Connect Jeremiah 17:13 with Psalm 1:3-4 about the righteous and the wicked. The Shared Imagery of Water and Dust “O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who abandon You will be put to shame. All who turn away will be written in the dust, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water.” “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does. Not so the wicked! For they are like chaff driven off by the wind.” Both passages set up a vivid contrast between two destinies: – Living, fruitful permanence near God’s water – Dry, dusty impermanence away from Him Living Water versus Dust • Jeremiah calls the LORD “the fountain of living water,” the only true source of life (cf. John 7:37-38). • Psalm 1 depicts that life as “streams of water” nourishing the righteous tree. • Those who abandon the Lord are “written in the dust” (Jeremiah 17:13)—an image of names that can be blown away, unlike roots sunk by the water. • Psalm 1 mirrors this with the wicked compared to “chaff”—light, rootless husks scattered by the wind. Portrait of the Righteous • Planted by water (Psalm 1:3) — continuously supplied, not occasionally sprinkled. • Fruitful “in season” — dependable productivity that blesses others (cf. Galatians 5:22-23). • Leaves that “do not wither” — endurance in trials (Jeremiah 17:7-8 gives the same picture). • Whatever he does “prospers” — God-directed success (Joshua 1:8). Portrait of the Wicked • “Chaff” (Psalm 1:4) — weightless, worthless residue after harvest. • “Written in the dust” (Jeremiah 17:13) — temporary, easily erased (cf. Job 18:16-18). • “Put to shame” (Jeremiah 17:13) — open disgrace when God’s judgment is revealed (Romans 2:8-9). • Ultimately “driven off by the wind” (Psalm 1:4) — no stability, no future. Roots, Not Footprints • A name inscribed in dust vanishes; a tree’s roots deepen year after year. • Scripture promises that those who trust the Lord are “rooted and grounded” (Ephesians 3:17), while unbelief leaves only fading footprints. Personal Takeaway Staying close to the Fountain—daily Word intake, prayerful dependence, obedience—places us beside the life-giving stream. Turning away leaves us exposed, unrooted, and easily scattered. The choice is stark, the outcomes certain, and the invitation clear: come to the water and live (Isaiah 55:1-3). |
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