Transformed from within: The promise of the New Covenant (Deuteronomy 32; Micah 7; Hebrews 9–10)

Humility before the Almighty is the heart of the swan song of Moshe (Moses), recorded in the Torah reading הַאֲזִינוּ Ha’azinu (“listen,” Deuteronomy 32). We learn that the people of God are not righteous in themselves, but they are made righteous by God’s mercy. In this study, we explore how a parallel passage in Micah 7:18–20 points us toward Heaven’s removal of the stain of our pasts and how Hebrews 9–10 reveals the Messiah’s pivotal role in that freedom, annually memorialized on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).

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You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Micah 7:19b ESV

Just as the blood of the Passover lamb protected ancient Israel, how much more does the blood of the Lamb of God (aka Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus the Christ) provide the confidence to approach the holy Presence of the Holy One — not with fear but joy.

The New Covenant, foretold by the Prophets and enacted with power by Yeshua and the Spirit, promises an internal transformation, where God’s laws are written on our hearts. No longer do we trust in external observance to earn a state of righteousness before Heaven. Rather, the Spirit works from within to change people who trust in Heaven’s promises then follow His ways. This is the true rest, the true “great reset,” where debts are discharged, and ownership restored to the original grantee — the Creator Himself.

That’s what’s behind the LORD’s weekly, annual and cyclical appointments with His people. Embrace this humble dependence, and find life in the shadow of the Almighty.

Shadows and reality of the New Covenant prophecy of freedom from ours pasts

1. Forgiveness and mercy: Micah 7:18 speaks of God’s pardoning of iniquity and passing over rebellious acts. This aligns with the New Covenant promise in Jeremiah 31:34, where God declares, “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Both passages emphasize God’s compassionate forgiveness.

2. Unchanging love: Micah 7:18 refers to God’s “unchanging love” (hesed), which is a key theme in the New Covenant prophecy. Jeremiah 31:3 states, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” This speaks to the steadfast, covenant-keeping love of God.

3. Casting sins into the depths: Micah 7:19 declares that God will “cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” This imagery is echoed in the New Covenant promise, where sins are removed and remembered no more.

4. Fulfilling the promises to the Patriarchs: Micah 7:20 mentions God’s faithfulness in keeping the “truth to Jacob and the unchanging love to Abraham.” This connects to the New Covenant’s fulfillment of the promises made to the patriarchs, as seen in Genesis 12:1–3 and Jeremiah 31:31–34 (cp. Ezekiel 36:25–26).

These parallels to the New Covenant prophecy underscore the consistent message of God’s merciful forgiveness, steadfast love and fulfillment of His promises throughout Scripture. This helps us better understand the New Covenant as the culmination of God’s redemptive work, rooted in His unchanging character and covenantal faithfulness. It deepens our appreciation for the transformative power of the New Covenant via Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) and the confidence we can have in approaching the Almighty by way of the Messiah.

Summary: Tammy