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 43:24–44:17
- Jeremiah 42:12–17; 43:12–14
- Matthew 6:19–24
Shabbat Nachamu (Sabbath of Comfort)
- Hosea 14:2–10
- Micah 7:18–20
- Isaiah 40:1–26
Corresponding reading in the 1-year cycle
Insights from this week’s readings
Connections between the readings
Common themes in the passages are a progression:
- from fear to faith.
- from rebellion to restoration.
- from worldly trust to divine comfort.
Joseph, Jeremiah’s prophetic warnings and Yeshua’s teachings present a unified call:
- Repent
- Trust
- Prepare the way of the LORD.
True comfort comes from trusting God’s Word
True comfort follows trust in God’s word and ways, not in self-directed survival strategies.
- Jeremiah 42–43: The remnant seeks a false comfort in Egypt, rejecting God’s word through Jeremiah and suffering the consequences.
- Matthew 6: Yeshua warns that true security is not found in earthly treasures or temporary comforts, but in the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Isaiah 40 opens with “Comfort, comfort My people” — but this comfort is rooted not in human refuge, but in God’s enduring word and sovereign presence (Isaiah 40:8–10).
Testing that leads to restoration
God’s testing is purposeful — leading to healing, reconciliation and restoration for those who respond in humility.
- Genesis 43–44: Joseph’s testing of his brothers is not punitive but redemptive—leading to reconciliation.
- Isaiah 40 declares that Judah’s “hard service is completed” (v.2); after exile and judgment, God initiates restoration and renewal.
- Jeremiah warns that resistance to God’s discipline delays restoration, while Isaiah promises that comfort follows when hearts are humbled.
Where is your allegiance and vision?
All the passages ask: To whom do you lift your eyes? Where is your treasure and trust?
- Matthew 6: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Spiritual clarity flows from a heart set on God’s Kingdom.
- Genesis: Judah steps forward, showing sacrificial love — a foreshadow of Messiah’s heart and clarity of purpose.
- Isaiah 40:25–26: God calls Israel to lift their eyes and see who created the stars — challenging them to see beyond earthly chaos and trust the eternal King.
Messianic vision: The righteous redeemer and shepherd
All the passages build toward a vision of Messiah Who brings justice, mercy and comfort — not through worldly means, but through divine calling and purpose.
- Joseph acts as a hidden redeemer — testing to reveal hearts, then saving his people.
- Matthew reveals Messiah Yeshua calling people to eternal priorities and spiritual wholeness.
- Isaiah 40 presents God as both the sovereign King and the gentle Shepherd (v.10–11), gathering His flock—a clear Messianic image.
Key Hebrew & Greek terms
נֶחָמָה nechamah — comfort
- Isaiah 40:1: נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ עַמִּי Nachamu nachamu ami — “Comfort, comfort My people”
- Also used in Genesis 5:29, referring to Noah’s bringing comfort from toil. His Hebrew name, נֹחַ Noach, derives from נוּחַ nûach (“to rest, settle down”).1Coppes, Leonard J. Harris, R. Laird, Gleason L. Archer, and Bruce K. Waltke, eds. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Accordance electronic edition, version 2.8. Chicago: Moody Press, 1980.
- Lessons: Biblical comfort is not merely emotional relief but the assurance of God’s covenant faithfulness after judgment. True comfort is fulfilled in Messiah Yeshua, who brings final redemption (Luke 2:25 — Simeon waits for the “consolation of Israel”).
נָשָׂא עֵינַיִם nasa einayim — lift up the eyes
- Isaiah 40:26: “Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these?”
- Genesis 44:14: Judah and his brothers come before Joseph and fall to the ground, an act of humble recognition and submission.
- Lessons: “Lifting the eyes” is a biblical metaphor for seeking divine perspective amid confusion or judgment. In Yeshua’s day, many failed to “lift their eyes” to recognize the One sent from above (John 8:23; 6:40).
ὀφθαλμός ophthalmos — eye
- Matthew 6:22–23: “The eye is the lamp of the body…”
- The eye biblically is a symbol of spiritual vision and clarity.
- Tied to the Hebrew idiom “lifting the eyes” (Isaiah 40:26).
- Lessons: Spiritual insight is conditioned by where our heart and attention are focused. The spiritually blind in Yeshua’s time could not see the Kingdom (cf. John 9).
לֵב lev; καρδία kardia — heart
- Deut. 6:5: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart (lev), all your soul (nefesh), and all your might (me’od).”
- Lev: Love God with your will and thoughts.
- Nefesh: Love God with your very life and desires.
- Me’od: Love God with your strength, resources, intensity.
- Matthew 6:21: “Where your treasure is, there your heart (kardia) will be also.”
- Lessons: The heart must be wholly turned toward God; partial loyalty leads to self-deception. In the TaNaKh and Apostolic Writings, God seeks wholehearted devotion (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37) — the heart of the New Covenant (Jer. 31:33).
| Term | Basic meaning | Functional focus |
|---|---|---|
| לֵב lev | Heart | Thought, will, understanding, conscience, emotion |
| נֶפֶשׁ nefesh | Soul, self, life, throat | Physical life, personal identity, desire, emotion, vulnerability |
| Aspect | Lev (heart) | Nefesh (soul/life) |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Mind, will, conscience | Life force, identity, vulnerability |
| Seat of | Thought, decisions, motives | Appetite, desire, emotion |
| Usage | Often moral or cognitive | Often personal, emotional, or existential |
| Associated with | Understanding, wisdom, purity, stubbornness | Living being, self-preservation, mortality |
| Typical translation | Heart, mind, inner person | Soul, life, person, self |
עֶבֶד eved; δοῦλος doulos — servant, slave
- Genesis 44:16: “God has found out the guilt of your servants”
- Jeremiah 43:10: God refers to Nebuchadnezzar as “My servant”
- Eved in these passages emphasizes service under divine authority, whether righteous (like Joseph) or as an instrument of judgment (like Nebuchadnezzar)
- Lesson: Messiah is the ultimate Eved YHWH (Isaiah 42–53), embodying both judgment and redemptive mercy.
- Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters… He will be devoted to one and despise the other.”
- Doulos here highlights total allegiance; you can’t split loyalty between God and mammon.
- Lesson: Discipleship demands single-hearted devotion. Yeshua, like Joseph, came as a servant (Phil. 2:7) to test, redeem, and elevate.
θησαυρός thēsauros — treasure
- Matthew 6:19–21 – “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but treasures in heaven”
- It’s the root of the English word thesaurus, meaning a storehouse of synonyms.
- Lessons:
- One’s values determine spiritual perception and loyalty.
- Messiah reorients values toward the eternal Kingdom (cf. Matt. 13:44 — the Kingdom is a hidden treasure).
Lessons from the readings
| Theme | Summary | Scripture |
|---|---|---|
| Testing and transformation | Joseph’s testing leads to Judah’s sacrificial leadership—a foreshadow of Messiah’s redemptive role. | Gen. 44:16–17 |
| Trust vs. self-preservation | Judah’s remnant seeks false safety; true security is in obedience to God. | Jer. 42:14–17 |
| Vision and loyalty | Devotion to God brings spiritual clarity; divided loyalty blinds. | Matt. 6:19–24 |
| Divine comfort after judgment | Isaiah’s message is of restoration through divine mercy—not escape from discipline. | Isa. 40:1–2 |
Joseph as a type of Messiah ben Yosef
Hidden among the nations, misunderstood, yet working to reconcile his brothers. Like Yeshua, Joseph tests to restore, not destroy.
Jeremiah’s warnings mirror 1st century choices
Just as Judah fled to Egypt, many in Yeshua’s time clung to Rome or tradition rather than trusting in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Matthew’s teachings call to Kingdom vision
Yeshua, teaching in Galilee, calls Israel to seek eternal treasure and undivided loyalty — an echo of Isaiah’s call to lift the eyes to God’s majesty.
Comfort for Israel’s heart hole is ultimately Messianic
Isaiah 40 foretells the ministry of Yokhanan (John the Baptist; Matt. 3:3), preparing the way for Messiah.
True נֶחָמָה nechamah (comfort) arrives in the person of Yeshua, Who brings the restoration promised to Israel.
Studies
Treasures that last: Building a life of eternal value (Genesis 43–44; Matthew 6)
In this study, we explored the call of Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) to store up treasures in heaven, not just earthly wealth. It’s about living with discernment, generosity, and integrity — practicing righteousness both privately and publicly. We’re encouraged to regularly take spiritual inventory, ensuring our hearts align with God’s purposes. True reward comes from sincere faith, not public applause. Let’s invest in what lasts: our relationship with Adonai, our character, and blessing others in the Messiah’s name.
In this study, we trace God’s redemptive plan through Joseph’s story, revealing how Yeshua (Jesus) fulfills the pattern of salvation. From Joseph’s grain provision during severe famine to the Lamb’s Book of Life on the Day of the LORD, we see God’s consistent desire to dwell among His people. The journey from brokenness to restoration demonstrates how submission, trust and repentance transform lives. As we anticipate the New Jerusalem, we’re reminded that God’s ultimate goal is intimate connection — writing His law on our hearts and bringing us into complete shalom.
In contrast to worldly leadership, Scripture reveals a model rooted in humility, righteousness, and the fear of Adonai (the LORD). The restoration of Yosef (Joseph) in ancient Egypt and Isaiah’s vision of the Righteous Branch foreshadow Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) — Spirit-anointed to preserve, restore and lead with justice. This study explores how godly leaders are marked by wisdom, not ambition, and how Yeshua fulfills these roles. For believers today, it offers prophetic insight into Spirit-led leadership that prepares the way for the coming Kingdom.
The Creator of the heavens and earth speaks through unexpected channels — including using pagan Egyptian mythology — to reveal His plan. In this study, we see how Joseph’s unwavering faith transforms him from a forgotten slave to Egypt’s savior, demonstrating that trusting Adonai (the LORD) transcends circumstances. The dreams of Pharaoh in Genesis 41 reveal more than just agricultural prophecy. They showcase God’s ability to communicate across cultural boundaries, preparing the way for His redemptive purpose, fulfilled through Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus). Joseph’s journey reminds us that faithfulness opens doors no human can close.
Trials and transcendence: Joseph’s divine evolution beyond envy (Genesis 41–44)
The section of the biblical story of Joseph (Yosef) covered in the Torah reading מִקֵּץ Miketz (“he settled,” Genesis 41:1–44:17) explores greed and jealousy in human nature.
In this study, we see that Yosef’s testing of his brothers demonstrated their positive transformation and growth beyond greed.
Torah reading Miketz (מקץ): Genesis 41:1–44:17
Have you ever felt like God has abandoned you? Or at least forgotten about what you’re going through? It would have been easy for Yosef to think so. He’d been languishing in prison for a crime he didn’t commit for at least two years. The second installment of the account of Yosef is in this week’s Torah section, מִקֵּץ Miketz (“he settled,” Gen. 41:1–44:17). We see “that dreamer” go from victim of justice to vice president of the mighty empire of Mitzraim, and the prophecy pointing forward to Yeshua the Mashiakh gets fleshed out.
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