Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me...

Jeremiah 14:11-15:1-2 (NASB) from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

¹¹ So the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. ¹² When they fast, I am not going to listen to their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I am not going to accept them. Rather I am going to make an end of them by the sword, famine and pestilence.”

False Prophets

¹³ But, “Ah, Lord God!” I said, “Look, the prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword nor will you have famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place.’” ¹⁴ Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds. ¹⁵ Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who are prophesying in My name, although it was not I who sent them—yet they keep saying, ‘There will be no sword or famine in this land’—by sword and famine those prophets shall meet their end! ¹⁶ The people also to whom they are prophesying will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and there will be no one to bury them—neither them, nor their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters—for I will pour out their own wickedness on them…

15 Then the Lord said to me, “Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people; send them away from My presence and let them go! ² And it shall be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord:

“Those destined for death, to death;
And those destined for the sword, to the sword;
And those destined for famine, to famine;
And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’

We must remember that what we read here in Jeremiah is old covenant, Jesus had not yet come to pay the price for the sin of man. At that time there was no redemption through the cross. People were individually responsible for their sins. Deuteronomy 5:9 also indicates that there is a generational aspect of sin under the old covenant.      I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,    This text refers to a national identity of sin and rebellion that God intended to deal with in His chosen people, the Jews.

God says: , “Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people.”  Moses and Samuel, two of God’s most faithful and righteous servants in Old Testament accounts, men who were chosen by God to lead His people, men who both lead those people and interceded on their behalf before God, even if they now stood before God on behalf of the people, God says His heart would not be with them. There is a consequence for rebellion and sin. God declares the punishment or consequence that they will incur. There are four outcomes for the rebellious people, which God had determined and ordained.

“Those destined for death, to death; And those destined for the sword, to the sword;
And those destined for famine, to famine; And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’

Thankfully we live under a new and better covenant. Jesus has come and He paid the price for all the sin of all mankind. Through Christ and the finished work of the cross we are no longer held accountable for the sins of our fathers, or even for our own sins. Through the cross of Christ we are redeemed and restored. Yet even though Christ came to pay the price for all mankind, there is still consequence for rebellion and sin. John 3:16 says:  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  In order to receive salvation and redemption one must believe in Christ. It is not just to believe of Him, but to believe in Him. Salvation and redemption is in Christ alone.    ^“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

We as believers, God’s called and chosen people, followers of Christ, are called to share the gospel, the good news of salvation in Christ. We are called to live, teach and preach so that others will come to know Christ, His love, His provision, His protection, His healing, but most importantly His redemption. Without redemption, without salvation anything we receive in this world even in Christ is meaningless. "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? (Mark 8:36)

We can, should and must pray for others. We must fulfill God’s call and commission on our lives to be His servants. Yet we must recognize that there is still a price for sin and rebellion. Each person is individually required to choose how they will pay the price. We cannot choose for them and even our most heartfelt prayer on their behalf cannot save them. Even today, even on this side of the cross of Christ, God says: “Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people.”  Each one needs an individual revelation of Christ. They might see Him first as friend, as healer, as provider, as any or all of the things He wants to be for them, but unless they see and believe that He is Lord and Savior nothing else will matter. We cannot choose for them. We cannot convince or convict them, that is for the Holy Spirit. We can, should, must preach, pray, live in such a way that they see Christ. Yet individually each one must choose.

Jesus says: “ Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, in each of our lives there are those we love, those we might even die for. Yet while our dying might preserve their life here on earth, it is only You, Lord Jesus, who can truly give them life. Holy Spirit hear our prayers on behalf of those we love. Hear our prayers on behalf of those the Father loves. Hear our prayers on behalf of all those for whom Christ went to the cross, all who will believe. Holy Spirit, convict them and convince them, open there eyes and ears that they might see and hear as Jesus stands at the door and knocks. May they receive and believe in Christ. Thank You.   Amen.