THE APPROACH OF JUDAH TO JOSEPH WAS A PICTURE OF OUR APPROACH TO GOD THROUGH THE ONE WHOM HE HAS MADE LORD OVER ALL—YESHUA.
Jesus said, “No man comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) Earlier in John 6:27 he said, “Labor not for the food that perishes, but for that food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him has God the Father sealed.” The word “sealed” is sphrangidzo in Greek. Dr. Strong says that it means “to stamp with a signet or private mark…to keep secret, to attest.”
The saving food of Egypt was administered through Joseph who had been given the ring of Pharoah and was appointed lord over all the land. Only Pharoah was above him. This became the biblical type in the Torah of the reality that God has signified Yeshua his Son and made him Lord over all. To approach God, we must come through the one whom God has sealed. Even Judah came for the provision of Egypt through his brother whom he knew not because his brother had become veiled from his eyes.
Notice the reverence and awe in Judah’s approach in Genesis 44:18:
VA’YIGASH ELAIV YEHUDAH VA’YOMER
BI ADONI YE’DABER-NA AV’DE’CHA DAVAR BE’AS’NEI ADONI
And Judah approached him and said,
“Oh my lord, I pray you, let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears
VE’AL-YI’CHAR AF’CHA BE’AV’DE’CHA
CI CA’MO’CHA CE’FAR’OH
and let not your anger burn against your servant
for you are even as Pharoah.”
There is an offense that some take against the requirement that we approach God through Jesus. This ought not to be. God has set him forth to be the mediator over the creation and to be the means by which we draw near to the light which no mortal can look upon and live*, even the blazing light of God the Father who dwells in absolute power and resplendent radiance. (Revelation 21:23)
[*Exodus 33:20; Mark 9:3; Acts 26:13; 1 Timothy 6:16; Hebrews 1:3]
Yeshua bears the stamp of God. (Hebrews 1:3) Therefore we should approach him with respect while we also come boldly before him because of the grace wherewith he has made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6) When we do, we come to the one who has the power to meet our needs (Philippians 4:19), for he has said,
“All authority in heaven and in earth has been given unto me.” (Matthew 28:18)
