3.  And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.

 4.  Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.
 5.  Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.

 6.  And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.

 7.  O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.

 8.  O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?

 12.  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.

 13.  In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.

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Now look back at Jer. 14:1--- He spoke here of a 'dearth'.  This dearth was that 'famine' for hearing the Word of the Lord, spoken of in Amos 8.

He is speaking of the Old Covenant, personafied by calling it 'Jerusalem, Judah'

He said their nobles sent their little ones to their waters but they found none -- they went away with their 'vessels' (their lives) EMPTY.

Why?  Because God had rejected that old way of law and left it desolate.  There was now no life left there.  No way to God there.

Look at verse 8-- it is speaking of Jesus, that  to that old covenant he was a stranger; they saw him as one who cannot save.  They again ask him not to leave them -  see?  They wanted to still be the way to God.  But God did not permit it.

They continually seek to get God to let them come in by the old way; for they did not want to come in by Grace.

But God never did permit it.  They are done away with  FOREVER.

The  FAMINE for hearing the Words of the Lord is to that old covenant.

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This is history of what happened to that old covenant -- but it is also prophecy for what will happen to this polluted church today.  The very same words will be said of the church,--  you are left  DESOLATE.

Why?

For they picked back up that which made the O.T. desolate = the law.  That is the abomination which made them desolate.  Living by law - not grace.