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In Vayigash Joseph and Judah are the epitomes of the two
Messiahs- a revelation of the times to come. We see an
exciting picture developing with the triumphant Messiah
ben David from Judah being in a low position and ben Joseph-
the suffering servant now on top. G-d is directly working
his plan for the end times when the whole world will be
joined - goy echad- the unification of the two tribes,
two sticks - Ephraim and Judah. Later on we will see a
similar idea though the sod revealed by Rav Shaul in Romans
11 when he speaks of the two trees - the true olive tree
representing Israel and the wild tree, the gentile nations.
The ultimate goal of G-d is to make the two into one people;
for as He says in Isaiah 56:7 "My house shall be
called a house of prayer for all nations."
In
Vayigash, Joseph is the mighty one, totally in control
but he had to exercise humility before his brothers (see
Phil 2:5-11). Imagine how he must have felt. He could
have easily taken revenge and destroyed his brothers for
what they did to him. Judah approached Joseph almost in
a stuck up manner trying to take control and tell Joseph
what he needed to do. Our sages say that there are three
steps which need to be taken to intercede for any important
cause and Judah used these with Joseph. He began by trying
to use persuasion, then he continued with prayer and finally
he was ready to kill Joseph to defend his family, the
future Israel. The same thing happened at the time of
Messiah Yeshua. There were some people who in their zeal
to defend the G-d of Israel tried to kill Yeshua. We can
even see this happening today in Israel with how we are
dealing with our enemies.
In
the end, Joseph finally humbled himself and revealed himself
to his brothers. He ordered the servants to leave them
alone but they didn't want to. They believed that these
men would have killed Joseph. Soon the whole court of
Pharaoh heard a loud expression of pain coming from Joseph.
This is how it will be when Yeshua will finally reveal
himself to his brothers. They will have to admit that
they blew it and they will cry out, as it says in Zechariah
12:10 "they will recognize the one they pierced and
weep for him as people weep for a first born child."
The
small details here are so important. Joseph was the one
who was enthroned and who was all powerful in Egypt. However,
he did not wield his power in his leadership. He was always
aware that G-d was the One in control and the people naturally
followed him because he had integrity. Only G-d can give
us the understanding of how to do what is right. When
Joseph revealed himself to his brother, they trembled,
thinking that they were dead. They realized that his dreams
as a young had come true. They also had tremendous guilt.
Two
important elements here: first, Joseph spoke to them in
their own language whereas he had used an interpreter
before and second, when he approached them, in the Hebrew
the term "come closer to me" insinuates the
intimacy of revealing his circumcision to them. Messiah
too speaks of us coming close to him. They felt his love
for them and they all wept. In the same way, when G-d
reveals Himself to us there is such a sense of his love
and the piercing of our hearts causes us to weep in His
presence. Only G-d can do this.
Joseph
and Judah are the two pictures of the same Messiah at
the first and second coming. We as Jews have been able
to see through Christianity that the two Messiahs are
one. Christianity unwittingly has helped in the preservation
of the idea of Messiah ben Joseph, the suffering servant
as well as the preservation of our identity as Jews throughout
the years that we were forced to live in our little villages
or shtetls. This strong religion called Christianity represents
the idea of Messiah ben Joseph who in his own right was
powerful in Egypt. Joseph was wearing foreign garb and
was unrecognized by his brothers until he revealed himself
to them clearly. Yeshua too is dressed in Christian clothing
and looks like a foreign god to our people. One day, he
too will reveal himself to them.
Judah
was the brother who actually saved the life of Joseph
by selling him to the Midianites. He knew that if he returned
Joseph to his father, Joseph would tattle on them about
what they had tried to do to him and that would be the
end of them. Israel would have been destroyed. Ben David,
the triumphant Messiah will come from the Hebrew line
of Judah but his idea is still subservient to the ben
Joseph Messiah held hostage today by the Christian idea.
In
the last days, there will be a change of guard. Joseph's
prophetic vision will expand from his brothers to all
Israel. Today it is like the times between Joseph and
the coming of Moses, their redeemer. In Egypt, there was
no leadership in Israel. Today we have no true leadership
in Israel. We as a people were living very comfortably
at first in Goshen. Although we lived separately among
our own, we were still greatly influenced by the nation
where we lived. We were becoming assimilated into their
culture and religion. We were looked down upon by the
Egyptians as being low class shepherds and lived mostly
as outcasts…the Egyptians would never lower themselves
to eat with us. Today the world is looking for a Pharaoh
who will lead them into greatness and Israel is looking
for a Moses who will lead them to peace and freedom from
oppression.
Both
groups will find the false Messiah. For a short time we
will live in a state of utopia where everything will look
like it is getting better. Suddenly the persecution and
oppression will hit until the final liberation of Messiah.
The
leader that the world seeks out will be great in appearance
only. What are the qualities of leadership exhibited by
Joseph and Judah?
Joseph
showed integrity at every turn. He was straightforward
in telling his dreams to his brothers, without guile.
He demonstrated genuine faith yet he was quiet and non-charismatic.
He never looked for attention even though his father had
showered it upon him. He probably would not have been
someone we would have chosen to be the great leader he
became. It was obviously G-d's choosing.
Judah
also would not have been one whom man would have chosen
as a great leader. He was the fourth child in line for
the inheritance of Jacob. Leah was his mother, not the
beloved Rachel. He chose a Canaanite wife against the
wishes of his forefathers. He had two rotten sons. Yet
when confronted by Tamar with the truth, he admitted his
failure quickly and openly. He did not allow pride to
mask the truth. Judah took on the responsibility of preserving
the posterity of the children of Israel by selling Joseph.
He also risked his own life and took on the responsibility
when Joseph asked for the life of Benjamin. He was not
afraid to keep his word or to die for what was right.
Both
brothers exhibited strong characteristics of leadership.
Both men were chosen by G-d to preserve the people of
Israel. How does G-d choose leaders? Certainly not by
men's standards, neither bottom up or top down. Has G-d
chosen you to be a leader? If you are part of his plan,
you are called to be a leader and you will have influence
on those around you.
In
the same way that Joseph suffered in his training to be
the leader that G-d called him to be, may you allow G-d
to guide and train you in every circumstance knowing that
all things work out for good to those who are called according
to His purposes.
May
G-d add blessings to His Word!
Rabbi
Percy Johnson
Netanel
ben Yochanan
[nxy
[b lantn
©
2008 Use by Permission
Kehilat
She’ar Yashuv
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