Genesis 37–41 The Life of Joseph—A Foreshadow of Messiah Ben (Son of) Yosef

The spirit of Antimessiah (Antichrist) is on a dramatic rise in this day and age. It is even alive in the Hebrew Roots or Messianic Israel Movement where some are losing their faith in Yeshua. A few are even converting to Rabbinic Judaism, which denies the messiahship and deity of Yeshua and the divine inspiration of the Testimony of Yeshua. Some of the blame for this can be laid at the feet of a few of the modern-day descendants of the non-believing Pharisees (i.e., the Rabbinic Jews) who use clever arguments to beguile unstable and unlearned souls into humanistic reasoning devoid of a living faith in Yeshua the Savior and Redeemer of man. Because of a spiritual blindness that Scripture prophesied would come upon the Jews producing hardness of heart toward Yeshua the Messiah, unbelieving Jews ignore the numerous prophetic shadow-pictures pointing to Yeshua the Messiah contained in their own Tanakh.

May the following study strengthen your faith in Yeshua, in his divine origination in the very heart, mind and essence of Elohim, and in the fact that he was foreordained to come to this earth to reconcile sinful man to his Heavenly Father through his self-sacrifice on the cross. All this was prophesied long ago in the Hebrew Scriptures. The ancient Jewish rabbis speak of a messianic figure coming called Messiah ben Yosef, the Suffering Servant, whose life and ministry would parallel that of Joseph, yet these same rabbis fail to see the connection between Joseph’s life and that of Yeshua. Let’s now chronicle the striking and uncanny parallels between Joseph and Messiah, the son of Joseph, the Suffering Servant (Many of these comparisons come from the book, Gleanings in Genesis, by Arthur W. Pink):

• Joseph had two names: Yoseph (meaning “to add, increase, do again”) and Zaphnath-panaaneah (41:45) (meaning “revealer of secrets”). How do these names point to Yeshua’s mission? To answer this, consider that the sin of the first Adam caused the depopulation of YHVH’s eternal kingdom, while Yeshua, the Second Adam, came to do what in regards to YHVH’s spiritual and eternal kingdom?
• What was Joseph’s occupation before being sold into slavery (Gen 37:2)? What was Yeshua’s spiritual “occupation”? (Not sure? Read John 10:1–18.)
• Joseph’s father loved him more than all his brothers (37:3–4). What was the relationship between Yeshua and his Father? (Read Matt 3:17; 17:5 and John 10:17.)
• Joseph was the son of his father’s old age (37:3). Relate this to Yeshua’s Father. Remember, old age is a metaphor for eternity. (Read John 1:1; 17:5; Mic 5:2; 1 Peter 1:20; Rev 13:8.)
• Joseph wore a multicolored robe of distinction and honor (37:3). What did the Roman soldiers place on Yeshua at his beating Continue reading →