“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:13
The prophet Jeremiah was writing to God’s people, the Israelites, who were being carried away from Jerusalem into captivity in Babylon. The Lord said to His prophet, “My people have committed two evils.” It is important to understand that they were God’s redeemed people. They were believers in the coming Messiah. We are not talking about unbelievers here. These were members of the community of God.
The first evil that God’s people had committed was that they had “forsaken” or turned away from the Lord, Who like a “fountain of living waters,” had provided for their deepest needs and longings (2:13a; cf. Psalm 36:9; John 4:10-14; Revelation 21:6). God was the source of “living water” – water that gives life.
Since God is the source of living water, then our thirsts and longings are good. There is no such thing as an unholy thirst or longing. But our thirsts and longings can become holy desires that get misdirected. This is what happened to the Israelites. Instead of turning to the Lord to be comforted, connected, known, and soothed, they committed a second “evil” by turning to idols (2:5), which like “broken cisterns,” could not even “hold … water” – much less provide it (2:13b). The most reliable source of water in Israel was a natural spring, and the least reliable was a “cistern” or well.
One author writes, “The best cisterns, even those in solid rock, are strangely liable to crack, and are a most unreliable source of supply of that absolutely indispensable article, water; and if, by constant care, they are made to hold, yet the water, collected from clay roofs or from marly soil, has the color of weak soapsuds, the taste of the earth or the stable, is full of worms, and in the hour of greatest need it utterly fails. Who but a fool positive, or one gone mad in love of filth, would exchange the sweet, wholesome stream of a living fountain for such an uncertain compound of nastiness and vermin!”
These cisterns were often carved out of rock which became filled with cracks so they could not hold any water. These wells which were dug by human hands and could not hold water, became tombs for the dead. Isn’t this a profound analogy!?!
Imagine being extremely thirsty on a hot and humid day, and you have a clean and wholesome natural spring of water to satisfy your thirst. But instead of drinking that cool and refreshing water that is free, you exchange it for sewage water? Sounds repulsive, doesn’t it !?! But this is what God’s people did when they turned away from the Lord to worship idols. What they thought would bring life to them actually brought them death.
Where do we turn when we are in pain and need comforting? Where do we turn when we are stressed and need to be soothed? Where do we turn when we are lonely and need to connect? According to recent studies, more and more Christians are turning to modern-day idols like pornography and other sexual sins (see Josh McDowell’s video at https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=3723&fbclid=IwAR0gUSqTICO9Z1R2IniX0jaG98XHDFfIxwAj6XsDqrYzwJdzRdR_tWTWKSc. Scroll down to find Josh’s 37- minute video.). How do we know it is an idol? Because it replaces God. Instead of turning to the Lord when we hurt or are lonely, stressed, or even wanting to celebrate, we go to our idol.
When a man or woman, a boy or girl, views porn or has sex outside of marriage, what is his or her holy desire or longing? To be comforted, connected, known, or soothed. It is not wrong to have these desires. God created us with these longings. But to turn to an image on a computer instead of to the living God, is like drinking sewer water instead of pure and wholesome spring water. And the devil will use this broken cistern to destroy your life.
One of Satan’s strategies is to use the beauty of a woman or a man to draw sons and daughters of God away from their Father in heaven. The enemy is fully aware of how addictive and destructive pornography is to God’s people – or any person for that matter. This is why he is making it so easy to access online.
If you have become enslaved to porn or other sexual sins, please know that there is a way out. God still loves you with an “everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). Out of infinite love for you, He died in your place on a cross to cleanse you of all your sin and shame (Romans 5:8; Colossians 2:13-14). Jesus wants to walk with you through the pain and shame so you can experience His abundant life once again. Your longings to be comforted, connected, known, and soothed are from Him. You were simply misled by God’s enemy to turn to “broken cisterns” which cannot meet your deepest needs and longings. In actuality, they will lead to death. Please know that Jesus is calling you to come back to Him to enjoy His living waters (John 7:37-39). All He asks is that you confess your sins to Him (I John 1:9), and walk openly and honestly in the light of His love (I John 1:7). As you learn to follow Him, He will never lead you into darkness, but into a deeper experience of His love (John 8:12; I John 4:16).
If you do not have Jesus Christ in your life, He invites you right now to recognize that you are a sinner who cannot save yourself (Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). Christ took your punishment when He died in your place and rose from the dead (Romans 5:8; I Corinthians 15:3-6). He now asks you to believe or trust in Him alone and His finished work on the cross (not your good life, church attendance, or baptism) to give you everlasting life (John 3:14-16). The moment you do, Jesus gives you everlasting life which can never be lost (John 10:28-29). He comes to live inside you through His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11-13; Galatians 2:20) to give you the power to live for Him now and enjoy His living waters.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, forgive me for turning away from You to meet my needs to be comforted, connected, known, and soothed. I am so sorry for the pain I have caused You. Thank You for reminding me that You still love me despite all my sin and shame. You are still proud of me even though I have done so many shameful things. You still believe in me even though I had lost hope. Lord, I want to drink from Your life-giving waters once again. I give You permission to walk with me through the mess I have made of my life. Please heal me of the many wounds I have tried to medicate with broken cisterns. And please lead me in Your everlasting way. Thank You for hearing my prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.