Everlasting Good News of Yahweh

Here are a few parallels between the lives of Joseph, the son of Jacob, and Messiah Yeshua, the Son of Yahweh. I offer these parallels to prove that Yeshua is indeed the promised Messiah. These parallels cannot be a coincidence, but were inspired by Yahweh. They reveal Yahweh’s plan to save the world through His Son Yeshua whom He appointed as Savior and King over His Kingdom.

• Loved by their father.

Genesis 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, . . .

Matthew 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

• Hated by their brothers ( Both of their brothers were the children of Israel).

Genesis 37:4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

John 15:25 But this comes to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

• Sent to their brothers.

Genesis 37:14 And he said to him, Go, I pray you, see whether it be well with your brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

John 5:37 And the Father himself, which has sent me, has borne witness of me.

• Joseph’s dreams of the future and Messiah’s prophecies of the future provoked their brothers to hate them.

Genesis 37:5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

Matthew 21:33-46 . . . And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

• Their jealous brothers conspired to kill them.

Genesis 37:18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

Luke 22:2 And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; . . .

• Sold for silver.

Genesis 37:28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Matthew 26:15 And said unto them, What will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

• Both were rejected, stripped and put into the heart of the earth (pit).

Genesis 37:23-24 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colors that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

Matthew 27:28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

John 19:41-42 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new tomb, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Yeshua therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the tomb was close at hand.

• Their brothers lied about them concerning their fate.

Genesis 37:31-32 And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; And they sent the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be your son’s coat or no.

Matthew 28:11-13 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and showed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, Saying, Say you, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

• Raised up out of the earth.

Genesis 37:28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, . . .

Matthew 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Acts 5:30 The Elohim of our fathers raised up Yeshua, whom you slew and hanged on a tree.

• Overcame the temptation to sin.

Genesis 39:12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

• Both put in prison (Joseph in the king’s prison and Messiah in death’s prison, the grave).

Genesis 39:20 And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

Matthew 27:59-60 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock:…

• Suffered greatly for the sake of saving many.

Genesis 45:5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here: for Elohim did send me before you to preserve life.

1 Peter 3:18 For Messiah also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to Elohim, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

• Exalted to the position of second most powerful ruler.

Genesis 41:39-40 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as Elohim has showed you all this, there is none so discreet and wise as you are: You shall be over my house, and according unto your word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than you.

1 Corinthians 15:27 For he [Yahweh] has put all things under his [Messiah’s] feet. But when he says all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

• Everyone had to come to them for food (to Joseph for physical food and to Messiah for spiritual food).

Genesis 41:57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

• The nations would come to them to be saved.

Genesis 47:25 And they said, You have saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my master, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.

John 3:17 For Elohim sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

• Both were estranged from their families while saving the nations.

Genesis 37:28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Micah 5:3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travails has brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

• Their brothers would bow down to them.

Genesis 37:10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to you to the earth?

Genesis 43:26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

Philippians 2:9-10 Wherefore Elohim also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Yeshua every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

• Their brothers could not recognize them due to their “Gentile” disguise (Joseph as an Egyptian and Messiah as the Lord of Christians) while, at the same time, they recognized their brothers.

Genesis 42:8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

John 8:19 Then said they unto him, Where is your Father? Yeshua answered, You neither know me, nor my Father: if you had known me, you should have known my Father also.

Consider also the Jewish rejection of the “Christian Jesus”

• Both purposely kept their identities hidden.

Genesis 42:7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, . . .

Micah 5:3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travails has brought forth: . . .

• Their brothers would have their eyes opened to behold their true identity.

Genesis 45:4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

2 Corinthians 3:14-17 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remains the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Messiah. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Master, the veil shall be taken away. Now the Master is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Master is, there is liberty.

• They would forgive their brothers and be reconciled to them.

Genesis 50:17, 19-21 So shall you say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray you now, the trespass of your brethren, and their sin; for they did unto you evil: and now, we pray you, forgive the trespass of the servants of the Elohim of your father. And Joseph wept when they spoke unto him. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of Elohim? But as for you, you thought evil against me; but Elohim meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear you not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spoke kindly unto them.

Luke 23:34 Then said Yeshua, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. 

• Both would continue to rule over their brothers.

Genesis 50:18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we are your servants.

Micah 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; . . .