redeeming blood of the Lamb without sin, Who came to save mankind from evil, they couldn't have imagined.
Moses was allowed to lead the people to and Joshua was allowed to lead the people in the promised land. Gods promise to Jacob came in fulfillment:
“...Fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will there make of thee a great nation. I will go down with thee into Egypt, and I will also surely bring thee up again..."” (Genesis 46:3-4 KJ21)
So far, in short, the beginning of the people of Israel.
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