Broken Cistern

A solitary man stands beside a cracked stone cistern as water escapes through a broken wall and runs across the ground. The ruined reservoir, set among dry stones and sparse trees, gives visual form to the biblical warning against trusting what cannot sustain life. The scene strongly echoes Jeremiah 2:13, where the Lord rebukes His people for forsaking Him, “the fountain of living waters,” and hewing out “broken cisterns” that hold no water. It also carries the mortality imagery of Ecclesiastes 12:6, where the pitcher is shattered at the fountain and the wheel is broken at the cistern. This artwork is suited for teaching on repentance, spiritual thirst, false security, human frailty, and the need for God as the true source of living water. by Jeff Preston