“David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul, but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem. The Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand. Then Jesse said to David his son, ‘Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves and run to the camp to your brothers. Bring also these ten cuts of cheese to the commander of their thousand, and look into the welfare of your brothers, and bring back news of them’ …Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers…. Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, ‘Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle'” (1 Sam 17:14-18, 22, 28).

This description of the young shepherd, David, being sent out by his father to check on the welfare (shalom) of his older antagonistic brothers has blatantly obvious parallels to the story of Jacob sending Joseph to check on his antagonistic older brothers in Genesis 37 (vv. 12-17). And the intentionality of these parallels are more strongly confirmed when we consider the prophetic anointing of David just prior to being sent to check on his brothers (1 Sam 16:1-12) as the equivalent to Joseph’s prophetic dreams that he would eventually rule over his brothers (Gen 37:5-11). The primary point of the analogy is that David, whose anointing takes place long before he reaches the throne, will become king despite the fierce opposition. Since primary opposition comes from Saul, moreover, David’s service in Saul’s court in the immediate context (1 Sam 16:13-23) reminds us of Joseph being called to minister before the Egyptian Pharaoh (Genesis 41). Thus a parallel is drawn between Saul and Pharaoh, thereby setting the stage for David’s ultimate victory despited the continued opposition from the Israel king, who like the Pharaoh, hardened his heart to God.

Rabbinic Judaism insists on the coming of two different Messiahs: Messiah son of David and Messiah son of Joseph

And now for the “So what?” From the standpoint of our witness to the Jewish community, it is crucial to consider the implications of the intentional parallels between David and Joseph in the Hebrew Bible. Rabbinic Judaism insists on the coming of two different Messiahs: The suffering Messiah son of Joseph on the one hand, and the victorious Messiah son of David on the other. While the Torah does in fact support the belief in both a Messiah son of David (Gen 49:8-12) AND a Messiah son of Joseph (Gen 49:24; Deut 33:17), this analogy between David and Joseph highlights the expectation, not of two separate Messiahs, but a single Joseph-like Davidic Messiah who will first be fiercely rejected by Israel’s leadership, but will ultimately take his rightful place upon the throne of David despite the opposition and suffering.
The textual parallels between David and Joseph only come to light through a careful close-reading of the Hebrew Bible. And it has been in my own personal experience over the years that the more carefully I read the Hebrew Bible, the more clearly the picture of the Biblical Messiah comes into focus. And in that future day when the Jewish people finally reassemble all the pieces of this Messianic puzzle in the Hebrew Bible, they will experience the inexpressible joy of seeing the perfect image of Yeshua staring back at them in the story of Joseph, and with eyes filled with love and compassion he will say to them, “I am Yeshua, your brother!”

Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?’ But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Please come closer to me.’ And they came closer. And he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life'” (Gen 45:3-5).