God mentions two of the specific ways the nation of Israel had disobeyed him. He tells them they had forsaken him, the true God, and they were trying to satisfy themselves instead of relying on him.

We’re hopelessly lost in the desert, dying of thirst, seeking anything to quench our parched, dry throats. We see a kiosk with big flashing neon lights, and God is holding up a sign that says, “Living Water Available Here.” Yet we say, “No, thanks, God! Appreciate the offer, but I see a shovel over there. Think I’ll dig my own cistern!”

Off we trot to start digging our own well and our own cistern. We abandon God — who doesn’t just have water but a spring of water that will never dry up — and decide to figure our problem out by ourselves.

The problem is our cisterns always break; they never hold up. The water leaks out, so we remain thirsty, unable to quench our own thirst.