Gluten Free & God Seeking: Insights From Jeremiah - What Does God Consider Evil in Jeremiah 2:13?

Thursday, July 11, 2019

By the time Jeremiah came along the Israelites had fallen so far into idolatry that God gave up on them. Eventually He sent the nations (Jer. 32:28-36) to punish them. Because of Israel's unfaithfulness, Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet.

In the opening chapter of the Life-Study of Jeremiah Witness Lee says that Jeremiah's tears show God's compassion towards His people. He brings out in Jeremiah 2:2 that God viewed His people as His bride, and that their idolatry was spiritual adultery. And in Jeremiah 2:13 God tells them that their forsaking Him for idols was evil:

Jeremiah 2:13 My people have committed two evils. They have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters to hew out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that held no water.

I found it remarkable that in this verse God likens Himself to a fountain of living WATER. It might seem a bit unusual, but this verse shows us that God likens Himself to a source of satisfaction. And we know that people can't live very long without water. I enjoyed Witness Lee's comments on this verse on pages 18-19 of chapter 3 of the Life-Study of Jeremiah:

"In Jeremiah 2:13 we see not only something positive--the fountain of living waters--but also something negative--the children of Israel's forsaking this fountain to hew out for themselves broken cisterns, which hold no water. This negative thing indicates that Israel, like Adam in Genesis 3, had become fallen. Adam fell by forsaking the tree of life and turning to another tree--the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Israel fell by forsaking God as the fountain of living waters and turning to a source other than God. This source is signified by cisterns, which Israel labored to hew out for themselves....This indicates that apart from God as the fountain of living waters, nothing can quench our thirst, nothing can satisfy us" Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Jeremiah. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1992, Print).

Reading this reminded me of the Lord's talk with the Samaritan woman in John 4. He asked this immoral woman for a drink of water. In that particular Life-Study he shares that the Lord was a thirsty Savior seeking this thirsty sinner. And he showed her that He was the living water that would satisfy her longing soul. Don't think this doesn't relate to you--I've learned that no matter how long I've been a believer, I have to keep drinking from this fountain!

Other posts on the Major Prophets

Life-Study of Isaiah:

You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Isaiah on Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. You can also read the online Life-Studies of Isaiah and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

How Can the Son in Isaiah 7:14 & 9:6 Be the Mighty God?
Seeing Christ as the Great Light in Isaiah 9:2
Why is Christ Called the Cornerstone in Isaiah 28:26?
Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Crucifixion Foretold - Part 1

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Resurrection &Ascension Foretold - Part 2 of 2

Life-Study of Jeremiah & Lamentations: