Jesus in Genesis: I have waited for thy salvation

In Genesis 49 Jacob prophesies over his sons and in verses 8-12 he reveals that Messiah will come from Judah: The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Then, after he addresses Zebulun, Issachar, and Dan, he cries out, I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD (49:18).

I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD. What an interesting declaration! And, as I hope to point out, what an amazing declaration!

Jacob knew Messiah was coming, and he knew he would bring salvation. Salvation is coming when Messiah comes because Messiah is our salvation.

When the angel explained Mary’s pregnancy to Joseph he said, And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Jesus will save his people, he is a Savior - he is our salvation.

When Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary took him to the Temple to present him to the Lord and we read:

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.  
And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  
And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,  
Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,  
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:  
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,  
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;  
A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. (Luke 2:25-32)

Wow! Simeon was told he would see the Lord’s Christ and when he saw Jesus he cried out, Mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Simeon saw what Jacob was waiting for! This is awesome. Thy salvation is the Lord’s Christ, and the Lord’s Christ is Jesus. Amen.

Jacob said, I have waited for thy salvation. Simeon said, Mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Jacob was waiting for Jesus. Simeon saw Jesus. And here is where it gets really interesting.

The Hebrew word for salvation in Genesis 49:18 is yeshuwah. Jesus’ name in Hebrew is formed from this very word. His name is actually, Yehoshuwa which in the English Old Testament is translated, Joshua. Yeshuwah means salvation, Yehoshuwa means Yahweh is salvation.

Joshua’s birth name was Oshea, a word that comes from the same root as yeshuwah and also means salvation. Moses added “a letter of the incommunicable name of God” to his name to form the new name Jehoshua. As I said, this is most often translated Joshua in our Bibles. It was probably pronounced, Yeshua, because when the Old Testament was translated into Greek, Joshua was translated Ἰησοῦς, in English this is Iesus, or as we spell it now, Jesus.

The salvation of God, thy yeshuwah, is not a thing, it is a person. Thy salvation, thy yeshuwah, is Yeshua - Ἰησοῦς, Jesus. Amen!

I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD. Jacob was waiting for Messiah and he knew the Lord’s Christ was salvation. And in an awesome move by God, the name of Christ the Savior is Yeshua, Ἰησοῦς, Jesus – Yahweh is salvation. Amen and Praise God!