Read Genesis 44:18-46:27 at Bible Gateway.
The teaching tools of scripture
Gen 1:1-2:3 and the teaching tools of scripture part one and part two
Gen 1:1-6:8 and finding the topic themes of scripture
Hebrew paragraph divisions
44:18-46:7 {s} Joseph revealed to his brothers and father
46:8-27 {s} Seventy persons of Israel went down to Egypt
Strong themes of the parashah
None this week.
Genesis 44:18-46:27 {s+s} Chiastic structure
Download the fully expanded Gen 44:18-46:27 triennial Vayigash pdf.
Theme of the parashah
God, not Joseph’s brothers, sent him to Egypt to preserve life.
Finding Messiah in Triennial Vayigash
Judah, in his speech to Joseph, offers himself to be slave in his brother Benjamin’s place. Slavery, we have seen from Torah, is a type of death, as it ends the way of life previously known. Now Judah had no way of knowing that the whole incident had been staged. He truly believed he was going to spend the rest of his life as a slave in Egypt. He could have let Benjamin bear his punishment, but out of love for his father, he gave himself in his brother’s place. His substitutionary “death” prophesies of Messiah Yeshua.
We have already seen that Joseph is a type of Messiah. Yes, but remember that Scripture tied Joseph and Judah together in Gen 38-39! Judah departed from his brothers and dwelt among the Canaanites, and Joseph departed from his brothers and dwelt among the Egyptians. Here, in Gen 44, Judah’s actions prophesy of Messiah.
If we outline the weak paragraph of Gen 44:18-46:7 which began with Judah’s speech, we find three distinct events where we would have ended the paragraph if we were in charge of making paragraph divisions; thankfully God is smarter than we are!
- Gen 44:18-34: Judah pleads to take Benjamin’s place;
- Gen 45:1-15: Joseph reveals himself to his brothers;
- Gen 45:16-46:7: Jacob goes down to Egypt to live under the provision and blessing of Joseph.
First, Judah prophesied of Messiah’s first coming, where He offered Himself in our place, and died a substitutionary death on the cross out of love for His Father.
Second, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. They do not recognize him until he makes himself known. They were separated by many years and Joseph was dressed like an Egyptian nobleman, after all. Isn’t this what Yeshua has been doing for the past 2000 years: revealing Himself to all who would come to Him? We do not find Him, but He finds us and makes Himself known to us.
Third, when Yeshua comes in His second coming, it will be as a ruler and not as a servant. Jacob will live under His reign, and life will be good with nothing to hurt in all the place of His authority.
Three events in one paragraph, which prophesy of the Messiah. Three, a sign of the Messiah in Torah!
Additional readings for this parashah
Jos 14:6-14, Eze 37:9-14 | Psa 38 | Act 2:22-37
Studies in Triennial Vayigash
Genesis 44, Bible for Beginners
Genesis 45, Bible for Beginners
Genesis 46, Bible for Beginners
Genesis 44:18-34, Judah’s request
Genesis 43 and 44, The transformation of Judah
Genesis 44:18-46:7, Chiastic structure
Genesis 45 and 46, Thematic analysis in Joseph’s revelation to his brothers
SCRIPTURE REVEALED SERIES by CHRISTINE MILLER:
THE LAW of LOVE | FINDING MESSIAH in TORAH | GENESIS in CHIASTIC STRUCTURE
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