ARTICLES

This week’s Torah reading is Parashat Vayechi (Genesis 47:28-50:26). Read on Shabbat, January 3, 2026 / 13 Tevet 5786. The following is a special devotional drawn from this week’s reading.

“Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred and forty-seven years” (Genesis 47:28).

Parashat Vayechi opens with an unexpected phrase. Jacob lived. Though he is in Egypt and nearing death, Scripture emphasizes life rather than decline. These final chapters focus on blessing, memory, and hope. Jacob gathers his sons, speaks words that shape their future, and anchors the generations to come in God’s covenant promises. Even as life draws to a close, faith looks forward.

Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh, crossing his hands in a gesture that surprises everyone present. He reminds his family that God has guided him through hardship and exile, famine and fear. His blessings are not rooted in comfort but in a lifetime of God’s faithfulness. Vayechi teaches that legacy is not built in a single moment but across many seasons of trusting God.

The portion also records Joseph’s response to his brothers after Jacob’s death. They fear revenge, but Joseph speaks reassurance and grace. He acknowledges their wrongdoing while affirming God’s greater purpose. What was meant for harm, God used for good. Forgiveness becomes the final word of the book of Genesis, sealing the family story with reconciliation rather than resentment.

Vayechi invites us to consider how we measure life. Is it counted only in years, or in faithfulness, trust, and blessing shared with others? Jacob’s life reminds us that God remains present through every stage. Even when circumstances feel foreign or uncertain, God’s promises endure. A life lived with God continues to speak long after it ends.

Some may be reflecting on the passage of time, on regrets, or on hopes still unmet. This portion offers reassurance that God is not finished shaping meaning out of our days. Others may be walking in a season of peace and fulfillment. Let Jacob’s final blessings inspire you to speak life into others, to encourage, to forgive, and to point forward to God’s faithfulness.

As this Shabbat comes, take time to reflect on what kind of legacy you are building. Consider one blessing you can speak, one relationship you can strengthen, or one act of forgiveness you can extend. Let your life testify, like Jacob’s, that God has been faithful from beginning to end.

PRAYER
Lord, thank You for walking with me through every season of life. Teach me to live with trust, to bless others with generosity and truth, and to rest in Your faithfulness. May my life reflect Your promises and Your grace. Amen.

By Stephen Faircloth

Jerusalem stands at the center of the biblical story more than any other city. From the moment King David established it as the capital of his kingdom, it became the spiritual and political heart of Israel. Across centuries, Jerusalem shaped the faith, hopes, and identity of the Jewish people, and later became central to the story of Jesus and the birth of the church.

The city’s beginnings stretch back more than four thousand years. Jerusalem first grew around the Gihon Spring, a vital water source that sustained life on the eastern hill of the city. This original settlement, later known as the City of David, was the stronghold David captured from the Jebusites. It was here that Jerusalem took its first steps toward becoming the city God chose for His name to dwell.

Under Solomon, Jerusalem expanded northward. He built the Temple, his royal palace, and the administrative center of the kingdom. With the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C., refugees streamed south, and the city spread onto the western hill. King Hezekiah enclosed this area with a wall to protect Jerusalem from invasion. Portions of that wall remain visible today, silent witnesses to the city’s growth and vulnerability.

In 586 B.C., the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, carrying the people of Judah into exile. When the exiles returned, they rebuilt a smaller city focused again on the eastern hill. During the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, Jerusalem remained modest in size, but its spiritual significance endured.

The city expanded once more during the Hasmonean period in the second century B.C. New walls followed earlier lines and incorporated older fortifications. By the first century B.C., another wall enclosed the northern market area. This was the Jerusalem known to Jesus. The city revolved around two focal points: the Temple Mount to the east and the magnificent palace of Herod the Great to the west.

Jerusalem reached its greatest size shortly before the First Jewish Revolt. Rome crushed the rebellion in A.D. 70, destroying the city and tearing down its walls. The devastation was so complete that Jerusalem’s footprint shifted north and west in the centuries that followed.

The Old City we see today reflects later Roman and medieval periods rather than the Jerusalem of the Bible. Byzantines, Muslims, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans, and British rulers each left their mark. Yet beneath these layers lies the city that shaped Scripture and faith.

Jerusalem reminds us that God works through real places and real history. Though the city has risen and fallen, its calling endures. It stands as a testimony that God’s purposes are not erased by destruction or time. The city of promise continues to point beyond itself to the faithfulness of the God who chose it.

Stephen Faircloth is the President of CBN Israel, an initiative dedicated to sharing the true story of the Jewish nation and inspiring a global community of Christians to stand with Israel and support her people in need. Our vision is to reshape the global conversation about Israel by fostering understanding, hope, and healing between Jews and Christians around the world. For more than 50 years, the Christian Broadcasting Network has supported Israel. By joining CBN Israel, you become part of this enduring legacy, transforming lives today and strengthening Christian support for Israel for generations to come.

This week’s Torah reading is Parashat Vayigash (Genesis 44:18-47:27). Read on Shabbat, December 27, 2025 / 5 Tevet 5786. The following is a special devotional drawn from this week’s reading.

Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself” (Genesis 44:18).

Parashat Vayigash opens with a courageous moment of approach. Judah steps forward, no longer speaking with fear or resentment, but with responsibility and humility. He offers himself in place of Benjamin, willing to bear the cost so his brother and father may be spared. This act of self-giving love marks a turning point in the story of Joseph and his brothers. What was once marked by betrayal now becomes shaped by repentance and mercy.

As Judah speaks, Joseph can no longer restrain himself. The walls of secrecy fall, and reconciliation begins. Joseph reveals his identity and speaks words that reshape the past: God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. In that moment, years of suffering are reframed within God’s greater purpose. Pain is not denied, but it is redeemed. God’s hand is seen not only in rescue, but in the long road that led there.

This portion teaches that reconciliation often begins when someone chooses to draw near rather than withdraw. Healing requires honesty, courage, and a willingness to take responsibility for others. Judah’s transformation shows that people can change, and that repentance opens the door for restoration. Joseph’s forgiveness reminds us that God’s purposes are larger than the harm done to us, and that grace can rewrite the story.

Many of us carry unresolved tension, broken relationships, or lingering guilt. Vayigash invites us to step forward rather than hide. God meets us when we approach with humility and truth. Drawing near does not erase the past, but it allows God to bring healing into what was once fractured. Even long separated family members can find reunion when hearts are softened.

Those who are in positions of strength or authority can learn from Joseph’s response. He chooses mercy over revenge and provision over punishment. Those who feel burdened by regret can learn from Judah, whose willingness to sacrifice becomes the pathway to forgiveness. God honors both repentance and grace, using them to bring life out of brokenness.

As this Shabbat arrives, consider where God may be inviting you to draw near. Perhaps it is toward a difficult conversation, a long-avoided apology, or an act of forgiveness. Trust that God is present in these moments. Let your approach be marked by humility, truth, and hope, believing that God still works through reconciliation to preserve life and restore relationships.

PRAYER
Lord, give me courage to draw near where I have held back. Teach me humility, compassion, and truth. Help me trust that You are at work even in painful histories, bringing healing, reconciliation, and new beginnings. Amen.

When she was just 13, Natalia had to flee her home in Ukraine to escape the Nazis. As World War II raged, this young Jewish girl survived by working in a factory that supported the war effort. She eventually returned home.

In 2022, as Russian missiles rained down on Ukrainian cities and families were torn apart by violence, Natalia faced the unthinkable. After a lifetime spent recovering from the trauma of World War II, she was once again forced to relive its horrors as war returned to the very place where she had rebuilt her life.

She recalled, “A rocket hit our neighborhood in the middle of the night. The explosion killed over 30 people in my community.” Terrified, this elderly woman sought refuge in Israel, making Aliyah to become an Israeli citizen.

Yet as a frail senior who arrived with nothing, Natalia has had other battles to fight. At age 95, she must use a wheelchair to go outside. Because of her handicap, she had to find another apartment with an elevator. And in addition to needing help getting enough to eat, she also lacked basic furniture. Alone in a different country, where could she get help?

Thankfully, friends like you came to her rescue through CBN Israel. Caring donors are there delivering nutritious food, and she says these visits from our team mean as much as the aid itself. Donors also provided her with a special bed and essential furniture, to make her apartment feel like home.

Natalia exclaimed, “Thank you so much for your generous help. I have been overjoyed to receive the regular provisions of food and groceries, and I am so grateful for the furniture… Your kindness means more than you know!”

Your gifts to CBN Israel can be a blessing to Holocaust survivors like Natalia, and to refugees, single moms, terror victims, and others struggling to survive in the Holy Land.

And you can make a tremendous difference for those in need by providing hot meals, safe housing, necessities, and financial assistance.

Join us today in sharing God’s love and compassion with those who are hurting in Israel!

GIVE TODAY

By Stephen Faircloth

Bethlehem is forever linked with Christmas as the place where Jesus was born. Angels announced His arrival nearby, shepherds hurried through the night, and the long-awaited Messiah entered the world in humility. Yet by the time of Jesus’ birth, Bethlehem already carried centuries of history that shaped the meaning of that holy night.

The village first appears in ancient sources as early as the fourteenth century B.C. in the Amarna Letters, when it was a small Canaanite town. Long before it became associated with bread or shepherds, its name reflected its early pagan past. Over time, Bethlehem became woven into the story of Israel and into the purposes of God. It was the hometown of David, Israel’s greatest king, and the place where the prophet Samuel anointed a young shepherd as God’s chosen ruler.

Bethlehem’s importance came in part from its location. Situated along the central hill country route that ran north to south through Judah, it lay just south of Jerusalem and north of Hebron. Roads from east and west converged there, making it both accessible and vulnerable. Because of this strategic position, kings fortified Bethlehem, and later Herod the Great built his palace fortress Herodium just to the east, guarding the approaches from the Judean wilderness.

The fields around Bethlehem were familiar with conflict and courage. To the west lay the Elah Valley, where David faced Goliath and where Philistine forces threatened Judah’s heartland. At times, enemy garrisons even occupied Bethlehem itself. These struggles help explain why David longed so deeply for peace and why Bethlehem carried the memory of both danger and deliverance.

Bethlehem also stood at the center of God’s unfolding redemption. In its fields, Boaz met Ruth, whose faith and loyalty would place her in the lineage of David and ultimately of Jesus. In a home there, Samuel poured oil over David’s head, marking the rise of a shepherd king. Centuries later, another King would be born in the same town, fulfilling the words of the prophet Micah that from Bethlehem would come a ruler whose origins were from ancient days.

By the first century, Bethlehem was a small village overshadowed by nearby Jerusalem. When Joseph and Mary arrived because of the census, there was no royal welcome. Early Christian tradition remembers Jesus’ birth taking place in a cave, a common feature of hill country homes. Families often used natural caves as shelters for animals, with living quarters above or beside them. In such a setting, surrounded by feeding troughs, the Savior entered the world quietly and without display.

After the Jewish revolts against Rome, Bethlehem’s population changed dramatically. Jews were expelled from the region, and the Romans built a pagan shrine over the cave remembered as Jesus’ birthplace. Yet even this attempt to erase memory failed. In the fourth century, Emperor Constantine ordered the construction of the Church of the Nativity over the traditional site, preserving the place Christians still visit today. Later rebuilt under Emperor Justinian, the church stands as one of the oldest continuously used Christian sanctuaries in the world.

Bethlehem reminds us that God often chooses small places to accomplish great purposes. From a village shaped by roads, conflicts, and shepherds came both Israel’s beloved king and the Savior of the world. At Christmas, Bethlehem invites us to remember that God’s redemption does not arrive with power and spectacle, but with humility, faithfulness, and quiet obedience.

In the town of David, hope was born. And through that child laid in a manger, God stepped into history to bring light to the world.

Stephen Faircloth is the President of CBN Israel, an initiative dedicated to sharing the true story of the Jewish nation and inspiring a global community of Christians to stand with Israel and support her people in need. Our vision is to reshape the global conversation about Israel by fostering understanding, hope, and healing between Jews and Christians around the world. For more than 50 years, the Christian Broadcasting Network has supported Israel. By joining CBN Israel, you become part of this enduring legacy, transforming lives today and strengthening Christian support for Israel for generations to come.

This week’s Torah reading is Parashat Miketz (Genesis 41:1- 44:17). Read on Shabbat, December 20, 2025 / 28 Kislev 5786. The following is a special devotional drawn from this week’s reading.

“At the end of two full years, Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. And behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass” (Genesis 41:1-2).

Parashat Miketz opens with a sense of timing that belongs to God alone. Joseph has waited in prison, forgotten by those he helped, until suddenly everything changes. Pharaoh dreams, and Joseph is summoned. What feels like delay is revealed to be preparation. God brings Joseph forward at precisely the right moment, not early and not late.

Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams with humility and clarity. He does not claim wisdom for himself but gives credit to God. Years of suffering have shaped his character, sharpening his discernment and strengthening his trust. In one day, Joseph moves from confinement to leadership, entrusted with responsibility over Egypt’s future. God uses hardship not to diminish him, but to prepare him for service that will preserve life.

This portion teaches that waiting seasons are not wasted seasons. Times of silence, obscurity, or frustration often shape us in ways that abundance cannot. Joseph’s faithfulness in hidden places becomes the foundation for his public calling. God sees what is unseen, and He remembers what others forget.

Life often brings moments when hope feels postponed. Prayers linger unanswered. Efforts seem unnoticed. Miketz reminds us that God is working even when nothing appears to be happening. He is arranging circumstances, shaping hearts, and preparing outcomes beyond our sight. Trust grows when we learn to wait with faith rather than despair.

Those experiencing blessing or success are reminded by Joseph’s story to remain humble and dependent on God. Wisdom and provision come from Him alone. Those in seasons of lack or uncertainty can find encouragement in knowing that God has not overlooked them. The same God who lifted Joseph from prison is able to bring clarity and restoration at the appointed time.

Take time this Shabbat to reflect on where you may be waiting for God’s timing. Offer Him your impatience and your hope. Look for ways to remain faithful in small responsibilities, trusting that God honors integrity wherever it is found.

Let your trust in His timing shape your actions and strengthen your sense of peace.

PRAYER
Lord, please teach me to trust Your timing even when I do not understand the delay. Help me remain faithful in every season and to recognize Your hand at work in my life. May my heart rest in Your wisdom and care. Amen.