Biblical writers made a distinction between living water and dead water. While living waters flowed constantly, offering clean and cool refreshment, cistern waters were ?dead?—filled with muddy and stagnant water that had been poured by human hands.
The prophet Jeremiah warned God?s people about the foolishness of forsaking God?s living water. Through the prophet, God lamented about his people?s sin: ?They have forsaken me, the spring of living water? (3:13).
What a vivid picture Jeremiah created with these words. By abandoning God, the Israelites ignored something as cool and refreshing as the En Gedi waterfall.
In their foolishness, the Israelites trusted in their own strength. Rejecting God?s refreshment, they turned to ?dead? waters, trying to satisfy their thirst in pagan religions and their own selfish plans.
As Jeremiah pointed out, the Israelites were trying to quench their thirst in ?broken cisterns.? Later, as they endured attacks and captivity, the Jewish people probably remembered Jeremiah?s words. Their false gods and human plans had turned out to be dead water indeed.
