Heaven redeems humanity despite and often via flawed individuals. Genesis 38 reveals Judah’s transformation and the unexpected lineage of Messiah through Tamar. Isaiah 37:31–37 emphasizes God preserving a remnant in Judah, affirming His faithfulness to Israel’s destiny. Matthew 1:1–17 traces the genealogy of Yeshua (Jesus) through Judah, David and the exile, underscoring divine orchestration despite human failure. Together, these passages show God’s sovereignty in establishing Messiah’s lineage and His covenantal promises to Israel and the world.
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.
Genesis 38, Isaiah 37:31–37, and Matthew 1:1–17 center on God’s covenantal faithfulness, the preservation of a righteous remnant and the Messianic lineage.
Messianic lineage through Judah (Genesis 38; Matthew 1)
Genesis 38 recounts Judah and Tamar’s scandalous union, which produces Perez—an ancestor of Yeshua (Jesus). Matthew 1 affirms this by including Perez in Yeshua’s genealogy, emphasizing that God brings redemption through even morally complex situations.
Preservation of the remnant (Isaiah 37; Matthew 1)
Isaiah 37 foretells the survival of a remnant in Judah amid Assyrian threat. This preserved line enables the continuation of David’s house, culminating in Yeshua. Matthew’s genealogy reflects this survival through exile and restoration.
Divine sovereignty and faithfulness
Despite Judah’s sin (Genesis 38), national crisis (Isaiah 37), and exile (seen in Matthew 1 genealogy), God sovereignly guides history to fulfill His promise of the Messiah through Abraham, Judah, and David—blessing both Israel and the nations.
Key language
זֶרַע zera‛ — “seed,” offspring
Used in Isaiah 37:31: “And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward.”
Symbolizes the continuation of God’s covenantal line through Judah — emphasizing the Messianic seed promise from Genesis 3:15 and Genesis 49:10.
גָּאַל ga’al — “to redeem”
Related to Genesis 38 (not directly used): Tamar’s actions reflect the principle of levirate redemption, a proto-theme of the kinsman-redeemer (go’el), later developed in Ruth and fulfilled in Messiah Yeshua.
מַלְכּוּת malkhut — “kingdom”
Implied in Isaiah 37: God protects Jerusalem not just politically but spiritually, preserving the kingdom line from which Messiah will reign.
Used in Psalm 103:19 – “His kingdom (malkhut) rules over all.”
γεννάω gennaō — “to beget,” “to father”
Used repeatedly in Matthew 1: “Abraham begat Isaac…”
Emphasizes lineage and legal transmission, affirming Yeshua’s legal right to David’s throne.
Lessons
God works through human brokenness (Genesis 38)
Judah and Tamar’s story shows that God’s plan of redemption includes and transforms morally compromised individuals. The Messiah’s genealogy includes this scandal not by accident, but by design.
Divine sovereignty in history (Isaiah 37)
God sovereignly preserves His people and His promises, even in the face of powerful empires. The “remnant” theology connects to God’s faithfulness to Israel and the eventual emergence of Messiah.
Messiah’s humanity and royal legitimacy (Matthew 1)
The genealogy affirms Yeshua’s dual identity as Son of David (royal line) and Son of Abraham (covenantal promise), highlighting both national and global redemption.
Inclusion of the Gentiles and the marginalized
Tamar (of Canaan), Rahab (of Jericho), Ruth (of Moab), and Bathsheba are included in Yeshua’s genealogy — affirming God’s redemptive plan for Jew and Gentile.
Covenantal continuity
From Abraham to David to the exile and Yeshua, God’s covenant with Israel is not revoked but fulfilled in Messiah, who embodies both kingship and servanthood.
Remnant theology
Isaiah’s prophecy and Matthew’s genealogy affirm that even in times of national judgment, a faithful remnant endures. Yeshua emerges from this remnant to restore Israel and bless the nations.
Messiah as Kinsman-Redeemer
The levirate themes in Genesis 38 echo Ruth and ultimately Yeshua’s role as the go’el — the one who redeems Israel and the world.
Key parts of God’s faithful promise to humanity are revealed through the tragically triumphant life of Yosef (Joseph) in Genesis 40; Amos 1-2; and Matthew 5. In this study we see that like Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus), Yosef suffered unjustly but remained faithful, ultimately being exalted. The Beatitudes reflect Yosef’s spiritual resilience, showing how the righteous endure trials while trusting in God’s redemptive plan. The passages explain God’s justice, His commitment to all nations and the promise of lifting up those who humble themselves and walk in righteousness.
Threads of divine presence, righteous suffering and redemption weave together Genesis 39; Isaiah 52–53; and Acts 16. From Joseph’s journey to the prophetic glimpses of Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus), in this study we see how God’s faithfulness sustains His people through trials. The Suffering Servant prophecy of Isaiah 53 isn’t ancient text twisted by Yeshua’s believers. It’s a living testament to God’s redemptive plan, showing how He transforms our challenges into opportunities for growth and spiritual breakthrough — and breakout.
Genesis 38 is a powerful yet disturbing narrative of spiritual transformation. Despite human failings of Judah and Tamar, God’s redemptive plan continues, ultimately leading to the Messianic lineage. Even in our most challenging moments, Heaven can work through imperfect people. This account teaches how we can be pulled down spiritually by appealing yet destructive influences. Yet when we spiritually “descend,” God via Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) is able to restore us to a higher spiritual position, showing that our mistakes don’t disqualify us from His greater purpose. It’s a testament to grace, redemption and Providence.
God’s love isn’t about favoritism, but character. Looking at Joseph, Jeremiah and Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) in this study, we saw how telling truth and maintaining integrity matters to Heaven more than comfort. Biblical heroes weren’t perfect, but they were faithful — willing to walk through difficult paths with self-discipline. Their stories aren’t just historical; they’re spiritual blueprints showing how God works through people who are committed to righteousness, even when it costs everything.
A key point in the Torah reading וַיֵּשֶׁב Vayeshev (Genesis 37–40) is the betrayal of Yosef (Joseph) by his brothers, including their debate about what to do with him and their sale of him to traders bound for Mitzraim (Egypt). This seems to parallel what happened many centuries later, when Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) was rejected by His brothers (Israel, led by descendants of Judah) and went into exile in Mitzraim.
In the Torah reading וַיֵּשֶׁב Vayeshev (Genesis 37–40), the salacious downward spiral of Yehudah (Judah) is sharply contrasted with the upward rise of Yosef (Joseph). That’s despite Yosef’s brothers’ having betrayed him.
The parallel passage to Vayeshev (Amos 2:6–3:8) reveals how morality can go down a slippery slope to depravity if nothing stops it. Yosef was a living prophecy of the ultimate Favored Son of Israel — Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) — Who would be rejected but effectively stop the moral slide of the nation and the world.
Joseph’s brothers and many in the Sanhedrin during the first arrival of Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) were incensed that God had chosen someone other than the first- or best-born to lead Israel. Yet, both Yosef and Yeshua did not fear betrayal, arrest, prison or even death.
In this study of the Torah section וישב Vayeshev (“he settled,” Gen. 37:1–40:23), the “cancel culture” of their day did not deter them. Similar to the Maccabees at the time of the first Chanukah, no one could smooth-talk Yosef or Yeshua out of standing up for what is right as they refused to…
The accounts in Torah reading וישב Vayeshev (“he settled,” Gen. 37:1–40:23) of Judah’s hooking up with his daughter-in-law and Joseph foretelling the rise and deeper fall of his jailmates seem as unrelated as they are dismaying. But the two actually contain prophecies that reveal the transforming work of the Messiah.
From the Torah reading וישב Vayeshev (“he settled,” Genesis 37:1-40:23), we’ll be focusing this time on a comparison between Judah’s relationship with Tamar and Joseph’s relationship with Potiphar’s wife. As we look into this “intermission” in the story, we’ll take a detour into Hosea 3-4, which will give us insight into why the men in those stories were guilty of a far greater evil than the sins of Tamar and Mrs. Potiphar.
God prepared two self-centered “brats” — Yosef (Joseph) and Yehudah (Judah) — and their descendants to become the saviors of their families. Yosef was a tattle-tale and a bit of a braggart, but Yehudah was willing to throw weaker, younger people to the wolves, either figuratively or literally to obtain a higher status in his society. God really cares about how you treat other people, especially those who are weaker and less fortunate. In the Torah reading וישב Vayeshev (Genesis 37–40), we learn from Yosef and Yehudah their life lessons the hard way.
Are you living where God wants you to live? That’s the question the LORD explored with Yosef and Yehudah in the Torah section Vayeshev, which means “and he dwelled.” It introduces in earnest the two main characters ― biblically, called “houses” ― in the leadership of Israel’s legacy, the knowledge of and connection with the Creator.
The account of Yosef seems larger than life as it is: His coat of many colors. His dreams of greatness over his older brothers and even his parents. His being sold by those brothers into slavery in Mitsraim, then rising from prison to vice president of the mighty ancient empire that built the pyramids. But that’s for a later discussion. This time, Hallel Fellowship teacher Daniel explores a messianic play in the Torah reading Vayeshev, which means “he settled” and covers Genesis 37-40. Yosef was playing the role of Mashiakh consistently through his life. His father, Ya’akov, played God the…
