COMMITTING TWO EVILS

JEREMIAH 2:1

A. "MY PEOPLE HAVE COMMITTED TWO EVILS; THEY HAVE FORSAKEN ME THE FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATERS, AND HEWED THEM OUT CISTERNS, BROKEN CISTERNS, THAT HOLD NO WATER"
  1. This is God's charge against his ancient covenant people:
    1. It charges Israel with apostasy
    2. Substituting God, the living God with self-made idols
  2. It seems incredible:
    1. That an enlightened nation would forsake the living God
    2. And resort to the idols of their own imaginations B. LET US TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TWO EVILS COMMITTED BY GOD'S PEOPLE
  3. It irrational, indicative, of a perverted mind:
    1. To abandon, forsake the living fountain and resort to broken cisterns which hold no water is incredible - contrary to sound reasoning
    2. Such an act by God's people is indicative that sin robs men of the power of reason; it literally dopes them; Examples: The prodigal son was doped by the pleasures of sin - Luke 15:11-17; the love of money blinded Judas so he was in a deep stupor when he sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver - Matt. 27:1-5
  4. Satan blinds the mind to the realities of life:
    1. In that way he deceives them to do that which is most unreasonable - Examples: The idolatrous priests of Baal seeking help from their idols - I Kings 18:26-30; the practice of the Jews when mistreating a parent - Mark 7:10-12
    2. He leads them into rebellion against God; just think, dear reader, ancient Israel had the very light of truth to guide them, yet they forsook that light and adopted the customs of the heathens around them - Rom. 1:18-27
    3. Those broken cisterns are but man-made doctrines which have no promise in the word of God - Mark 7:1-13; Matt. 15:1-9 C. A GREAT LESSON FOR GOD'S PEOPLE TODAY
  5. God the fountain of living water:
    1. "With thee is the fountain of life" - Ps. 36:9
    2. "All my springs are in thee" - Ps. 87:7
    3. "Come unto me and drink" - John 7:37
  6. Broken cisterns which hold no water:
    1. Are man-made doctrines that cannot hold out any hope - Mark 7:1-13; I Pet. 1:18-19
    2. There can be no justifiable substitute for the Bible, the word of God - Jer. 23:28-29
  7. What it means for one to forsake the Lord and resort to a substitute:
    1. To forsake the Lord means breaking all connections with the author of life - John 5:40; 14:6
    2. It means that the apostate will die in his own sin - John 9:41
    3. It means that when we break connections with the Fountain of living water we shall perish for thirst - Luke 16:24
  8. Yet, there is hope even for those who have forsaken the fountain of living waters and have hewed themselves cisterns, broken cisterns which hold no water:
    1. "Return ye backsliding children, saith the Lord, and I will heal your backslidings" Jer. 3:22
    2. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest" - Matt. 11:28
    3. "I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people" - Is. 65:1-11
  9. God is sending out the three angels message to reclaim his children in the apostate churches:
    1. "Come out of her my people" - Rev. 18:1-4; 2 Cor. 6:17-18
    2. "And the Spirit and the Bride say come, and let him that heareth say, come, and let him that is athirst come and take of the water of life freely" - Rev. 22:17


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