“Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind would not be favorable toward this people. Cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth.” Jeremiah 15:1 NKJV My goodness what did they do? 😭 Why Moses and Samuel specifically? In the Old Testament, these two men are the gold standard of intercession—people whose prayers literally stopped God’s judgment. 1. Moses — the intercessor who turned away wrath Moses stood between God and Israel multiple times when they deserved destruction: • Golden calf (Exodus 32) God said He would destroy Israel and start over with Moses. Moses pleaded—and God relented. • Rebellion in the wilderness (Numbers 14) Israel rejected God’s promise. God threatened judgment. Moses interceded, appealing to God’s mercy and reputation among the nations—and again, God spared them. Moses didn’t just pray; he argued covenant, mercy, and God’s glory—and it worked. ⸻ 2. Samuel — the prophet whose prayers always prevailed Samuel is described as a man whose intercession never failed: • 1 Samuel 7 Israel repents, Samuel prays, and God thunders against their enemies. • 1 Samuel 12:23 Samuel says it would be a sin for him not to pray for Israel. Later Scripture confirms his power: “Moses and Samuel were among those who called on His name… He answered them.” (Psalm 99:6) So when God names these two, He’s saying: Even the most effective intercessors in Israel’s history could not change this outcome. What God is really saying in Jeremiah 15:1 This is crucial: God isn’t diminishing Moses or Samuel. He’s saying even extraordinary mercy has limits when rebellion becomes absolute. In effect: “This is no longer a crisis that prayer alone can avert. Judgment is now the only path to eventual restoration.” Judgment here is disciplinary, not annihilating—exile would purify what mercy had failed to heal. I just caught this like 30 mins ago