Turn the page, and the story is suddenly different.

When we close the book of Genesis, the descendants of Jacob — that is, the children of Israel — are comfortably situated as honored guests in the land of Egypt. And the very best part of the land of Egypt, at that. Jacob's son, Joseph, is a local hero, having navigated the nation (and much of the region) through a devastating period of famine. The Egyptians, along with his own kin, mourn his passing.

But turn the page, and the story is suddenly different.

We open the book of Exodus, and in almost no time we see that the Israelites' circumstances have changed dramatically. The Bible reports that "a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph." Joseph was gone; the Pharaoh who knew Joseph's significance was gone. And so, under the…