2. Abrahamic Covenants
In Gan Eden, Hashem promised Havah that her seeds would be the ones who would strike at the head of HaSatan, and all forms of evil in this world. Eventually, Abraham was called by Hashem to father His covenant, seed bearing, Jewish people.
As mentioned previously, Hashem promised Havah that her seeds would be the ones who would strike at the head of The Adversary, and all forms of evil in this world. As such, Havah and Adam had children: Abel and Cain. After Abel was murdered by Cain, Hashem gave Seth to Havah as a second righteous son to replace Abel. From Seth, men began to "walk with Hashem," meaning they began to keep the mitzvot and seek the wisdom of Hashem. From Seth there were 10 generations to Noah. Noah also walked with Hashem and was "the most righteous of his generation."
Noah had 3 sons: Seth, Japheth, and Ham.
After the flood, Ham uncovered his father (Noah's) nakedness, while Shem and Japheth hurriedly covered Noah's nakedness. For these actions, Shem and Japheth were blessed and promised to rule over Ham eternally. Ham, on the other hand, was cursed and made a vassal servant in the lands of his brothers.
After many generations, a man named Abram was born in the line of Shem. Abram, though from Shem, lived in the land of Ham in an area known as the Ur of Babylon. However, Hashem called Abram to leave his father's house of idol worship and the nation of the Ur of Babylon. Without hesitation, Abram destroyed his father's idols and defiantly left the idolatrous nation of the Ur of Babylon. Abram took with him his wife Sarai and his nephew, Lot.
After his faithfulness, Abram was promised by Hashem to be the father of many nations.
One of these nations was that of Hashem's chosen people, the Jewish Israelites who were promised to be born from the child of Abram and his wife, Sarai. This promised child is Isaac, who is the father of Jacob, the father of the 12 tribes of Israel (the Jewish people).
When Hashem first made the covenant to Abram in Genesis 15, Hashem told Abram that before Abram’s descendants would become a nation and possess the Promised Land, Abram’s descendants in the line from Sarai would first have to suffer captivity in a land they did not know for 400 years. After said captivity was complete, Hashem promised to bring His chosen people (the Hebrews) into the land of Canaan (of Ham) to possess for all eternity.
This land of Canaan, however was cursed due to the sins of Ham in Genesis 9. However, true to who Hashem is, He promised to redeem the land and make it His Holy dwelling place amongst His holy Jewish people for all eternity. Further, the cursed land is promised to bloom with abundant provisions as proof of Hashem's blessing the faithfulness of His people's mitzvot-keeping (Deuteronomy 27).
After making the promises to Abram for a covenant nation in Genesis 15, Hashem made a covenant of circumcision with Abram in Genesis 17. It was at that time that Hashem changed Abram's name to Abraham, since Hashem again promised to make Abraham the father of many nations. Along with Abraham's name change, Hashem also changed Sarai's name to Sarah, meaning "princess".
In their old age, Hashem blessed Abraham and Sarah with their promised son Isaac. From Isaac came Jacob, whose name was changed to Yisrael after Jacob fought with an angel of Hashem (or Hashem Himself) in a tent. From Jacob came the 12 Tribes of Israel. 10 of the brothers sold one brother, Joseph, into Egyptian slavery due to jealousy. It was this event that of betrayal that actually set the stage for the fulfillment of Hashem's promises of eternal nationhood for Abraham's descendants.
Thus, true to Hashem’s words to Abram in Genesis 15, Abraham’s Hebrew descendants did go into captivity in Egypt for over 400 years. But, as promised after 430 years of harsh slavery and captivity in Egypt, Hashem then brought His Hebrew people out of the land of bondage and forced slave labor through a series of miraculous miracles, which are recorded in the Book of Exodus.