We want to take a look at what God means when He speaks to His people through the prophet Jeremiah. The people to whom God is speaking are the Jews. Jeremiah was the man --the prophet -- called by God to give the people His guidance and instruction, so that Israel would be in the position of having a blessed relationship with God. Israel desperately needed the Word of God (just like our country does), for they were living just like the heathen nations that were around them. But what did they end up doing when Jeremiah cried out to them to be obedient to God?

They ignored the Word and sought their own way to find solutions for their problems. They consulted soothsayers and false prophets who lived among them. They believed them more than the Word of God. As a consequence, things did not get better with them but rather got worse. However, they ignored all of this. They also did not believe Jeremiah's warnings about the coming judgment, this being that the king of Babylon would invade their country.

God has not only set up particular rules and regulations in nature and in His creation, but also has a certain way in which HE speaks to people. Among other things, He speaks through His prophets. Israel knew that. Therefore, on account of their listening to the false prophets, God compared the way they acted to a cistern, which is broken and is unable to hold any water. The words of the false prophets which the people heeded to are the cracks and holes through which the water runs out.

There is no person whatsoever who would draw water with a bucket full of holes, through which the precious water would run out.

An individual seeking spiritual guidance will not find it among the multitude of religious money-makers who don't happen to know God and have called themselves to the vocation. God will not honour their word. This type of spiritual guidance only comes from the Word of God! Today, things are not much different. Many call themselves Christians, and several of them listen to their teachers who stick to their tradition and have already died twice. The blind one leads the blind. If both sides would listen to God just for one time, they would be on the way to receiving healing (Read Jude, verses 11-13). Conclusion: Apart from a few, the people learned nothing. The judgment came just like God predicted. And it is exactly going to be the same this time around. (rw)