Mercy in the Assembly
The Twelve Voices
Michah (Micah) Chapter 7
18 Who is a God like You, Who forgives iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not maintain His anger forever, for He desires loving-kindness.
19 He shall return and grant us compassion; He shall hide our iniquities, and You shall cast into the depths of the sea all their sins.
20 You shall give the truth of Jacob, the loving-kindness of Abraham, which You swore to our forefathers from days of yore.
Chiastic Structure (Interwoven Lens)
Micah 7:18–20 – God’s Compassion
A. Wish for salvation: Shepherd Your people again (7:14, 20)
B. Miracles of God’s deeds (7:15–17)
B’. Forgiveness, sins drowned in the sea (7:18–19)
A’. Promise of covenant mercy (7:20)
Old Testament
Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 31
10 Moses then commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at an appointed time after the year of release, on the Festival of Sukot,
11 when all Israel comes to appear before God, your God, in the place He will choose, i.e., the Temple, you must read from this Torah before all Israel, so they hear it with their ears.
12 Assemble the people—the men, women, and children, including your converts, whom you have accepted into your cities—in order that they hear, in order that they learn the Torah, and revere God, your God. Thus, they will safeguard the Torah by studying its instructions regarding how to do all that is taught in the words of this Torah.
13 Their children, who did not know about the importance of religious behavior, must hear and learn to revere God, your God, all the days that you live in the land that you are crossing the Jordan River to possess.”
Chiastic Structure Deut. 31:10–13 – Hakhel
A. Time: Seven-year cycle, Festival of Sukkot
B. Assembly: All Israel, children, and converts
C. Axis: Assemble → Hear → Learn → Revere → Do
B’. Outsiders included, generations instructed
A’. Life in the land depends on covenant reverence
Center of the braid: Hearing God’s Word together leads to discovering His mercy together.
PARDES Layers
Peshat: Israel must gather to hear Torah; God forgives sins.
Remez: Hakhel at Sukkot hints at Jubilee rhythm—every cycle of release points to ultimate restoration.
Drash: Micah’s sins-into-the-sea recalls Exodus—God drowns not only Egypt’s armies but our guilt.
Sod: The Word placed beside the Ark (Deut. 31:26) mirrors God’s mercy hidden in His very Name. The Ark carried the covenant tablets; the sea now carries away our sins.
Hebrew Word Studies
קהל (qahal) – “Assemble”: a sacred convocation, not mere gathering.
שמע (shema) – “Hear”: covenantal listening with intent to obey.
חֶסֶד (hesed) – “Mercy, loyal love”: God’s covenantal loyalty beyond judgment.
אֱמֶת (emet) – “Truth, faithfulness”: reliability; paired with hesed it seals covenant promise.
