Sermons on Jeremiah 2:12-13

Jeremiah 2:12-13 Interpretation:

Finding True Joy and Fulfillment in God (Desiring God) offers a vivid and unique analogy for Jeremiah 2:12-13, picturing God as an overflowing, all-satisfying fountain of living water, and sin as the act of turning away from this fountain to dig in the mud for water, attempting to drink from a self-made, muddy bowl. The sermon deepens the metaphor by referencing C.S. Lewis’s “mud pies in the slums” analogy, emphasizing the blindness of sin as a failure to imagine the true joy God offers. The preacher also draws a parallel between the biblical “forsaking the fountain” and the human tendency to renounce a greater good for a lesser one, using a quote from Flannery O’Connor to reinforce this. The sermon’s interpretation is distinct in its focus on the emotional and affective dimensions of sin and faith, arguing that faith is coming to God for reward, while sin is the pursuit of joy in “the mud.” The preacher also explores the concept of “service” to God, flipping the traditional view by suggesting that true service is positioning oneself to receive from God, not to meet God’s needs, using the analogy of standing under a strobe light of God’s blessing.

Joy in God: A Command and Delight (Desiring God) interprets Jeremiah 2:12-13 as God’s own definition of evil: to stand at the fountain of living water (God himself), taste it, and then turn away to dig in the desert for water that cannot satisfy. The sermon uniquely frames evil not as the pursuit of pleasure, but as the pursuit of pleasure in the wrong place—turning away from joy and embracing frustration. The preacher uses the analogy of digging in the desert and putting one’s mouth to dry soil, highlighting the futility and self-destructive nature of sin. This interpretation is notable for its psychological insight: it challenges the common perception that evil is “the really happy thing” and following God is “the really boring thing,” instead asserting that evil is the abandonment of true joy.

Finding True Joy and Satisfaction in God (Desiring God) provides a succinct but powerful interpretation of Jeremiah 2:12-13, emphasizing that the two evils are: (1) forsaking the fountain of living water (God, the source of joy), and (2) trying to dig out satisfaction from the earth, which yields nothing. The sermon’s unique angle is its assertion that “it’s evil to turn away from joy,” reframing sin as the abandonment of satisfaction in God. The preacher also uses the phrase “apaa carus” (from joy) when discussing conversion, connecting the pursuit of joy directly to the biblical text.

Pursuing Joy in God: A Biblical Mandate (Desiring God) interprets Jeremiah 2:12-13 by focusing on the nature of sin as forsaking God as our pleasure. The preacher uses the analogy of being offered a fountain of water, turning one’s back on it, and then trying to get water out of sand—emphasizing the irrationality and tragedy of sin. This interpretation is notable for its clarity in defining evil as “turning your back on the pleasures of God and trying to find them somewhere else,” and for its insistence that the pursuit of joy in God is not optional but essential to obedience, faith, and righteousness.

The Necessity of a Savior: Understanding Sin and God (Desiring God) interprets Jeremiah 2:12-13 as a profound indictment of humanity’s core sin, which is not merely the harm we do to one another, but the forsaking of God as the “fountain of living waters” and the attempt to find satisfaction in “broken cisterns” of our own making. The sermon uniquely frames this as “high treason” against God’s infinite worth, emphasizing that the true horror of sin is its God-belittling nature, not just its human consequences. The analogy of “broken cisterns” is used to illustrate the futility and self-destructive nature of seeking fulfillment apart from God, and the preacher draws a direct line from this passage to the necessity of a Savior who can bear the infinite punishment due for such infinite outrage. This interpretation stands out for its focus on the infinite value of God and the infinite nature of the offense, rather than simply the moral or ethical dimensions of sin.

Pursuing Joy: Finding Fulfillment in God's Presence (Desiring God) offers a distinctive interpretation by focusing on Jeremiah 2:12-13 as a definition of the “essence of evil.” The sermon uses the metaphor of God as a “never-ending fountain of all-satisfying water” and evil as the act of tasting this fountain and then preferring something else—digging “broken cisterns” that cannot hold water. The preacher applies this metaphor directly to the human experience, suggesting that every temptation is a test of whether God is truly our satisfaction. The analogy is extended to Adam and Eve’s choice in Eden, equating their preference for the forbidden tree over God to the forsaking of the fountain for broken cisterns. This interpretation is notable for its existential and affective focus: evil is not just a matter of wrong action, but of misplaced delight and satisfaction.

"Finding True Joy in God's Presence" (SermonIndex.net) closely mirrors the interpretation found in Pursuing Joy: Finding Fulfillment in God's Presence (Desiring God), using nearly identical language and analogies. It also frames Jeremiah 2:12-13 as a definition of evil rooted in the preference for anything over God, the “fountain of living water,” and uses the same Adam and Eve analogy. However, it does not introduce any new metaphors, linguistic details, or interpretive angles beyond what is already present in the Desiring God sermon.

Jeremiah 2:12-13 Theological Themes:

Finding True Joy and Fulfillment in God (Desiring God) introduces the distinctive theological theme that the pursuit of joy in God is not only permissible but a biblical duty—arguing that faith itself is coming to God for reward, and that sin is fundamentally the pursuit of joy outside of God. The sermon adds a fresh facet by challenging the traditional notion of “service” to God, suggesting that true service is not meeting God’s needs but positioning oneself to receive from God, thus glorifying Him as the Giver. The preacher also explores the emotional dimension of Christian obedience, insisting that emotions like joy, gratitude, and desire are commanded by God, and that a Christianity devoid of transformed emotions is superficial and incomplete.

Joy in God: A Command and Delight (Desiring God) presents the unique theological theme that evil is not the pursuit of pleasure, but the pursuit of pleasure in the wrong place—turning away from the fountain of living water to broken cisterns. The sermon adds a new angle by arguing that the nature of faith, conversion, and love all require the pursuit of joy in God, and that self-denial is not ultimate self-denial but the denial of lesser pleasures for the sake of greater, eternal joy. The preacher also asserts that the demand to love others is fulfilled by pursuing one’s own joy in God, since true love is most authentic when it is joyful, not begrudging.

Finding True Joy and Satisfaction in God (Desiring God) introduces the theme that the essence of sin is the abandonment of joy in God, and that conversion itself is an act of joy—“from joy” (apaa carus) one sells all to gain Christ. The sermon also explores the implications for pastoral ministry, arguing that pastors must pursue their own joy in God in order to be of true benefit to their people, and that right doctrine is a means to right emotion, protecting the church from both dead orthodoxy and emotionalism, as well as from legalism and antinomianism.

Pursuing Joy in God: A Biblical Mandate (Desiring God) develops the theme that obedience, faith, and righteousness are inseparable from the pursuit of joy in God. The preacher insists that to neglect the pursuit of joy is to be disobedient, unbelieving, and sinful, and that the very nature of sin is the rejection of God as the source of pleasure. This sermon’s distinct contribution is its insistence that the pursuit of joy is not a secondary or optional aspect of Christian life, but the very heart of biblical faithfulness.

The Necessity of a Savior: Understanding Sin and God (Desiring God) introduces the distinct theological theme that the gravity of sin is measured not by its harm to humans, but by its affront to the infinite worth of God. The sermon argues that only an infinite God can bear the infinite punishment due for such sin, thus making the cross and hell intelligible only when God’s greatness is central. This theme is developed with the assertion that the “essence of evil” is the exchange of God’s glory for lesser things, and that this is the root of all other evils.

Pursuing Joy: Finding Fulfillment in God's Presence (Desiring God) adds a unique facet by asserting that the pursuit of joy in God is not optional but is the very heart of Christian duty and conversion. The sermon claims that the failure to find satisfaction in God is the “essence of evil,” and that all other sins flow from this misplaced satisfaction. It further develops the theme that self-denial in the Christian life is not a denial of joy, but a denial of anything that competes with joy in God, thus reframing self-denial as a pursuit of the highest pleasure.

"Finding True Joy in God's Presence" (SermonIndex.net) reiterates the same theological themes as Pursuing Joy: Finding Fulfillment in God's Presence (Desiring God), including the centrality of joy in God, the definition of evil as preferring anything over God, and the reframing of self-denial as the pursuit of true joy. It does not introduce any new or distinct theological themes beyond those already articulated in the Desiring God sermon.

Jeremiah 2:12-13 Cross-References in the Bible:

Finding True Joy and Fulfillment in God (Desiring God) references several biblical passages to expand on Jeremiah 2:12-13. Mark 8:35 is used to address the objection about self-denial, showing that Jesus calls for self-denial not as an end in itself, but as the path to true life and joy (“he who loses his life for my sake will save it”). Acts 17:25 and Psalm 50:12-15 are cited to challenge the notion that God needs our service, emphasizing that God is not served by human hands and that true service is receiving from God. Matthew 6:24 is used to illustrate that serving God is about orienting one’s life to benefit from God, not to meet His needs. 1 Corinthians 13 is referenced to argue that love is more than an act of will; it must include emotion. Numerous other passages (e.g., 1 Peter 4, Psalm 42, Luke 12, Colossians 3:15, James 4:9, Ephesians 4:32, Ephesians 5:20) are cited to show that emotions like joy, hope, fear, peace, grief, desire, and gratitude are commanded in Scripture.

Joy in God: A Command and Delight (Desiring God) cross-references Deuteronomy 28:47 to show that God threatens judgment if His people do not serve Him with joy. Hebrews 11:6 is used to argue that faith requires coming to God for reward. Matthew 13:44 is cited to illustrate that conversion is an act of joyful surrender. Mark 8:34-35 and John 12:24-25 are referenced to address self-denial, showing that losing one’s life for Christ is the path to finding true life. Acts 20:35 is used to argue that it is more blessed to give than to receive, supporting the idea that pursuing joy in God leads to genuine love for others.

Finding True Joy and Satisfaction in God (Desiring God) references Psalm 16:11 (“in your presence is fullness of joy”), 2 Corinthians 9 (“the Lord loves a cheerful giver”), Philippians 4:4, Psalm 37:4, Deuteronomy 28:47-48, John 6:35, Matthew 13:44, Hebrews 13:17, and 2 Corinthians 1:24. These passages are used to support the argument that joy in God is commanded, that God threatens judgment for joyless service, that faith is coming to Christ for satisfaction, that conversion is an act of joy, and that pastoral ministry and preaching must aim at the joy of God’s people.

Pursuing Joy in God: A Biblical Mandate (Desiring God) references Psalm 37:4, Psalm 32:11, Philippians 4:6, Deuteronomy 28:47, and Hebrews 11:6 to argue that the pursuit of joy in God is commanded, threatened, and integral to faith. Jeremiah 2:12-13 is used to define the nature of sin as forsaking God as our pleasure.

The Necessity of a Savior: Understanding Sin and God (Desiring God) references Romans 3:23 (“all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”) and Romans 1:22-23 (the exchange of the glory of God for images) to support the idea that the core of sin is the failure to treasure God above all. These passages are used to show that the biblical definition of sin is fundamentally God-centered, and that Jeremiah 2:12-13 is echoed in Paul’s theology as the exchange of God’s glory for lesser things. The sermon also alludes to Jesus’ summary of the law (“love the Lord your God with all your heart...”) and Paul’s aim to magnify Christ in his body, reinforcing the idea that the ultimate standard is God’s worth and glory.

Pursuing Joy: Finding Fulfillment in God's Presence (Desiring God) cross-references Genesis 3:6 (the fall of Adam and Eve) to illustrate the first instance of forsaking God as the fountain of living water, equating their choice of the forbidden fruit with the digging of broken cisterns. The sermon also references John 6:35 (“I am the bread of life... whoever believes in me will never thirst”) to connect the satisfaction found in Christ with the imagery of living water in Jeremiah. Additionally, Mark 8:34-35 is cited to show that self-denial is motivated by the pursuit of ultimate joy in God, and 2 Corinthians 8 is used to demonstrate that joy in God overflows in love for others.

"Finding True Joy in God's Presence" (SermonIndex.net) uses the same cross-references as Pursuing Joy: Finding Fulfillment in God's Presence (Desiring God), including Genesis 3:6, John 6:35, Mark 8:34-35, and 2 Corinthians 8, applying them in the same way to reinforce the themes of satisfaction in God, the nature of evil, and the relationship between joy and love.

Jeremiah 2:12-13 Christian References outside the Bible:

Finding True Joy and Fulfillment in God (Desiring God) explicitly references C.S. Lewis and Flannery O’Connor in its discussion of Jeremiah 2:12-13. C.S. Lewis’s analogy from “The Weight of Glory”—that we are like children making mud pies in the slums because we cannot imagine a holiday at the sea—is used to illustrate the blindness and folly of sin as described in Jeremiah 2. Flannery O’Connor is quoted as saying, “You renounce a lesser good for a greater good; the opposite is what sin is,” which the preacher calls a perfect paraphrase of Jeremiah 2. The sermon also mentions Augustine’s prayer, “Command what thou wilt and grant what thou commandest,” to support the idea that God can command emotions, and references a review by Moisés Silva in Christianity Today to reinforce the importance of cheerful, not begrudging, obedience.

Joy in God: A Command and Delight (Desiring God) explicitly references C.S. Lewis, quoting his famous “mud pies in the slums” analogy to illustrate the folly of seeking pleasure apart from God, as described in Jeremiah 2:12-13. The preacher also mentions Jeremy Taylor, who said, “God threatens terrible things if we will not be happy,” and affirms its biblical foundation in Deuteronomy 28:47.

Jeremiah 2:12-13 Illustrations from Secular Sources:

Finding True Joy and Fulfillment in God (Desiring God) uses the analogy of a child being given an unwanted gift (smelly black socks) to illustrate the difference between begrudging and cheerful gratitude, connecting it to the biblical command to feel gratitude. The preacher also references the American concept of retirement, critiquing the cultural norm of using retirement for self-indulgence (fishing and golfing) rather than for sacrificial service to God, and uses the example of Raymond Lull, a medieval missionary, to challenge listeners to pursue joy in God even at great personal cost.

Joy in God: A Command and Delight (Desiring God) uses the analogy of selling all one’s CDs or books to buy a treasure, making the parable of Matthew 13:44 more relatable to a modern audience. The preacher also tells a personal story about buying 36 long-stem red roses for his wife on their anniversary, using it to illustrate the difference between duty-driven and joy-driven love.

Pursuing Joy: Finding Fulfillment in God's Presence (Desiring God) uses a detailed and memorable analogy from everyday life: the story of the preacher bringing flowers to his wife on their anniversary. The illustration contrasts two motivations—giving flowers out of duty versus giving them out of delight in his wife. The point is that true honor and glory are given when one finds joy in the beloved, not merely when one fulfills an obligation. This analogy is then applied to the believer’s relationship with God, arguing that God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him, just as a spouse is most honored when their partner delights in them. The story is used to make the abstract theological point of Jeremiah 2:12-13 concrete and emotionally resonant.

"Finding True Joy in God's Presence" (SermonIndex.net) uses the exact same anniversary flowers illustration as Pursuing Joy: Finding Fulfillment in God's Presence (Desiring God), with nearly identical wording and application. The analogy serves the same purpose: to illustrate that seeking joy in someone is the highest form of honor, and thus, seeking joy in God is the way to glorify Him. No new or additional secular illustrations are introduced.