“Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction…”
(Romans 15:4 NKJV)
The nations of Israel and America were each established on the biblical precept of faith in the Lord God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. But God brought charges against Ancient Israel in Jeremiah 2. And those words in Jeremiah, because of the immutability of God, in 2015 still stand as an indictment against both nations.
“Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be very desolate, says the Lord. 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 2:12-13 NKJV).
In the Old Testament God often refers to Himself as the fountain (source and provision) of living waters. In the New Testament Jesus told the woman at the well He would give her living water to drink so she would never thirst again. And in Revelation 22:1 we are told of a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, that will proceed from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
We all understand H2O is an essential commodity for life. But God tells us faith and trust and worship of Him, the fountain or source of living water, are the only real essentials to abundant life—and both Ancient and Modern Israel have forsaken Him. And America who for over 200 years echoed, “In God We Trust” has also forsaken His living water.
Both nations have “…hewn for themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.”
Before the days of indoor plumbing, and no, I’m not old enough to remember those days, but our lake house did have an out-house—the source of a town’s water came from cisterns that held rain water, melting snow, or dammed up rivers and streams. No rain meant no water and resulted in no life. In those days, people recognized God held life in His hands. And the Bible records the terrible droughts and famines God used to turn His peoples’ hearts back to Him.
But in today’s modern world, overcome with the cistern-of-self, we give no thought to the true and only source of life giving water. We turn the handle and expect water on demand. Years of technology enable us to dam up and contain water then transfer it to cities and towns far from the source. When the distribution point of that water supply is interrupted or pipes break, our lives come to a screeching halt ‘til the water main is repaired. But what will happen when the Source of Living Water says enough?
That’s what happened in Jeremiah’s day. God’s patience with Israel had come to an end. Their broken cistern was dry. There was no righteousness left, just like in the days of Noah. God was grieved and told Jeremiah judgment was coming. And it did. Via Nebuchadnezzar and his fierce Babylonian forces.
The false prophets of Jeremiah’s day said, Oh no, God won’t judge us. We’re His people. There will be peace. Don’t believe these crazy prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. It’s gonna be all right. Don’t listen to them. Trust us.
And like the foolish Israelites had always done, rather than trusting the God who delivered them from Egypt and gave them the land He promised, these chosen people once again cast their lot with unreliable liars. Liars who led them to worship idols, to sacrifice their children, and to kick God out of their tent.
Some things never change, do they?
Americans too have hewed broken cisterns.
We’ve believed the lies of dishonest preachers, false teachers, and politicians, because we haven’t bothered to find out for ourselves what the Word of God really says. And I’m talking to the church, folks. We’ve refused to believe God’s Word is truth without error and we’ve allowed liars to teach our children there is no absolute truth. That it’s right and normal to be homosexual. (Yes, even within some evangelical churches.) That killing babies is okay if you define it as choice. That it’s okay to sleep around—if it feels good—do it. Worse yet, we’ve paid these liars to lead our children down the path to hewing their own broken cisterns and filling them with false gods.
In Chapter 5:1-3, Jeremiah tells us not one man sought the truth. There was not man who would judge the unrighteousness—they all swore falsely. God had stricken the people, but they were not grieved. They refused correction. So God made their faces harder than rock and the people refused to return.
Last week two Episcopal nuns appeared in pictures on FaceBook, with Cheshire-cat-grins plastered on their faces and their hands locked and held high for victory, celebrating legalization of homosexual marriage and abortion—while human trafficking endangers the future of our young people. And our leaders are signing peace treaties with predators throughout the world.
The United States Congress has seen the evidence and understood the testimony against Planned Parenthood, yet they refuse to defund and close this murderous organization—no man (that we elected) would judge the unrighteousness, therefore they all swore falsely. And God has made their faces harder than rock–
The self-hewn cisterns of this world are parched, hollow and vile. America is dying for lack of God’s living water—yet the majority of the church refuses to drink. And once again judgment is coming on His people.
Where will God find you?
Full of abominable darkness or over-flowing with His holy light?
“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water…I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life’” (John 7:37-38 and John 8:12 NKJV).
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