Broken cisterns

Jeremiah paints a vivid picture of the apostasy of Israel, the northern kingdom. Surely the terrible fate of Israel will motivate Judah to repent?

The Honeymoon

  • 2:2 “devotion of your youth” - first love Revelation 2:4
  • 2:3 “disaster came upon them [that harmed Israel]” - Israel was under divine protection as long as they obeyed Him.

The Apostasy of Israel

  • 2:5 “what fault” - they had no complaint about God, they were enticed by porn stars.
  • 2:11 “changed its gods” - tradition normally keeps a society stable. God warned Israel that the cult of Baal would be a snare to them, and to devote to destruction all who practiced it within the boundaries of their land.
  • 2:13 “living water” - a fresh spring from the ground with delicious water - rejected for cisterns with stale bad tasting tasting water for emergencies, and broken cisterns at that with no water at all.

Consequences of Sin

  • 2:14 “become a prey” - slavery is the strong preying on the weak and vulnerable.
  • 2:16 “shaved the crown of your head” - slavery has always required some way to distinguish between slave and free. But also, Egypt would metaphorically shave Judah by killing king Josiah.
  • 2:17 “brought this on yourself” - by rejecting their Divine protector, they left themselves vulnerable.
  • 2:19 “Your own evil will discipline you” - from outside, it is obvious that their discipline was a consequence of their own geopolitics. Israel defaulted on their national debt to Assyria, Judah broke their treaty with the Chaldeans and with God Himself.
  • 2:22 “wash with lye” - attempts at self reform were total failures. Even at the human level, this is the case with most addictions.