“Then Judah said to Israel his father, ‘Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones.’” (Genesis 43:8 ESV).
Moses recorded Judah’s words to Jacob as a decisive moment in the shaping of the covenant family. Faced with death by famine, Judah stepped forward as spokesman and guarantor for Benjamin. Reuben, the firstborn, had already forfeited leadership through immorality, and Simeon and Levi were disqualified by their violent actions at Shechem. Judah, once complicit in Joseph’s betrayal, now spoke with wisdom and self-sacrifice. Jacob didn’t listen to Reuben’s reckless and emotionally tone-deaf proposal, but instinctively entrusted Judah with leadership. Through this narrative turn, Moses showed that God was not merely preserving the family through Joseph’s authority in Egypt, but preparing the line of Messianic promise through Judah, a preparation that would later culminate in the promise of the scepter belonging to Judah (Gen. 49:10).
This passage teaches us how to read the Old Testament with expectant eyes. We are not only called to notice Judah’s moral transformation, but to look for how God is steadily preparing the way for Christ. In Judah, we see a pattern of leadership grounded in substitution and responsibility, pointing forward to the coming King who would stand in the place of His people. In Joseph, we see another pattern: suffering servant turned exalted savior, who preserves life but does not carry the scepter. This tension continues throughout Scripture, even when Saul of Benjamin rises briefly as king before giving way to David of Judah.
As we read Scripture, looking for Christ on every page, we learn to trace these threads, recognizing that every turn of leadership, every act of deliverance, and every narrowing of the promise is guiding us toward Jesus. We are encouraged to read the Old Testament not as distant history, but as God’s careful preparation for the Messiah who fulfills every type, promise, and hope.
Reading Scripture this way echoes the way Jesus encouraged His hearers to read. As Jesus said, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me” (John 5:46).
PRAYER: Dear Father, open our eyes to see Your Son throughout all of Scripture. Teach us to read Your Word with expectation and faith, recognizing how You were preparing the way for Christ long before His coming. Shape our hearts to trust Your redemptive plan and rejoice in Your wisdom. In Jesus’ name, amen.