Gospel Gospel Everywhere

When I came into the Church of God, I read the Bible cover to cover. I imagine that many people did that when they were new believers. Some still read the Bible through  every year. Anyway, I found the book of Leviticus hard to understand, especially the chapters on the sacrifices. Apparently I'm not alone in that opinion.

For many believers, Leviticus feels distant and difficult, filled with sacrifices, feasts, and laws that seem far removed from modern Christian life.  Seeing Christ [1]

Maybe not so distant and difficult for those of us in the Church of God – we already accept the holy days and quit eating unclean meats, but the sacrifices still seemed very foreign to me. Why so much detail about something that was supposedly “done away”? “Fulfilled in Jesus”?

Sometime later, I read “The Law of the Offerings” by Andrew Jukes (1815-1901). It showed me the symbolism in the sacrifices. Then those chapters in Leviticus made a lot more sense, and became almost interesting. 

(The offerings) are a type of Jesus Christ and a description of His sacrifice for us. messianiclearning [2]

The word “type” has a specific meaning here. It isn't just a word invented by academics. Basically, type means the same as symbolism, prefigure, or foreshadow. A type in the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New Testament, very often in the person of Jesus Christ. The fulfillment is called the anti type. And my reference for that is the Bible itself – we just have to look past the English into the Greek behind these verses.

Rom 5:14 ESV Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come - type is Greek typos, meaning pattern

1 Co 10:6 ESV Now these things took place as examples for us -  examples is Greek typos  -  Literal translations use types

1 Peter 3:21 Berean Standard Bible And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also -  symbolize is Greek antitypon

Consider this type from "The Law of the Offerings".

Christ is the offering, Christ is the priest, Christ is the offerer.  Jukes [3] (p. 31)

It is possible that in time I might have figured this out on my own, after all there are clues in the New Testament. 

Heb 10:12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God

Heb 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession. 

I'm not sure when I would have realized that Jesus is both High Priest AND the sacrifice in the same offering.

Jukes breaks down the five kinds of sacrifices described in Lev 1-7, comparing them, contrasting them, with details like who can eat them, which parts are burned, what animals or grains can be sacrificed. All of these things point to aspects of Jesus' sacrifice, His life and His death. In Jukes' own words:

The varieties in the Typical Offerings represent different aspects of Christ’s One Offering: the different offerings giving us different aspects of His Offering [3] (p 143)

My point is not to go into depth on the offerings, but to show that the Old Testament is full of types, especially types that point to Jesus, hence the Gospel. For me, Jukes' book was an introduction to the idea. Studying types reminds me of this saying from the Bible Project.

The Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus. bibleproject [4]

We see types very early in Genesis. The quote earlier Rom 5:14 says that Adam is a type of the one to come, meaning Jesus. 

1 Co 15:45 Thus it is written, The first man Adam became a living being the last Adam (Jesus) became a life-giving spirit.

In Gen 2, the Sabbath is introduced. Is it not a type of the 7000 year plan of God?

Of course, there are many Old Testament verses that are actual prophecies of Christ, the kingdom, and the Gospel, these are not types. The earliest is Gen 3:15.

Gen 3:15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” 

This verse even has its own name - “Protoevangelium” which means first gospel as it is the first promise of redemption and victory over sin and Satan. biblehub [5]

But I'm talking about types, types which prefigure Jesus. Some Old Testament characters prefigure or “typify” Jesus, not necessarily their whole life, but maybe in one aspect, like Jonah in the belly of the fish for three days typifies Jesus being in the grave for three days. But Jonah also tried to run away from God, not a type of Jesus.

Not Every Detail is Typological: Types should not be over-analyzed to extract hidden meanings from every detail of the OT text. homaibiblestudy [6]

Of the dozens of figures in the Old Testament that typify Jesus in some way, I've picked three to talk more about – Joseph, Joshua, and Boaz.

Joseph

It is the sheer number of parallels that makes Joseph a fascinating type of Jesus. Many of these follow the same order in both of their lives. These came from  John Ross [7]

Beloved sons sent by their fathers.

Jacob gave Joseph a special coat. Then he sent him alone, into hostile territory, to check on his brothers.

The Father set Jesus apart, and sent Him alone, into hostile territory, to His people.

Both hated by their own brothers.

"His (Joseph's) brothers hated him and could not speak a kind word to him." Genesis 37:4.

"He (Jesus) came to His own, and His own did not receive Him." John 1:11.

Both stripped of their clothes.

The brothers tore Joseph's coat off his back before they sold him. 

The Roman soldiers stripped Jesus of His robe before they crucified Him.

Both sold for silver.

Joseph was sold by his brother Judah to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.
Jesus was sold by His disciple Judas to the chief priests for thirty pieces of silver.
Note the same name — Judah, Judas. 

Both placed in a pit.

Before he was sold, Joseph was thrown into an empty cistern, a grave for the living.

Before His resurrection, Jesus was placed in an empty tomb. 

Both were falsely accused.

Potiphar's wife accused Joseph of a crime he did not commit.

The Sanhedrin produced false witnesses against Jesus.

Both were imprisoned with two criminals.

In prison, Joseph met Pharaoh's cupbearer and Pharaoh's baker. He interpreted their dreams. One was restored to life. The other was executed.

On the cross, Jesus hung between two criminals. He spoke to both. One was promised paradise. The other was not.

Both were raised up after suffering.

Joseph spent years in prison before he was elevated to power.

Jesus spent three days in the tomb before He was raised to glory.

Both were given all authority.

Pharaoh placed Joseph over his entire kingdom. Genesis 41:44.

Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth  Matthew 28:18.

Both provided bread that saved the world.

When the famine came, Joseph distributed the grain he had stored. 

Jesus said, "I am the bread of life."

Their own brothers did not recognize them.

When Joseph's brothers came to Egypt for grain, they stood face to face with him and did not know it was him.

After the resurrection Mary thought Jesus was the gardener. The disciples walked seven miles with Him on the road to Emmaus and did not recognize Him.

When they finally recognized them, someone wept.

Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. They were terrified — they knew what they had done. But Joseph wept loudly enough that the entire household heard him. He embraced them.

When the disciples recognized the risen Jesus, they wept. 

Joseph and Jesus forgave their betrayers.

Joseph's brothers were terrified. Joseph wept and said: "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good." Genesis 50:20.

Jesus, from the cross, said: "Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do."

Joshua

After the death of Moses, God chose Joshua to lead Israel to the Promised Land, securing rest for the nation - Josh 1:1-2 . Christ is the greater Joshua  leading His people into the eternal rest of God’s kingdom - explainingthebook [8]. The name “Jesus” is derived from “Joshua”, spelled “Yehoshua” or sometimes “Yeshua”. And the names Joshua and Jesus mean “Yah Will Save”, Yah is God's shortened name as in "Hallelu Yah" -wiki(Joshua) [9], abarim-publications [10]. All of which makes this verse make sense.

Mt 1:24 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for HE WILL SAVE his people from their sins.”

Boaz

Boaz and Jesus belonged to the tribe of Judah.

Boaz and Jesus were from Bethlehem.

Boaz performed deeds of kindness toward Ruth.

Jesus performed deeds of kindness toward Israel and beyond - blind, lame, lepers, demon possessed, tax collectors, beggars, and the Samaritan woman.

But the most important type pictured by Boaz is that of kinsman redeemer. The redemption by Boaz is a picture of what God had done by redeeming Israel from bondage in Egypt, and would do for Israel. At incredible cost to Himself, Jesus redeemed sinners (Rom 3:24; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14). Not just anyone could redeem the person in distress, it had to be family. This is a type of Jesus coming in the flesh to be a family member to all mankind. He is our Redeemer, AND a kinsman. kinsman-redeemer [11]

Boaz is the only human kinsman-redeemer featured in the whole Old Testament. greater_boaz [12]

Conclusion

We see many many Old Testament people who typify Jesus in some aspect of their lives. We also see stories like the Exodus which point to the great work that Christ will do in delivering  His people and establishing His kingdom. We see Jesus' redemption of mankind in the story of Boaz and Ruth. We see the Holy Days repeatedly point to aspects of Jesus' ministry – He is the Passover lamb, He is the Wave Sheaf offering, accepted by God,  He is the King who returns on the Day of Trumpets, He is the goat “for the LORD” on the Day of Atonement. We see the life of Jesus foreshadowed in the Tabernacle, in its furnishings, and in Tabernacle rituals like sacrificial offerings. We see types in the seventh day Sabbath, and in the phrase “the third day”, as in the story of Jonah, or when Abraham lifted up his eyes on the third day (the binding of Isaac) – Gen 22:4. In other words, we see the Gospel everywhere in the Old Testament. Jesus Himself told the disciples as much on the road to Emmaus (that time when they didn't recognize Him).

Lk 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

You can find MANY more examples by searching for “old testament types of Jesus”.

References

1. https://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Christ-Leviticus-Gospel-Gospels/dp/B0GBD6LZS4 by Marvin McKenzie (Author)

2. https://www.messianiclearning.org/commentary/torah/leviticus/five_major_offerings.html#gsc.tab=0

3. https://www.amazon.com/The-Law-of-the-Offerings/dp/B08B47GB5J

4. https://bibleproject.com/about

5. https://biblehub.com/genesis/3-15.htm

6. https://homaibiblestudy.wordpress.com/2025/01/04/types-and-shadows-2

7. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61585039940410

8. https://explainingthebook.com/2024/12/06/old-testament-people-as-types-of-christ

9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeshua

10. https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Joshua.html

11. https://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-kinsman-redeemer.html

12. https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/journals/journal-of-theology/sbjt-211-spring-2017/true-greater-boaz-typology-jesus-book-ruth

The Throne of David And The Daughters Of Zelophehad

King David

Here's a puzzle from the Bible. It says that Jesus will sit on the throne of King David. It also says that King Jeconiah, who is descended from David, will never have a descendant on the throne. So how can Jesus, apparently a descendant of Jeconiah, sit on the throne of David? First let's look at what the text says.

The Lord said to David on his deathbed.

2Sa 7:16  And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee:
thy throne shall be established for ever.

It says the Messiah will sit on David's throne forever. 

Isa 9:7  Of the increase of his (Messiah) government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. 

And that Jeconiah's descendants will not sit on that throne, (he is mentioned by name in Jer 22:28).

Jer 22:30 Thus says the LORD, 'Write this man (Jeconiah) down childless, A man who will not prosper in his days; For no man of his descendants will prosper Sitting on the throne of David Or ruling again in Judah.'

Chuck Missler sums up the problem this way.

This curse created a rather grim and perplexing paradox: the Messiah had to come from the royal line, yet now there was a"blood curse" on that very line of descent! Koinonia House [1]

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The Beginning of the Solution

The genealogy of Jesus given by Matthew shows Mary's husband Joseph to be a descendant of David, Solomon, and Jeconiah. Does this imply that Joseph was in line to be king of Judah? IDK. If you compare this genealogy to 1 Chronicles 3:15–16, you will note that some kings are actually skipped, basically for wickedness - Genealogy of Jesus [2]. Note also that Jeconiah is also called Jechonias, Coniah, and Jehoiachin. Verses skipped for brevity.

Mat 1:6  And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; 

Mat 1:11  And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

Mat 1:16  And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

But the genealogy given by Luke lists the ancestors of Mary. Notice that Nathan, not Solomon is listed. This neatly avoids the blood curse on Jeconiah. Again, verses skipped for clarity.

Luk 3:23  And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 

Luk 3:31  Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,  

In the Greek, Joseph is named without a definite article, meaning the genealogy is Mary's - ChristianityStackExchange [3]. The phrase "as was supposed" occurs in nearly all English translations; it is taken from enomizeto, meaning "by law", showing Jesus as the legal heir of Joseph - BibleOne [4]. Joseph is considered more of a son than a son-in-law in this case.

So, it took a virgin birth to get around the blood curse of Jeconiah. But does it place Him on the throne of David?

Enter the Daughters of Zelophehad

Five Daughters of Zelophehad

There is an exception to the law of inheritance. If a man has only daughters, inheritance could pass to them as long as they married within the tribe. The daughters of Zelophehad got a judgment from Moses, and set a precedent.

Num_27:7  The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.

Num 36:6  This is the thing which the LORD doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry. 

The Bible doesn't record it, but apparently Heli (Mary's father) had no sons, so Mary could actually pass on Heli's inheritance to Jesus - [1]. Note that Heli (really Eli since he was a Jew) means "My God" - Abarim Publications [5]. The only other Eli in the Bible is the High Priest of ancient Israel, whose sons Hophni and Phineas were not righteous men and were rejected by God. Eli raised Samuel as his own son. Samuel became a prophet and judge of Israel, but could not be High Priest because he was not of the line of Aaron - ChristianityStackExchange [6]. The point is that Heli's inheritance passed to Jesus - does that include the right to the throne of David? Having male heirs to pass on one's name was extremely important in that culture, it figures prominently in the story of Boaz and Ruth - The Kinsman Redeemer [7].

Enter The Critics

This paints a nice workaround to the inheritance puzzle created by Jeconiah's curse, but is it necessary? The Zelophehad theory was first presented by C.I. Scofield, circa 1910 in the Oxford NIV Scofield Study Bible [8], promoted by Chuck Missler [1], where I first heard it. But first-century Christians believed that Jesus fulfilled the messianic promises of the Old Testament, which included David's throne, without ever mentioning Zelophehad. In fact, the New Testament writers never acknowledge that there was such a problem to overcome - Jeconiah's Whammy [9]. On the other hand, they knew the inheritance laws from experience and didn't need them explained.

Solomon's Throne

The promise to David cited above is unconditional, and looks like God promised an unbroken dynasty from David to the Messiah. It is difficult for me to see it otherwise. It says David's throne would be "established forever". Yet in terms of Solomon's dynasty, Jeconiah was the end of the road. Some scholars insist that kingship can only be passed on through the male line, but not to adopted sons. By that reasoning, Joseph was the royal line, but couldn't pass it to an adopted son - Wikipedia(Davidic Dynasty) [10]. If you accept the Zelophehad theory, the scepter of kingship passed to Jesus Christ  through Mary, but not in a way that satisfies everyone. The Zelophehad theory assumes Mary had no brothers, which seems like a detail that should not be omitted from the record if inheritance, indeed the monarchy, depends on it. Since Nathan was never a king, are his descendants eligible to ascend to the throne of David? And if Nathan's line were selected over Solomon's, did it pass to Heli? An alternate explanation is that the scepter still came through Joseph, but ancestry came through Mary. Going back to David on his deathbed, it appears that the perpetual dynasty is to come through Solomon.

2Sa 7:13  He (Solomon) shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 

 

Coronation Chair
Stone of Scone

Some explain the unbroken succession of Solomon's line survived because the prophet Jeremiah took the daughters of King Zedekiah (Jeconiah's uncle) of Solomon's line, and brought them to Ireland. They married royalty there, and according to this theory, are the ancestors of the British throne, that is the British throne is David's throne. Adherents to this say when Christ returns, He will take over and sit down on an existing throne of David, here on earth - Church of the Eternal God [11]. They neglect the large gaps where an heir of David was not on the throne of England - Hope Of Israel [12]. They say the meaning of Luke 1:32 is that an heir will be sitting on David's throne at Christ's return, but does it really say the throne will exist on earth at the time of the end? With an heir of David on it?

  

Luk 1:32  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 

Also, the Bible also says that Israel will be without a king.

Hos 3:4  For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: 

Some scholars say that when  David received the promise that his house, his kingdom, and his throne would be established forever (2Sa 7:16), it did not mean an unbroken monarchy.

God did not promise an unbroken monarchy but an unbroken line of descendants from David who would be qualified to sit on that throne when it was reestablished. David’s line would not fail before the righteous Branch came to claim His throne (cf. Luke 1:31-33). The genealogies of Matthew and Luke show that this promise was fulfilled as Christ was able to trace both His legal line through Joseph and His physical line through Mary back to David (Matthew 1:1-16; Luke 3:23-31) - Bible Knowledge Commentary [13].

Meaning, qualified descendants, not necessarily kings. Which brings us back to the daughters of Zelophehad. In the end, the exact meaning of God's promise to David is unclear to me, and beyond my scholarship. When Christ returns, He comes as King of Kings, and will sit of the throne of David. When and where He was or will be given the throne of David is not clear to me. 

I started writing this thinking I had a nice small topic, a lesser known nugget of Bible truth to share, inspired by the teaching of Chuck Missler. But like many things Biblical, I didn't find consensus. But I didn't want to waste all that research, so I tried to cover the different points of view - I still find it interesting, even if I don't have certainty. Until Jesus does return and set the record straight, the best I can say is to do your own research, and draw your own conclusions. And please, share your thoughts with me.

References

1. https://www.khouse.org/articles/1998/73/

2. http://www.biblestudymanuals.net/genealogy_of_Jesus.htm

3. https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/56826/how-could-jesus-be-descended-from-the-royal-line-of-david-if-he-was-born-of-the

4. http://www.bibleone.net/genealogy.htm

5. https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Eli.html#.X8Mx_PlTnIU

6. https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/42394/did-samuel-act-as-a-priest-on-top-of-being-a-prophet

7. https://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-kinsman-redeemer.html

8.  https://www.christianbook.com/niv-scofield-leather-basketweave-burgundy-indexed/9780195280081/pd/280083

9. https://www.equip.org/article/jeconiahs-whammy

10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davidic_dynasty_in_Bible_prophecy

11. https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-5307/

12. https://hope-of-israel.org/i000057a.htm

13. https://books.google.com/books?id=cndNDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT175&lpg=PT175

Filthy Rags

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

This verse seems to summarize four related stories in the book of Genesis. These four stories don't seem related at first glance, so let me explain.

The first story is that of Jacob and Esau where Jacob tricked his father Isaac into giving him the blessing that Isaac intended for Esau.

The second story is that of Joseph's brothers selling him into slavery in Egypt.

The third story is that of Rachel, who stole her father's idols when Jacob's family left Paddan-Aram, home of her father.

And the fourth story is of Tamar, who disguised herself as a prostitute to seduce Judah.

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OK, they don't seem related, do they? But there are elements that occur in each and every story, sort of like a theme and variations. Three elements that repeat are deceit, blood, and cloth, admittedly an odd trio. There are other repeating elements, but these three are sufficient to show the stories are related, and they show the tie to Isaiah 64:6.

The story of Jacob and Esau begins with their mother Rebecca, who was given a prophecy before the twin boys were born. 

Gen 25:23 The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger.”

Jacob Deceives Isaac

Then when their father Isaac is old, he gives Esau directions to hunt some game, and make him a savory dish, so that he can give Esau the birthright blessing. He may or may not have known that Jacob already wrested the birthright away from Esau. He also may not have known he would live another 20 years. Rebecca overhears Isaac and makes a plan of her own. Remember, she knows this prophecy that the older shall serve the younger, she's been holding that memory for decades now. So she tells Jacob to get two goats from the flock, she will make the savory dish, Jacob will bring it to Isaac, and HE will get the blessing. It is not clear from the text whether Rebecca meant for Jacob to deceive Isaac, or whether Jacob ad libbed that part. However, she did provide Jacob with Esau's garment, and goat skin for his arms and neck in case Isaac touched him, which isn't honest and straightforward. Afterward, she disowns her own involvement by telling Jacob to go to her brother Laban till "he [Esau] forgets what YOU did to him", not what WE did to him.

Rebecca and Jacob deceive Isaac.
Two goats are slaughtered for the savory dish.
Jacob wore Esau's garments.

Joseph Sold Into Slavery

Joseph was 17 when his father gave him a special coat. Jacob sent Joseph to check on his older brothers. All of them had different mothers from Joseph, and all of them were keenly aware that Joseph was dad's favorite. Joseph didn't help his cause when he told them of his dream where their sheaves bowed down to his sheaf, or the dream where the sun, moon, and 11 stars bowed down before him. Joseph had 11 brothers, so they all immediately saw the meaning of this dream. 

Gen 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic. 4 His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms. 5 Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 

The brothers hatched a plan to "kill the dreamer", they changed their minds, and sold Joseph for 20 shekels to Midianite traders who brought him to Egypt as a slave. The brothers deceived Jacob into thinking Joseph was dead by putting goat's blood on Joseph's coat.

Gen 37:31 So they took Joseph’s tunic, and slaughtered a male goat and dipped the tunic in the blood; 32 and they sent the varicolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, “We found this; please examine it to see whether it is your son’s tunic or not.”

Jacob was deceived by his sons.
A goat was slaughtered.
The goat's blood was put on Joseph's coat.

Rachel Steals Her Father's Idols

Jacob served his father in law Laban for 20 years, then God told him it was time to go home. He and his family sneaked out while Laban was away. Unknown to Laban and Joseph, Rachel stole Laban's idols. Maybe she thought that Laban used them for divination, and without them, he couldn't find them. But he did find them. He looked everywhere in Jacob's camp, but couldn't find them because Rachel was sitting on them. In effect, she was saying "you don't want to see my bloody rags".

Gen 31:19 When Laban had gone to shear his flock, then Rachel stole the household idols that were her father’s. 20 And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing. 

34 Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel’s saddle, and she sat on them. And Laban felt through all the tent but did not find them. 35 She said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household idols.

Jacob and Rachel deceive Laban.
Jacob offered a sacrifice (verse 54), I'm guessing it was a goat.
Cloth was implied.

Tamar's Veil

Tamar was Judah's daughter in law. Judah's son Er, her husband died so it fell to his brother Onan to raise up an offspring for Tamar. He wouldn't, so God took his life. Judah's third son Shelah was young so Judah told Tamar to wait. Alas, Shelah married and Tamar was neglected. She devised her own plan to get offspring by seducing Judah. She got pregnant and had twin boys.

Gen 38:14 So she removed her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face. 16 So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, “Here now, let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17 He said, therefore, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.”

Tamar deceived Judah.
The goat made a narrow escape from being slaughtered. There's always a goat.
She removed her widow's garments, and put on a veil.

Connection To Isaiah

Now it's time to dig into Isaiah 64:6 a little deeper. The phrase translated as filthy rags is from "idim beged". Idim actually means menstruation or menstrual blood  - Strong's(idim) [1]. Beged means a covering, translated as apparel, cloth, clothes, garment, raiment, rags - Strong's(beged) [2]. 

Each story mentions clothing, or cloth in some way. The link to Isaiah is that three of them use the word beged, the Rachel story doesn't use the word beged, but euphemistically refers to her bloody rags. The Tamar story does not mention blood, but definitely the clothing.

Genesis 27:15 — Then Rebekah took the best garments [beged] of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son.

Genesis 37:29 — Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his garments [beged].

Genesis 38:14 — So she [Tamar] removed her widow’s garments [beged] and covered [herself] with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

Genesis 31:35 - She [Rachel] said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women [ki derek nashim li] is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household idols [teraphim].

Injustice

These three elements of deceit, blood, and cloth occur over and over again in these stories of the last half of Genesis. All the characters were trying to solve an injustice. Rebecca knew Jacob was to get the birthright over Esau and helped him get it by deceit. Jacob's sons suffered the favoritism shown to Joseph and set about to even the score. Tamar was being cheated out of offspring and worked out her own way to get them. And Rachel knew her father had cheated Jacob and would cheat him again so she helped him escape. All of them did it their own way.

When Isaiah wrote that our righteousness is as bloody cloths, perhaps he was saying that our means of seeking justice are wrong. In a way, it is equating our righteousness with deceit. The Hebrew word for righteousness tzedek also means justice. It seems fair to say that if our means of achieving justice begins with deceit, or involves deceit, like in these four stories, it won't accomplish God's righteousness. Our justice is going to end with blood and rags.

Is it possible for man to work God's justice, His righteousness? I think so. He gave us the Ten Commandments as a guide how to do it. "For all Your commandments are righteousness" - Ps 119:172. If we follow His rules, His justice will result. His laws are universal, He backs them up. In the end, God did not allow Laban to cheat Jacob, nor allow Joseph to stay in prison. When we do things our own way to get justice, in violation of the Ten Commandments, blood and rags result. However, we know that in this life there is injustice, even for believers. I think we can all recall injustices in our own lives. Even animals can recognize injustice and unfairness - The Story About Dinah Is Not About Dinah* [3]. How do we reconcile the realities we see around us with statements like this, "For I the Lord act with kindness, justice, and equity in the world; for in these I delight - Jer 9:22"? 

White Robes

What would be the picture of God's righteousness? I think the opposite of bloody rags would be white robes. This is what the saints are wearing in Revelation, robes made white by the blood of Jesus Christ. This hearkens back to Joseph, whose coat was dipped in blood to deceive, the difference is that Jesus' blood makes the saint's robes white.

Rev 7:13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” 14 I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

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*Dinah's story is also about injustice, but has no mention of cloth. 

References

1. http://lexiconcordance.com/hebrew/5708.html
2. http://lexiconcordance.com/hebrew/0899.html
3. https://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-story-about-dinah-is-not-about-dinah.html

Esther Pays An Old Debt

Esther crowned as Queen

I always thought of the Purim story as a Jewish girl who rescued the Jewish nation. One reason that Esther became queen of Persia was apparently to save the Jewish people from destruction by Haman the Agagite. "And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” - Esther 4:14. And to this day, Jews celebrate the day known as Purim.

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If you like this (or not), check out my other articles at the
Between The Ears BLOG INDEX, with titles and summaries.

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But, Rabbi David Fohrman AlephBeta [] points out that Esther and Mordecai were not Jews ethnically. They were descended from Benjamin. It's right there in the text, I just never noticed. "Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite" - Esther 2:5. Well wait, it says Mordecai was a Jew, then it says he was a Benjamite. Which is it? Both actually. The kingdom of Judah, also known as the southern kingdom, was actually three tribes that banded together, Judah, Levi, and Benjamin, Judah being the most prominent and the royal line. The word Jew comes from the name Judah (Yehudi) and meant either an ethnic Judahite OR a resident of the kingdom of Judah. Verse 6 shows Mordecai was taken from Jerusalem into captivity, so he was a resident of Judah and could be called a Jew.

Big deal, so he and Hadasseh (Esther) were Benjamites. So what? There is language used in this story which draws us back to the story of Joseph in Egypt. Esther's story echoes Joseph's story when his brothers sold him to Midianites, and eventually Egypt. Note that this was Judah's idea.

Joseph sold by his brothers

Genesis 37:26  Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood? “Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him.

Esther 7:4 For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed and to be annihilated. Now if we had only been sold as slaves, men and women, I would have remained silent, for the trouble would not be commensurate with the annoyance to the king.

Both passages talk about someone being sold for slavery versus sold for destruction. The words "sell" and "sold" are spelled the same in both verses (nmkrnu, Hebrew Torah scrolls are written without vowels).

But that story is about Joseph, not Benjamin. And Esther's rescue of the Jews is not over. When Esther appeared before the king, she succeeded in eliminating Haman, but Haman's decree to kill all the Jews was still in effect, and Esther had to approach the king a second time to ask for the decree to be rescinded. Again, it went well.

Esther pleads for the Jews

Esther 8:3 Then Esther spoke again to the king, fell at his feet, wept and implored him to avert the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite and his plot which he had devised against the Jews. 4 The king extended the golden scepter to Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king. 5 Then she said, “If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter seems proper to the king and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces. 6 “For how can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?”

Esther's plea echoes Judah's plea centuries before in Egypt, when he pleaded to trade places with Benjamin. Joseph tricked his brothers into bringing Benjamin to Egypt. Joseph was powerful in Egypt when his brothers came to buy food, but they did not recognize him. When the brothers were going home, Joseph planted his goblet in Benjamin's pack so Benjamin would look guilty of theft. Judah steps up and offers to trade himself as a slave in Benjamin's place. He could have gone back to his father Jacob and said there was nothing he could do, after all, the goblet was in Benjamin's pack. But in spite of Leah and her children (including Judah) being second class citizens in Jacob's eyes (note in the passage below that Jacob only refers to the two sons of Rachel), Judah's plea was based on how much sorrow it would cause his father to lose both sons of Rachel.

Judah pleads for Benjamin

Genesis 44:27 “Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; 28 and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces,” and I have not seen him since. 29 ‘If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’ 30 “Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life, 31 when he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die. Thus your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. 32 “For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.’ 33 “Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. 34 “For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me—for fear that I see the evil that would overtake my father?” 

Let me narrow in on Gen 44:34 and Ester 8:6.

Gen 44:34 Lest I see the evil that will come on my father
Esther 8:6 For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people?

In Hebrew, the phrase "evil that will come on my father/people" differs by one letter.

Gen 44:34 ra asher yim'tza et-aviy (father)
Esther 8:6 ra asher yim'tza et-amiy (people)

Esther used the exact same words as Judah. She must have known her history. Judah offered himself to save Benjamin. Esther, a Benjaminite, offered herself to save Judah, ie. the ethnic Jews in Persia. The family breach that started when the sons of Leah sold Joseph into slavery was restored by Hadasseh (Esther). And both stories have a happy ending for the sons of Jacob.

Judah saved Benjamin

Benjamin saved Judah