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God confronts the people of Jerusalem with their unfaithfulness, speaking through Jeremiah the prophet
God referring to Israel in the early stage of Israel’s relationship with Him as his bride, highlighted their single-hearted devotion to God
Israel was holy to God, and they were the first fruit he gathered; therefore, they were protected from their enemies
The problem began when their ancestors turned away from God to worship idols
They failed to acknowledge God who brought them out of the Egyptian slavery, led them through the desert and gave them the fertile land with rich produce
Instead, they came to the land and defiled it
The priests, leaders and prophets are all together guilty of idolatry, hence, the LORD brings charges against them
Other nations do not change their gods, but Israel exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols.
They forsook God, the spring of living waters
In the second lesson, Jesus left Judea to Galilee and passed through Samaria, where the Samaritan woman encountered Him
Jesus was alone at Jacob’s well when the woman came to draw water
The conversation initiated by Jesus was unusual because the Jews usually have nothing to do with the Samaritans, viewing them as ritually defiled
Jesus who had first requested for a drink turned to offer the woman the living water
Jesus said, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water”
Jesus was not talking about the water in Jacob’s well that does not satisfy spiritual thirst but the Spirit, who produces spiritual life and indwells believers
The woman desires this water because she does not want to be thirsty again, as she was yet to grasp the identity of Jesus
Not until Jesus revealed himself as a prophet by telling her marital history