Okay, good, let's look at this. If the Messiah's job was to save all mankind, not just the Jews, why did he have to be descended from Judah?
In the story of Joseph, when Joseph tests the brother’s loyalty and motives by planting a silver cup in Benjamin’s pack, it was Judah who stepped forward to take Benjamin’s punishment (Genesis 44:18-33) Judah’s offer of a substitutionary sacrifice for Benjamin’s life is a picture of what his descendent Jesus would do for all people.
His goal doesn't seem to have anything to do with Judaism.
I would daresay that there is many a Jewish convert who has received the life-changing salvation of Jesus Christ who would claim differently. Let’s remember, it was Judah who earlier in the book of Genesis was the one who SUGGESTED that the brothers sell Joseph into slavery with the Ishmaelites. (Gen.37:27) Judah's life changing contrition, confession and repentance is precisely the work that the Holy Spirit accomplishes in those who are saved in Christ Jesus.
God used the wickedness of the brothers to save pagan Egypt from famine. He then allowed the Hebrews to be enslaved and in His perfect time led them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Over the centuries, even though they repeatedly rejected Him through idolatry and sin, God was repeatedly faithful to forgive them when they repented. Even as he allowed even the godly Jews to also be swept away into Babylon, He kept a remnant intact…..why?? because all through biblical history God has been trying to call His chosen people back to him. And now, He does this through the New Covenant of Jesus Christ. All sin, all transgressions, all failures of man have been paid for through the blood of Christ to those who accept His sacrifice on their behalf. Because of God’s benevolent grace, He extended His mercy beyond his chosen people to the Gentiles.
The bible has an amazing continuity, as both the fact and the message of it are closely and amazingly interconnected to reveal God’s Son, Jesus Christ and His part in human redemption and restoration. The 66 books comprising the Bible fit together as one book with one theme: Jesus Christ
Thanks for sharing this... and thanks for the mention of Judah. God indeed has a plan so unfathomable and so wide and deep that we can’t see the edges of it.
It’s easy today to look at the modern practice of Judaic faith and say hey, we can’t see much that looks like Christ here... and that’s the point.
Israel dropped the ball like a hot potato, that is, the segment of it that didn’t believe.
Some of these unbelievers embraced Christ as less than Savior — as some kind of mere prophet, and this is called “knowing Jesus according to the flesh.” It’s a weird amalgam of law and Talmudism that results and those who did it were called Judaizers. There is presence of this kind of thing even on this very thread, and it implicitly denies a salvific Savior.
That's fine. But it seems odd that this little story means that, then, the only person capable of being the Salvation of the World must be descended from the guy who covered for his brother over a cup.
It would really help if you, or SOMEONE here, could show me where in the Old Testament there is a clearly stated prophecy that the Messiah would NOT be merely king of the Jews, but would be saving all of humanity from sin and hell. That would really, really be helpful.