Genesis 16 has important messianic connections through the appearance of the “angel of the Lord,” which has a number of hallmarks of a divine manifestation. Hagar’s encounter with Elohim, where she names Him “El-Roi” (“the God Who sees”), foreshadows the Messiah’s ultimate role as God among humanity. The chapter and parallel passages in Isaiah 64 and Galatians 4 contrast human efforts to fulfill divine promises (through Sarai and Hagar) with God’s sovereign plan, emphasizing that salvation and fulfillment come through divine intervention, not human actions.
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 16 emphasizes God’s personal care, His ability to see and hear, and His faithfulness to His covenant, pointing toward Messianic hope. Isaiah 64 reflects on God’s sovereignty, mercy and redemptive power, with a yearning for divine intervention, ultimately realized in the Messiah.
מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה Malakh YHWH — ‘the Angel of the LORD’ (Genesis 16:7)
מַלְאַךְ mal’akh can mean “messenger” or “angel” (divine messenger).
Significance: Often understood as a theophany (a manifestation of God), this figure represents God’s direct intervention, connecting to Messianic themes of God dwelling with humanity.
This name for Abram’s son via Hagar comes from the verb שָׁמַע shama – “to hear” and אֵל El – “God,” “god” or “powerful one.”
Significance: The naming of Ishmael reflects God’s attentiveness to Hagar’s suffering. This foreshadows the Messianic theme of God hearing and responding to the cries of His people (e.g., Psalm 34:17).
אֵל רֳאִי El Roi — ‘God Who sees’ (Genesis 16:13)
רֳאִי roi is derived from the root verb רָאָה ra’ah, meaning “to see.” The noun also shows up in בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי be’er lakhai roi, “well of the living one who sees” (Genesis 16:14).
Significance:Roi highlights God’s omniscience and personal care. Hagar, a marginalized figure, recognizes that God sees her plight. Theologically, this emphasizes God’s compassion for the outcast, foreshadowing themes of divine care fulfilled in the Messiah.
The place name reflects God’s life-giving provision and vision. Theologically, it symbolizes God’s sustaining presence, pointing to the Messiah, who provides living water (John 4:10).
קָרַע kara — ‘to tear apart’ (Isaiah 64:1)
Verse: “Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, That the mountains might quake at Your presence” (Isaiah 64:1 NASB 1995)
Significance: The plea to “rend the heavens” expresses a longing for God’s direct intervention, fulfilled in the incarnation of the Messiah and His return on the Day of the LORD (Isaiah 34:4; Revelation 6:14).
וּמֵעֹולָם לֹא-שָׁמְעוּ u’me’olam lo sham’u: “From of old no one has heard”
Significance: This term reflects the eternal nature of God’s plans and the uniqueness of His redemptive work, which is fully revealed in the Messiah.
יוֹצְרֵנוּ yotzreinu — ‘our potter’ (Isaiah 64:8)
יוֹצֵר yotzer can mean “potter” or “creator.” It’s derived from the verb יָצַר yatzar, “to form.”
Significance: This nickname for the Holy One emphasizes His sovereignty and creative power, tying to the Messianic role of reshaping humanity into God’s image.
כַּבֶּגֶד עִדִּים ka’beged ‘iddim): “like a polluted garment”
Significance: This metaphor from women’s feminine hygiene underscores the inadequacy of human righteousness, highlighting the need for divine intervention. It aksipoints to the atoning work of the Messiah, who covers humanity with His righteousness (Isaiah 61:10).
This study delves into the rich, interwoven tapestry of Genesis 14, Isaiah 41 and Hebrews 7, where Melchizedek emerges as a prophetic foreshadowing of the Messiah’s eternal priesthood. Explore how Abram’s encounter with this mysterious king-priest points to the Messiah’s role as the ultimate deliverer and high priest. Uncover the Messianic themes woven throughout Isaiah’s vision and the Letter to the Hebrews, revealing the Messiah as the fulfillment of God’s promises and the one who ushers in the true rest for His people.
This study of Genesis 12–13, Joshua 24, Hebrews 11, Zechariah 2–4 and John 10 explored the theme of God’s promises and their fulfillment, tracing the lineage of the “seed” from Eve to Yeshua (Jesus). Vows, oaths and faithfulness are key principles for us because they undergird God’s promises, as seen in the chain of the “seed” from Eve to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David and ultimately to the Messiah. The rededication of the Temple celebrated at Chanukah is part of the prophecy of a “greater glory” to come to the structure, and it was fulfilled in Yeshua, the promised…
This study on the Torah reading לֶךְ-לְךָ Lech Lecha (Genesis 12–17) explores the spiritual lineage of Abraham and how it emphasizes God’s faithfulness and love, irrespective of human failings. This faithfulness and love reaches its fullness in Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ).
Being a true descendant of the covenant the Creator of Heaven and Earth made with him means embodying the trust — faith — he had in Heaven’s promises, not just sharing his DNA. We explore the importance of spiritual commitment over rituals such as circumcision, biblical criticism toward religious figures’ service without sincerity, and the necessity for…
In the Torah reading לֶךְ-לְךָ Lech Lecha (Genesis 12–17), we are introduced to Abram (later renamed Abraham) when he is called to leave his hometown to for a new land.
God calls us into community, not only with Him but with His people. This is why He establishes a land, a place of rest where people can focus on fellowship with Him, whether one is in the land or not.
This Promised Land, originally occupied by Abraham, is meant to be a “home” for all of His people. It’s where God put His name, where the Word became flesh, died and…
The Torah reading לֶךְ-לְךָ Lech Lecha (“go forth,” Genesis 12:1–17:27) introduces us to Abram, a descendant of Shem, who God calls to leave his homeland in Ur of the Chaldeans and to emigrate to Canaan. This is the start of the Abraham, Isaac and Jacob historical trilogy.
This trilogy is so important to the understanding of the Torah that God introduces Himself to future generations as the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” And Yeshua (Jesus) taught that this name for the Almighty is a key witness of the resurrection to come.
And Lech Lecha also introduces us to the evils of Sodom…
In the Torah reading Lech Lecha (“go forth,” Genesis 12–17), we see some key motifs from Abram/Abraham’s life that are repeated or echoed elsewhere in Scripture. Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) is the ultimate expression of these messages from Heaven.
When you are called to move, what is your first question? Do I move to the next town, next state, across the country or to a foreign land? We usually want to know our exact destination before we move.
We also prefer to plan how we will transport ourselves? Will we go by car, train, bus or plane?
In the Torah section לֶךְ-לְךָ Lech Lecha (“get going,” Gen. 12:1-17:27), Abram was not given a destination. It’s a strange place to be when you don’t know where you’re going. It takes trust to make the first step. And this is the beginning of…
The Torah portion לח לח Lech-Lecha (Genesis 12-17) includes Abraham being called out of Ur of the Chaldeans. But there’s a specific event in Genesis 14 that deserves special focus: Abraham’s encounter with the mysterious Melchizedek. We meet this ancient pre-Israel king of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) again in the books of Psalms and Hebrews. Why is he so important, and what does he have to do with Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ)?
It’s not easy to leave one’s family, even at 75 years old, but God called Abram out of his father’s house for his own good. This was Abram’s first test.
In the Torah passage לֶךְ-לְךָ Lech Lecha/Lekh Lekha (“go forth,” Genesis 12:1-17:27), we learn that Abram’s faith came from both hearing God’s instruction and doing it. Doing matters, not just hearing. Hearing is easy, doing is much more involved and more difficult. When our life is smooth and we get instant gratification, it’s easy to continue walking in a way that brings a quick blessing. But when we are doing something that is…
God is not an American. As we study the Torah reading לֶךְ-לְךָ Lech Lecha (“get going!” Genesis 12–17), we should remember that the Bible He divinely inspired should not be interpreted through the lens of American history.
Paul’s discussions of circumcision, mainly in Galatians, Philippians and Romans, have been interpreted as being condemnation against the Torah, because the Law calls for circumcision for newborns and those wanting to participate in key parts of worship of God.
However, it must be remembered that circumcision by the first century A.D. had become an “identity marker” separating Jews from non-Jews. Like observance of Shabbat, circumcision was listed among the “works of [the] law” in the Dead Sea Scrolls that defined those separate from the corrupt religious system around the time of the first century. The rite of circumcision could be behind…
Galatians 4, with its discussion of freedom from being “under [the] law” and not of the Jerusalem related to the flesh, is often cited by those who argue that observing the Torah is a backward step for believers in Messiah Yeshua. However, considering what Paul already wrote in chapters 1 through 3 and the parallel discussion in Romans 5–7, his point in this chapter is that both Jews and non-Jews are in the same situation without God’s method of salvation, which isn’t God’s Law. Yet God’s goal for humanity long-term is heart-led obedience to His Law.
A common perception of an “angel” is a cute winged chubby baby, something as innocuous as a fairy, or a passive messenger. “The angel of the LORD” — Malakh YHWH in Hebrew — is a quite different figure that shows up throughout the Bible with massive power and authority. Who is he?
Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) is called the firstfruits of the resurrection (1st Cor. 15:20), and why are we called firstfruits of creation (James 1:18)? Pentecost originally was a celebration of the firstfruits of the wheat harvest and followed 50 days after the celebration of the firstfruits of the barley harvest. What is God teaching here about Yeshua and us?
