Starting after Sukkot 2024, Hallel Fellowship switched to a three-year cycle of Torah and parallel Bible readings (2024–2027), outlined by TorahResource. While there’s ancient evidence for a triennial cycle, a major benefit is to provide more time to mine more of Scripture for lessons.
Readings
- Genesis 44:18–46:27
- Joshua 14:6–15
- Luke 24:13–27
Corresponding readings from the 1-year cycle
Insights from the readings
Connections between the readings
The three passages connect through a shared theme of covenant faithfulness, trust, and redemption:
- Genesis 44:18–46:27: Judah’s willingness to substitute himself for Benjamin prefigures Messiah’s self-giving to redeem His people, leading to reconciliation and restoration within Israel.
- Joshua 14:6–15: Caleb’s steadfast trust in God’s promises mirrors the perseverance needed to see redemption fulfilled, even after decades of waiting.
- Luke 24:13–27: Yeshua explains how the Scriptures point to His suffering and glory, tying Judah’s sacrifice and Caleb’s faith into the larger redemption story.
Together, they show that God’s promises are fulfilled through faithful endurance, sacrificial love, and Messiah’s redemptive work, uniting Israel’s history with the Gospel.
Key Hebrew & Greek terms and lessons
| Key term | Meaning & example | Lesson | Messianic insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| עָרֵב ʿarēv | “To pledge, guarantee” — Gen. 43:9; Prov. 6:1 | Leadership involves sacrificial responsibility. | Judah’s pledge for Benjamin foreshadows Messiah’s substitutionary atonement (John 10:11; Heb. 7:22). |
| נֶפֶשׁ nefesh | “Life, soul” — Gen. 44:30; Deut. 12:23 | Redemption touches the whole person, not just outward circumstances. | Restoration of nefesh between Joseph and his brothers points to Israel’s future reconciliation with Messiah (Zech. 12:10). |
| גָּאַל gāʾal | “To redeem” — Lev. 25:25; Ruth 4:4 | God redeems His people and restores relationships. | Joseph’s act anticipates Yeshua’s greater redemption of Israel and the nations. |
| אָמַן ʾāman | “To trust, be firm” — Deut. 7:9; Isa. 7:9 | Steadfast faith receives God’s reward. | Caleb models lifelong trust, reflecting the believer’s perseverance until Messiah’s return. |
| נָחַל nāḥal | “To inherit” — Josh. 14:9; Num. 26:55 | Inheritance is tied to covenant faithfulness. | Caleb’s inheritance prefigures believers inheriting the Messianic Kingdom (Isa. 65:17–25). |
| διερμηνεύω diermēneuō | “To explain, interpret” — Luke 24:27; Acts 9:36 | Messiah is revealed through Scripture. | Yeshua shows that Torah, Prophets, and Writings all point to Him. |
| ἀνόητος anoētos | “Foolish, without understanding” — Gal. 3:1 | Lack of faith stems from ignorance of Scripture. | Spiritual blindness is lifted when Messiah opens the Scriptures (cf. 2 Cor. 3:14–16). |
| δεῖ dei | “It is necessary” — Luke 24:26; Matt. 16:21 | Suffering precedes glory in God’s plan. | The necessity of Messiah’s suffering connects to the pattern in the Tanakh (e.g., Joseph, David). |
- Judah’s ʿarēv, Caleb’s ʾāman, and Joseph’s gāʾal point to covenant faithfulness and redemption.
- Yeshua’s diermēneuō reveals how the Hebrew Scriptures find their climax in Him.
- The journey from pledge (Judah) → perseverance (Caleb) → revelation (Emmaus) reflects God’s redemptive timeline for Israel and the nations.
Studies
In this study, we explore how Joseph, Caleb and Yeshua (Jesus) each faced suffering and testing, yet chose to trust God’s plan over their own desires. Judah’s heartfelt plea for Benjamin shows true repentance and growth, while Caleb’s wholehearted faith is rewarded after years of waiting. Yeshua’s suffering brings ultimate glory to Heaven and salvation available to all. Together, these accounts reveal how God orchestrates even our free will choices for His redemptive purposes, calling us to maturity, unity, and wholehearted devotion to Him.
Jacob, Joseph and good pharaoh: Dynamics of respect and trust in leadership (Genesis 46–47)
The Torah reading וַיִּגַּשׁ Vayigash (“he approached,” Genesis 44:18–47:27) explores respect, family responsibility and trust in God. There’s an emphasis on respecting parental authority as a reflection of honoring God and prioritizing obedience to God over obeying human authorities.
The narrative of Yosef (Joseph) in Egypt highlights trust in God amid adversity and concludes with a call to acknowledge and preserve family legacies, discarding traditions violating God’s standards. In this study, we will see that the accounts of Yosef and his older brother Yehudah (Judah) exemplify the importance of learning from one’s mistakes and the importance of standing up against…
Torah reading Vayigash (ויגש): Genesis 44:18–47:27
The ancient saying “familiarity breeds contempt” could easily sum up how Yosef’s brothers treated him in his early years and how many leaders of Yisra’el treated Yeshua. The prophetic parallels between Yosef and Yeshua the Mashiakh sharpen further in this week’s Torah section, וַיִּגַּשׁ Vayigash (“he approached,” Genesis 44:18–47:27).
In it, the brothers’ contempt turns to fear when they realize their plots against Yosef have put them at his mercy. It’s also a picture of the Day of the LORD, when Yisra’el then the world must confess, “Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the LORD” (Psalm 118:26;…
The account of Yosef (Joseph) in Genesis 37–50 is key to unlocking the role of Israel and Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) in the world and throughout the Bible. And the Torah reading ויגש Vayigash (“he approached,” Gen. 44:18–47:27) is pivotal point in his story.
How we can join in on Heaven’s blessings for the world (Joshua 14:6–15; Matthew 10)
The account in the Torah reading ויגש Vayigash (“he approached,” Genesis 44:18–47:27) of Yosef’s (Joseph) accusing his brothers of being “spies” on Mitzraim (Egypt) can seem like ancient geopolitical intrigue or toxic sibling rivalry.
But when compared with parallel passages in Ezekiel 37, Joshua 14 and Matthew 10, we may start to see a pattern: Israel’s role on Earth is as Heaven’s delegate-spy-ambassador to bless and restore humankind. And Yeshua (Jesus) is the quintessential Son of God and Son of David is the ultimate Anointed One sent from Heaven in that role.
We may be jealous of a favored family member or co-worker and carry that bitterness into how we act around that person. We may regret what those feelings drove us to and the damage caused in the relationship.
In this Bible study, we explore the dramatic reconciliation of the biblical leader Joseph with his brothers, recorded in the Torah passage Vayigash (Genesis 44:18-47:27), is an emotional journey from jealousy and abandonment to repentance and reconciliation.
Another rejected, favored son of Israel, Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus), also reunited with those close to Him after His resurrection, and in the case of…
Will we recognize our Jewish Messiah when He returns? (Genesis 44:18–47:27)
Just as Judah and his brothers did not recognize the gentile Egyptian governor as their flesh and blood Hebrew brother Joseph, many Christians may not recognize their Jewish Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus) of Nazareth, when He returns to Earth for His bride.
In Torah reading ויגש Vayigash (“he approached,” Genesis 44:18–47:27), Joseph disguised himself as a gentile to save Egypt and the entire world from famine. Yeshua’s apostle Paul tells us that the Messiah disguised Himself from His Jewish kin for a time for the sake of the Gentiles, but He will reveal Himself as our Jewish Messiah at His second…
Genesis 44:18–47:27: Want God’s mercy and love? Have mercy and love for others
The Torah reading ויגש Vayigash (“he approached,” Genesis 44:18–47:27) covers the response of Yehudah (Judah) and the brothers to the accusation by Yosef (Joseph). It’s important to understand why Yosef is doing this, because it helps us understand God and ourselves in a different light. This passage gives us a shadow of the great interceding mercy and sacrifice of Yeshua the Mashiakh (Jesus the Christ).
Genesis 44:18–47:27: Yosef foreshadows Yeshua’s grace
Aesop’s ancient saying “familiarity breeds contempt” could easily sum up how Yosef’s brothers treated him in his early years and how many leaders of Yisra’el treated Yeshua. The prophetic parallels between Yosef and Yeshua the Mashiakh sharpen further in the Torah section Vayigash (“he approached”).
In it, the brothers’ contempt turns to fear when they realize their plots against Yosef have put them at his mercy. It’s also a picture of the Day of the LORD, when Yisra’el then the world must confess, “Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the LORD.”
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