Un d e r s t a n d i n g t h e L a s t F o u r T o r a h P o r t i o n s o f B e r e i s h i t
(G e n e si s) a t th e M e ssi a n i c L e v e l
Objective—Learn how the Torah teaches about the life and ministry of Yeshua HaMashiach. Yeshua said that Moses wrote about Him38. Since the Torah never even mentions the word Messiah, this section will help you see the Messiah in the Torah. This is primarily done using thematic analysis and midrash.
From the Depth/Mystery of Hebron We See Messiah!!!
I. Now I would like to revisit our thematic study in section one, Understanding the Last Four Torah Portions of Bereishit (Genesis) at the Pashat Level, so that we can see its Messianic significance. Without a doubt, Joseph is one of the premiere types or shadows of the person and work of Messiah Yeshua. At almost every juncture in his life, we are given glimpses of Yeshua's life. I italicized many of the Messianic foreshadows in the first section. I will cover each one after a brief review of the greatest thematic tool the Holy One has given us to see the Messiah in the Scriptures.
II. The theme of Life and DEATH (Resurrection) is the main theme the Torah uses to reveal to us the person and work of the Messiah. In order to see this, let’s first understand how
Yeshua makes the same assertion.
A. Now, put on your thinking caps. What one word beautifully expresses both concepts of Life and DEATH?39 That’s right. Resurrection, or life from the DEAD, is the main sign the Torah uses to reveal to us the person and work of the Messiah!
B. Read John 2:13-21. What were the Jews asking for?40 What sign did Yeshua say He would give them as the basis of His authority?41
C. Read Mark 8:27-31. After Peter confessed that Yeshua was the Messiah, what did
Yeshua prophesy must happen?42
D. Read Romans 1:1-4. According to verse four, what event declared or authenticated that
He was the Son of God, the Messiah?43
From Yeshua’s own words, we learn that His resurrection from the DEAD is the sign that verifies that He is the promised Messiah. Note that it is His resurrection that brings together the powerful theme of Life and Death! I submit to you that it is this theme of The Resurrection that is the sign of the Messiah also given throughout the Torah! If we want to see the Messiah in the Torah, we need to look for the theme of Life from the DEAD, or Resurrection! Remember, Yeshua came to fulfill the Torah. Therefore, the Torah must substantiate everything He taught. In Yeshua’s own words, the sign that proves that He is the Messiah involves two concepts:
• Resurrection—This particular word captures the general theme of Life and Death in the sense of Life from the DEAD!
• THREE—Utilizing the Sod level of interpretation, we see that the number THREE
teaches us about the Messiah.
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In the third introductory article to this Torah commentary entitled PaRDeS, you learned that there are four levels of understanding in the Scriptures. The deepest level is Sod, which means hidden. Sod level interpretations often involve numbers. Adonai uses numbers to teach us profound spiritual truths. The number THREE is the most important number in the Scriptures concerning the Messiah. With this as an introduction, let’s see how the Torah teaches us about our Messiah, Yeshua.
The Sign of the Messiah—The Resurrection and the Life
III. As you read the Torah, anytime you see 1) pictures of resurrection, 2) pictures of renewed life as a result of deliverance from impending death and 3) pictures of victory and renewed life as a result of death, we know the Torah is about to give us a teaching concerning the Messiah. I call these themes of The Resurrection and the Life, and they are especially strengthened when coupled in some manner with the number three.
Placed together, the theme of The Resurrection and the Life and the number three constitute
The Sign of the Messiah!
A. The first LIVING things (plants, grass, etc.) were created on day THREE! This is not strictly LIFE from the DEAD; however, the principle of LIFE coming from a state where there is no LIFE is clear.
B. The Torah's picture of the RESURRECTION of the Messiah is found in the Holy Days. The Holy Day that is a shadow of Yeshua's RESURRECTION is the THIRD Holy Day, the Day of the Omer Wave Offering (Leviticus 23)! The offering of the barley sheaves on the day after the first Day of Unleavened Bread (the day after the Shabbat) is a prophetic picture of the resurrection of the Messiah.
C. Jonah, who was in the belly of a great fish, should have been DEAD. But on the
THIRD day he came forth ALIVE! Truly, DEATH was swallowed in victory!
D. The Akeida (binding of Isaac) found in Genesis 22—Abraham was supposed to offer
Isaac as an olah (whole burnt offering). Although Adonai prevented him from actually sacrificing Isaac on the THIRD day, the manner in which the Torah relates the story hints that Isaac died and was RESURRECTED. That's why Hebrews
11:17-19 records that Abraham received Isaac from the DEAD through
RESURRECTION figuratively!
Joseph, a Picture of the Person and Work of Yeshua the Messiah
I. The Sign of a Barren Womb—We have already learned that there were THREE
Matriarchs who experienced barrenness. Furthermore, we learned that this was a Sign of
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the Messiah, because LIFE came forth from the DEADNESS of a barren womb. Last week, we saw the Messianic significance of Benjamin's (Rachel's second child) birth. Therefore, we should expect to see some Messianic significance in Joseph's life. You won't be disappointed!
II. The Sign of Divine Election—Have you noticed that the natural born firstborn never received the coveted blessings? Abel was chosen over Cain, Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Joseph over Reuven, Perez over Zerah and Ephraim over Manasseh. Why was the second child consistently chosen instead of the natural born firstborn? Because
the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. Yeshua is the second Adam. All of the blessings of eternal life did not come through the natural first-born man, Adam, who originated from the earth. They came through Yeshua, the LIFE-giving Spirit (See I Corinthians 15:45-49), who descended from heaven.
III. Joseph the Shepherd—We have already learned that the righteous usually have the
occupation of a shepherd. This common theme unites Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. Why is this a common theme? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. The Messiah is the Good Shepherd (See John 10:11).
IV. The One Who Was Hated—Why was Joseph hated by his brothers? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. Just as Joseph was hated by his brothers, so likewise, Yeshua was hated by His brothers (See John 15:24-25). The Coat of Many Colors—Why did Jacob give Joseph the coat of many colors? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. As stated earlier, the coat of
many colors, a ketonet passim (~yiS ;P t ,not .K ), was a special long-sleeved coat or
garment worn by the children of kings. This was intended to teach us that Messiah was the Son of God, the Son of the Father, King of all creation. Read John 19:19-24, especially John 19:23, and note how often Yeshua's Kingship is mentioned exactly when His garments were taken from Him and divided! Joseph was the son of his father Jacob, so likewise, Yeshua is the Son of the Father in Heaven.
V. Why Did Jacob Love Joseph Over His Brothers—Earlier, we saw that Jacob loved
Joseph more than his other sons. This was thematically connected to the great love Abraham had for Isaac. Adonai told Abraham to "Please take your son, your only one, whom you love…" and make him a whole burnt offering (see Genesis 22:2). So why was the love of Jacob for Joseph thematically connected to Abraham's love for Isaac?
Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. Yeshua is the only begotten Son of the Father, whom the Father loves with an infinite love.
VI. The Rejection of Joseph by His Brothers—Why did Joseph's brothers reject him?
Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. They rejected Joseph because this portion of Scripture shows that Joseph's life is a picture of the first Advent of the Messiah. He was rejected at His first Advent; however—at His second advent—Yeshua will be accepted by His brothers (House of Judah), just as Joseph will be received when he reveals himself to his brothers later on in Genesis. Consider that the Tanakh presents us with Four people whose lives foreshadow the first and second advent of the Messiah.
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A. Joseph
B. Moses—Initially, Moses’ leadership was rejected by his brothers. However,
when he returned after forty years in Midian, they accepted his leadership.
C. David—David was initially rejected by Saul, who is a picture of the religious
leadership who ruled during the time of Yeshua’s ministry.
D. Jephthah—Jephthah was initially rejected by his brothers. However, when he
returned after many days, they accepted his leadership!
VII. They Hated Him All the More on Account of His Dreams—Why did Joseph's dreams
cause his brothers to hate him even more? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. Joseph's dreams were supernatural manifestations of the Ruach (Spirit) of Elohim. Yeshua was
also hated more because of the supernatural display of the Ruach in His life (see Matthew
12:10-15). Note how often the religious leaders wanted to kill Him precisely because of the supernatural works He performed. Joseph's brothers obviously did not think his dreams supernatural in origin. So likewise, the religious leaders of Yeshua's day claimed that He cast out demons by the power of hasatan.
VIII. The Messianic Significance of Joseph's Dreams—Why did Joseph have prophetic dreams, foretelling of his future position of leadership above his brothers? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. This was to teach us about the Messiah, of whom many prophets have prophesied concerning His Kingship. Just as there were supernatural prophecies of Joseph's future authority, so likewise, there have been numerous prophecies of the coming Kingdom and authority of Yeshua the Messiah (see Isaiah 9:6-7).
IX. Joseph Was Sent to Shechem to Check on His Brothers and the Flocks—Why did
Jacob send Joseph to check on his brothers and their sheep in Shechem? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. Just as Joseph was sent, so likewise Yeshua was sent from the Father in heaven to His brothers on earth. Note the obvious thematic connection between Jacob sending Joseph, and the Father who sent his son in Yeshua's parable recorded in Mark
12:1-12!
X. Seeking Lost Sheep—Joseph was sent to determine the welfare of his brothers and their flocks. Why was this so? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. Just as Joseph told the stranger he was sent to seek his brothers, so likewise, Yeshua was sent to seek and save the lost sheep of the House of Israel (see John 10:1-21).
XI. The Conspiracy Against Joseph—Why did Joseph's brothers secretly conspire/plot
against him as he approached them in Dothan? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. Just as Joseph's brothers plotted/conspired against him, so likewise, the religious leaders
conspired/plotted against Messiah Yeshua (see Psalm 2; 41:9 and Matthew 26:59; 27:1).
XII. They Wouldn't Kill Joseph Themselves—Why could Joseph's brothers not bring themselves to kill Joseph? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. This was to teach us that Messiah's brothers would not kill Him. He was handed over to the Gentiles for his execution (see John 18:28-19:42, especially John 18:31.
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XIII. They Threw Joseph Into a Pit—Why was Joseph thrown into a pit? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. The pit was actually a type of cistern. It was a hole dug into the ground to collect water. This was also a picture of the burial place of the Messiah. It was a hole in the earth. Messiah was placed into it.
XIV. Joseph Was Not in the Pit When Reuven Went to Rescue Him—Why was Joseph not in
the pit when Reuven went to retrieve him? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. Note, Reuven was the only brother who wanted to save Joseph from murder. Therefore, he represents the believing remnant of Yeshua's disciples who didn't want him to die. Reuven went to the pit/well (a prophetic grave); however, he did not find Joseph in it. So likewise, the believing remnant (Yeshua's disciples) did not find Yeshua in the grave. For He had Arisen, Baruch HaShem Adonai! Also note, the pit did not contain water. Water is essential for LIFE; therefore, the reference to water is a hint (Remez) that the pit/well was a place of DEATH—like a tomb.
XV. Joseph Was Stripped of His Garment—Why did Joseph's brothers strip his coat from
him? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. This was to teach us that they had rejected his leadership, symbolized by stripping him of his kingly robe. So likewise, The Romans stripped Yeshua of his garments (see Matthew 27:26-33). Note the thematic connection between the stripping off of clothes and Kingship!
XVI. Sold For Twenty Pieces of Silver—Why was Joseph sold for twenty pieces of silver?
Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. Just as Joseph was sold into slavery for twenty pieces of silver, so likewise, Yeshua was betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (see Matthew 27:3-10).
XVII. His Kingly Coat Was Dipped in Blood—Why was Joseph's identity made sure by his
coat which had been dipped in blood? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious
Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. This is to teach us how
to identify Messiah when He returns in His Kingly garments, for they will be stained with blood (see Revelation 19:11-16, especially Revelation 19:13).
XVIII. Jacob Rent His Garments When He Learned Joseph Had Died—Why did Jacob rend his garments? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to
understand its Messianic significance. This was to teach us how the Father's heart was torn because of the death of His only begotten Son. Could the rending of the veil in the
Temple be thematically connected?
XIX. Judah and Tamar—Judah had THREE (hint) sons named Er, Onan, and Shelah. He
gave Tamar to Er as a wife; however, Er died because of his own sins. It was the practice then for the living brother to marry his deceased brother’s wife if he died without any heirs. So Tamar was given to Onan as a wife. Onan also died an early death due to his own sins. In his mind, Judah felt that Tamar was causing the deaths of his sons, so he didn’t give his youngest son, Shelah, to Tamar as a husband, fearing that he too would
die. Seeing that Judah would not give Shelah to her as a husband, she disguised herself
as a harlot and had relations with Judah, who didn’t know the harlot he slept with was his daughter-in-law! In Genesis 38, it states that after THREE months (hint) Judah found
out that Tamar was pregnant. He demanded that she be burned to DEATH (hint) for being a harlot. However, she had taken THREE items; his signet, cord and staff as
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surety when they had relations. She produced these as evidence that Judah was the father of the expectant child, and her DEATH sentence was stayed, preserving her LIFE. Whereupon Judah realized that she had been more righteous than he. She simply wanted to raise up seed in Er’s name. Since Judah was withholding his last son, she felt compelled to deceive him into impregnating her. Thus, she was not a DEADLY woman. She actually burst forth with LIFE from her womb! She went on to give birth to twins named Perez and Zerah. Do you see the sign of the Messiah in this story?44 So, what is the Messianic significance? Read Matthew 1:3. Thus, we see that her child, Perez, is
listed as an ancestor of the Messiah!!!
XX. Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife—Why was the narrative involving Joseph and Potiphar’s
wife recorded for us? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. Just as Joseph was falsely accused, so likewise was Messiah Yeshua falsely accused (Matthew 26:59-60).
XXI. Joseph the Servant/Slave—Earlier, we read that Joseph experienced a descent in stature
as well as a physical descent into Egypt. And why did Joseph experience THREE descents in stature? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. Just as Joseph was stripped of his “kingly” coat and prestige, being made a servant/slave of lowest esteem, so likewise, Yeshua emptied Himself of all Divine and Kingly prerogatives and was found fashioned as a lowly human. This process, theologically referred to as the Self-Kenosis of the Messiah, is described in detail in Philippians 2:6-9. At each stage, Joseph was second to one over him, just as Yeshua is at the Father’s right hand.
XXII. Joseph in Prison—While in prison (Genesis 40), Joseph interprets the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s servants, the chief baker and butler. Note how often we read the number THREE.
• There were THREE branches on the grapevine, which equaled THREE days.
• There were THREE baskets, which equaled THREE days.
• The THIRD day was Pharaoh’s birthday.
In Joseph’s interpretation of the dreams, one of them was promised LIFE in THREE days, while the other was promised DEATH in THREE days. And why does the Torah emphasize the number THREE and the theme of LIFE and DEATH? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. LIFE, DEATH and the number THREE are the signs that tell us Joseph’s
life (and this incident in particular) is a foreshadowing of the Messiah. Still not convinced?
According to Isaiah 53, Yeshua was incarcerated as a criminal. How does this fact thematically relate to Joseph’s life?45 How is the fact that two criminals were crucified with Yeshua thematically related to Joseph’s experience in Genesis 40?46 How is the fact that one criminal received LIFE while the other received DEATH thematically related to Yeshua’s execution?47 How was the baker executed in Genesis 40?48 How are the professions of the two criminals in Genesis 40 prophetic symbols of the work of the Messiah?49 Now do you see that Joseph’s life was a prophetic shadow of the work of the Messiah?
XXIII. Joseph, the Egyptian—Why did the Holy One cause Joseph to be sold to the Egyptians?
Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its
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Messianic significance. Just as Joseph was rejected by his brothers and handed over to the Gentiles, so likewise, Yeshua was rejected by His brothers and handed over to the Romans. And why does Genesis 39-41 account for twenty years of Joseph’s life? Because, the Holy One, blessed be His Glorious Name, intended for us to understand its Messianic significance. Through this He teaches us that the Gentiles would know the Messiah as a Savior for 2000 years. During Joseph’s twenty-year exile from his family, all of his characteristics seemed to be Gentile—he spoke the Egyptian language, had an Egyptian name, dressed like an Egyptian and looked like an Egyptian. His brothers didn’t even recognize him when they were brought before him after twenty years of separation. So likewise, Yeshua is known throughout the Gentile world as Jesus. His
transformation into a Gentile has been so complete that most non-Jewish believers do not even see Him as a Torah-observant Rabbi any more. Furthermore, His Jewish brothers even see Him as a Gentile false God.
In summary, Yeshua’s words seem truer today than ever before.
For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me (John
5:46).
Fun For the Whole Family!
Okay, time to show what you’ve learned. Word searches and crossword puzzles are available for you to test your understanding. The word search for adults (and older children) consists of 20-30 words taken from this week’s sidra (portion). Some of the words may be common Hebrew words or English phrases. The crossword puzzle for adults (and older children) may also contain common Hebrew words or English phrases. There is also a word search for the little guys! And of course, the answer key is provided for the crossword puzzle.
Adult and children’s crossword puzzles and word searches are available on Restoration of Torah’s website: www.restorationoftorah.org. Click on the link entitled, The Weekly Torah Portion Crossword Puzzles and Word Searches.
Shabbat Shalom!
1 Shabbat is Hebrew for Sabbath.
2 In its most limited form, the Torah comprises the first five books of Moses.
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3 Holy Spirit.
4 The Parashat HaShavuah, or weekly Parashat, are the weekly readings from the Torah. Each week, beginning on the Shabbat, we read specific selections from the Torah, such that we complete the entire Torah each year.
5 Tanakh is the entirety of what is commonly called the Old Testament. It is a Hebrew acronym taken from the three major divisions of the Tanakh: the Torah, Prophets (Neviim) and Writings (Khetuvim).
6 Brit Chadasha is commonly known as the New Testament Scriptures.
7 This paragraph-like division is called a Parsha (Parshiot, plural).
8 A Divine reprimand occurred when Leah was given to Jacob instead of Rachel, even though he had labored seven years for Rachel. We know this is true, because Jacob was deceived in the same manner he deceived his father. This is an example of measure for measure chastisement.
9 The Torah does this to emphasize their fleshly, carnal nature.
10 Yes, it hints that there was discord within the family.
11 Yes. The sons of the other women (Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah) obviously don't like the favoritism.
12 Hatred.
13 Waxman, Rav Chanoch. The Prince and the Prison, The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash, Yeshivat Har
Etzion. http://etzion.org.il/en/prince-and-prison.
14 The most important word, which is repeated twice in these two verses, is love.
15 Yes, this reminds me of the love of Abraham for Isaac, Genesis 22:1-3.
16 Hatred, which is used twice in these few verses.
17 No. I detect a little pride in him. He already knows his brothers hate him. This just isn't the kind of thing (I'm going to rule over you) you should keep telling people who hate you, unless you're trying to get a few digs in.
18 Jealousy.
19 Joseph’s dreams.
20 The Torah has done a great job painting a picture of the family discord by repeatedly using the word hatred. Therefore, I'd say the general theme would be something like, Discord or Chaos in the Emerging Nation.
21 This is a picture of Joseph being stripped of kingship.
22 He is away from his family, having descended to an area away from the rest of the family.
23 No he has not.
24 She was not acting wickedly. She simply wanted to ensure that her first husband would have his name preserved. She was acting according to the norms of the time.
25 In both verses, the brothers are said to have gone down or (descended). In both stories, the brothers have been separated from their family.
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26 These two stories are thematically related, because in both instances, a son of Jacob is seduced/tempted to engage in sexual relations.
27 He is a servant/slave.
28 In his first career, he worked for a wealthy, prominent official in Pharaoh's court. In his second career, he worked for a lowly prison warden.
29 Yes. Joseph's bloodstained coat was used to identify him to his father!
30 Yes. Towards the beginning of this Torah portion, Joseph had dreams which he interpreted.
31 Yes. They hated him because of his dreams (Genesis 37:18-20)!
32 It says that he is a man of faith and endurance.
33 One of the sins of Israel is that they sold a righteous man for silver. So likewise, Joseph was sold into slavery for the price of twenty pieces of silver.
34 Remember, in Parashat Vayeitzei, we saw the numerous correlations between Uncle Lavan and Pharaoh. We saw that Jacob’s stay in Paddam Aram was another picture of Egyptian exile. Therefore, Amos 2:10 is related through the common theme of deliverance from Egyptian bondage.
35 Adonai raised up prophets in their midst. This is equivalent to Him raising up Joseph in the midst of his brothers. Remember, in this week’s lesson, we learned that Joseph’s life is prophetic. He is a prophet just like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because their lives are prophetic shadows of the future. Furthermore, Joseph’s dreams were prophetic in nature. He prophesied of the future relationship between himself and his brothers—he would rise to be their leader.
36 Joseph’s dreams were prophesies of the future relationship between him and his brothers. He delivered these prophesies to his brothers, but they didn’t want to have anything to do with it.
37 Adonai addresses the nation as a family that He’d taken out of Egypt. This is exactly the situation for this week’s sidra. Furthermore, he was dealing with the sins of the nation (family). So likewise, in this week’s sidra, the Holy One is dealing with each person’s sin.
38 Yeshua said in John 5:46 that Moses spoke about him. Psalm 40:6-8, speaking of the Messiah said that the book is written about Him. Paul said that all of the feasts were prophetic shadows of Messiah Yeshua.
39 Resurrection!
40 A sign.
41 He would die (destroy this temple [of His body]) and be raised to life on the third day.
42 He would die and be raised again on the third day.
43 His resurrection from the dead.
44 Yes. Judah pronounces a death sentence upon her for harlotry. However, his death sentence was commuted and she was able to obtain life when she proved that she had not played the harlot, but had simply done what she felt compelled to do in order to ensure that Er’s name was preserved through his seed. This is renewed life as a result of deliverance from impending death. It is the sign of the Messiah and it is strengthened by the number three (three sons and it was three months after becoming pregnant that Judah tried to have her burned)!
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45 Joseph was also incarcerated as a criminal.
46 Just as Joseph was incarcerated with two criminals, so too, Yeshua was executed with two criminals.
47 During His execution, one criminal is promised eternal LIFE, while the other DIES in his sins!
48 By being hanged on a tree. Get the picture?
49 One was a baker and the other a cupbearer. These are pictures of the bread and the wine that Yeshua used to illustrate His redemption!
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