The Talmud says: From Moses to the last prophet, they
speak of Messiah (Berakoth 34b). Our Jewish Sages
speak of two types of Messiah-ben Yosef (Succah 52a,
Pirkei Heichalot Rabbati 39:1), the suffering Messiah
who would be the Saviour, the kapparah and ben David,
the triumphant Messiah who would deliver us from oppression.
When he comes we will finally be living in peace.
In
this passage, Vayeshev we see the story of Joseph
who was sold into slavery by his brothers. Later we
learn that what they meant for evil, God used for
good. God saved Israel through his suffering…a
perfect picture of the suffering Messiah…ben
Yosef. Onkelos (the author of the famous Targum Onkelos
(c.110 CE) writes that Isaiah 52:12 -53:12 speaks
of Mashiach (Messiah). Our Rabbis understood this
but they struggle to reconcile the two types of Messiah.
They say, if Israel behaved well, the conquering ben
David would appear and if not, then ben Yosef, the
suffering Messiah would come.
In
the Messianic writings of the followers of Yeshua,
Yeshua clearly says he is both. Most of the Jews of
his day knew he was the Messiah; they believed that
if he died as ben Yosef he would return immediately
as ben David to conquer Rome and establish the Messianic
kingdom in their day. Most Jews are still waiting
for that today.
The
term "ben" which literally means "son"
has a variety of connotations: identity, descendant
of. "Ben Elohim" does not necessarily mean
son of God as ben adam or son of man means "created
for a special purpose".
In
the middle of the story of Joseph suddenly we read
about Judah and Tamar who gives birth to Peretz (breaking
out or breach). Micah 2:13
"
wrph
hli " was known
in the Talmud as a Messianic passage. What is this
doing here? Scripture is not chronologic; it is purposely
written this way to show us something special. Peretz
being in the direct line of Messiah (see Matthew 1:3)
demonstrates the "breaking open the way"
between the two Messiahs, ben Yosef and ben David.
How wonderful is God's way of demonstrating his plan
for us!
Another
very interesting element to note here is that Tamar
is a Canaanite, like Ruth the Moabite; both were in
the Davidic line of Messiah. How many Jews have lost
their heritage by the Rabbis having changed the word
of God when they decreed that being Jewish stems only
from the mother. The Scriptures very clearly show
that it is through the father that our heritage is
determined.
Yeshua,
Mashiach ben Yosef did set up his kingdom when he
came 2000 years ago. Now he is coming not to make
atonement or to suffer as he did but to set the world
straight. His kingdom is not a government; it is his
presence with us. The control of Satan is over. He
has been conquered and his days are numbered. It is
a fact, not a feeling.
Let
us walk by faith and not by sight. Let us look for
the coming of Mashiach ben David with joy and expectation.
May we never forget who our God is and what wonders
he is about to do on this earth to make things right.
Rabbi Percy Johnson
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