Jer 15:1 Then the LORD said to me: "Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go!

         

This is a devastating verse but we still need to consider such verses and take the warning that they bring. God's word came through Jeremiah again and again, seeking to draw back this foolish people from their idolatry, yet they refused to heed it and the result was the Exile and the destruction of Jerusalem.

 

But that hasn't happened yet and it seems as if the Lord is using shock tactics with Jeremiah and with this people. This is God speaking, the Lord who was described as “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” (Ex 34:6,7). Surely He can't be casting off this people? Ah, but don't forget what follows: “Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.”

 

So here comes this terrible word. Even if two of the men known as the greatest intercessors, prayed for this people, God will not hear. Send them away. Why won't He hear? Because it is only repentance that turns away the judgment of God! The Lord is looking for this people to forsake their idolatry and until they do there is no point praying for mercy. It's not prayers (words) that change the heart of God; it's change of behaviour! We must realise that the Gospel is good news and bad news. The bad news comes first:it is that God holds human beings accountable for their sins which, justice demands, must be paid for. If you reject the good news that follows, you are stuck with the bad news. The good news? For those who hear Him, He has provided a way by which Jesus can be satisfied and our sins paid for; it is the Cross of Christ.