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In Parashah Shemot 4:13, Moses says to G-d, "Send, I pray You, by the hand of whom You will send." On p. 77 of Rabbi M. Schneerson's book "Torah Studies" he explains that midrash (Lekach Tov) interprets this to mean that Moses is asking G-d to send the Messiah in his place to lead the Jewish people out of captivity in Egypt. Was Moses the first to know of the Messiah? If not, which of our patriarchs was the first to know of the Messiah?

Midrash Lekach Tov:

שלח נא ביד תשלח. אמר לפניו רבש״ע שלח נא ביד תשלח, ביד משיח שהוא עתיד לגלות.‏

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    Rashi claimed that Yaakov in last weeks parshah was interrupted in explaining the End of Days prophecy to his sons. It's totally possible that he also had knowledge of the Messiah.
    – user16556
    Commented Jan 13, 2020 at 18:37
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    @Ilja Rashi in Bereishit 49:10 says that the reference is to the Messiah, so it is mor ethan possible.
    – rosends
    Commented Jan 13, 2020 at 19:44

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The first individual to know of the Messiah was Adam HaRishon. This is stated explicitly in Sanhedrin 38b in the name of Reish Lakish, by Yose ben Chalafta in Seder Olam Rabbah 30 and Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon in Bereshit Rabbah 24:2 which teach that Adam was shown all the righteous, each generation and its Sages and those who would teach and explain the Torah.

This tradition was passed along to each and every generation that followed.

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