HOW TO LIVE IN BABYLON | Pastor Chris Searcy | 8.17.25

HOW TO LIVE IN BABYLON

This morning we are going to juggle three different chapters to answer one central

question.

That question is today’s sermon title:

How to live in Babylon

Our three chapters are:

Deuteronomy 6

Jeremiah 29

Ephesians 6

These three chapters are central to the movement of the Gospel through History and we

will discuss the historical context of each as we go through this morning.

Deuteronomy 6

Historical Setting:

• Israel is on the plains of Moab, just before entering the Promised Land (c. 1400

BC).

• This chapter is a linchpin because it defines what covenant faithfulness looks

like: total love for God and generational discipleship.

• Comes right after the Ten Commandments.

• These verses became Israel’s daily prayer (the Shema), recited morning and

evening—shaping their entire religious identity.

Missional Purpose:

• Israel was to be a light to the nations (Deut 4:6–8), showing the world what it

meant to serve the one true God.

• Deut 6 is the heartbeat of that mission.

• It kept Israel’s identity intact through exile and dispersion.

Deuteronomy 5:6-21

6 “‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house

of slavery.

7 “‘You shall have no other gods before[a] me.

8 “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in

heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

9 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous

God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation

of those who hate me,

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10 but showing steadfast love to thousands[b] of those who love me and keep my

commandments.

11 “‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold

him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.

13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any

work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or

your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your

gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

15 You shall remember that you were a slave[c] in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your

God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore

the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that

your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your

God is giving you.

17 “‘You shall not murder.

18 “‘And you shall not commit adultery.

19 “‘And you shall not steal.

20 “‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

21 “‘And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your

neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant or his female servant, his ox, or his

donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.’

Deuteronomy 6

1 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules[a]—that the Lord your God

commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going

over, to possess it,

2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by

keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of

your life, and that your days may be long.

3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and

that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in

a land flowing with milk and honey.

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[b]

5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all

your might.

6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in

your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between

your eyes.

9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

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Takeaway from Deuteronomy 6:

God establishing His people’s moral code.

Serve God only.

Keep His commands.

Covenant life must be transmitted generationally through parental teaching.

Jeremiah 29

Historical Context:

• Date: Around 597 BC, after the first deportation of Jews to Babylon.

• Audience: Exiles now living in Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah himself

is still in Jerusalem.

• Situation: Many false prophets were promising a quick return to Jerusalem.

Jeremiah writes a letter telling them the opposite: settle down for the long haul,

because the exile will last 70 years.

Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles

Jeremiah 29:1

1 These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to

the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people,

whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

Jeremiah 29:4–7

4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into

exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce.

6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your

daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do

not decrease.

7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord

on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

Instruction: Settle. Multiply. Seek welfare.

Jeremiah 29:8–9

8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your

diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they

dream,

9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them,

declares the Lord.

What were they prophesying?

• Trouble is almost over.

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• “It’s your season.”

• “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the

king of Babylon. Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels

of the Lord’s house…” (Jer 28:2–3).

Jeremiah 29:10–14

10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit

you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for

evil, to give you a future and a hope.

12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.

13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather

you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord,

and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

So what is happening here?

• The Israelites are exiled in Babylon for 70 years because of judgment for sin.

• They were sent there by God.

• False prophets were promising blessing and success was on the way — but it

wasn’t.

• And God told the children of Israel how to live in exile:

◦ Build houses, live in them.

◦ Plant gardens, eat their produce.

◦ Marry, raise children, multiply, do not decrease.

◦ But — when you grow large — do not violently overthrow!

◦ Instead: Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile,

and pray to the LORD on its behalf. For in its welfare you will find

your welfare.

Ephesians 6

Context:

• Author: Apostle Paul, writing from prison (likely in Rome, c. AD 60–62).

• Setting: Ephesus was deeply Roman and pagan, with strong emperor-worship

and temple-based commerce.

• Persecution Christians faced:

◦ Social exclusion (seen as atheists for rejecting Roman gods).

◦ Economic pressure (loss of business, boycotts).

◦ Family conflict (conversion divided households).

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◦ Occasional mob violence (Acts 19).

Message of the Letter:

• Paul encouraging the church to grow and remain unified:

◦ Chapters 1–3: Unity in Christ.

◦ Chapter 4: Unity as a body of Christ.

◦ Chapter 5: Unity in holiness, and marriage.

◦ Chapter 6: Children and parents.

Ephesians 6:1–4

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise),

3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and

instruction of the Lord.

• Verse 3: “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

• This is a direct quote from Deuteronomy 5:16.

Connection:

• Under the Old Covenant.

• In Exile

• Under the New Covenant:

• The principle remains: Covenant life must be transmitted generationally

through parental teaching.

To Him Be Glory, Living Humbly Before God | Pastor Chris | 8.10.25

TO HIM BE GLORY
Living humbly before God

Context

Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon one of the greatest empires ever at that time period.

He began having troubling dreams no one could interpret and he couldn’t sleep.

Nebuchadnezzar told his magicians tell him the dream and interpret it, or be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins.

Daniel 2:11
11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

Revelation 21:3

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

The First Dream – God Rules All 

The first dream was of a great statue —

Daniel 2:32–33
32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze,
33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

Then, a big stone from heaven (God’s kingdom) hit the statue’s feet, and the whole statue broke into tiny pieces and blew away.

The stone grew into a mountain that filled the whole world

Daniel 2:44
44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.

Daniel 2:47
47 The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

Daniel 3:29
29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 

Nebuchadnezzar 2nd dream:
He dreamed about a giant tree with beautiful leaves, fruit, animals, and birds all around and in it.

• Then a holy messenger from heaven shouted, “Cut down the tree! Cut off its branches and scatter the fruit.

Daniel told him plainly:

Daniel 4:25
25 you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.

Daniel 4:30

30 and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”

Daniel 4:31–32

31 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you,

32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox… until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.”

Daniel 4:34–35, 37

34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;

35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,

and he does according to his will among the host of heaven

and among the inhabitants of the earth;

and none can stay his hand

or say to him, “What have you done?”

37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

God is clear

Isaiah 42:8

8 I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.

Our Response:

Psalm 115:1

1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

The Warning

John 5:44

44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

Jeremiah 9:23–24

23 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,

24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight,” declares the LORD.

How We Are to Live

1 Corinthians 10:31
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

The Greek phrase doxan theou (δόξαν θεοῦ) = “the glory of God.”

Doxa means honor, praise, renown, the credit for something good.

The context is not only “approval” but that in everything, God is the One whose reputation, honor, and praise is advanced, not ours.

Why We Fail

When we fail to live for His glory alone, it’s because we haven’t truly seen Him.

We still think we are the most worthy, the most deserving.

When We See Him, We Stop Reaching for Glory

Revelation 19:11–16
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.
13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.
14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.
15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

The End time perspective

1 Corinthians 3:11-15

11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

The cost of Pride

John 12:42
42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

Your Intimacy Blueprint: 7 Levels of Relationship with God | Bishop Kyle

Your Intimacy Blueprint: 7 Levels of Relationship with God

1. Servant – Obedience Without Intimacy

John 15:15

“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing…”

• Identity rooted in doing, not knowing.

• Limited understanding of God’s heart.

• Relationship defined by duty, not dialogue.

• Common among early believers or those stuck in legalism.

Steward – Trust with Responsibility, Still at a Distance

1 Cor 4:2

“Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”

• Entrusted with resources or assignments.

• Operates in God’s house but not fully in God’s heart.

• May know God’s instructions

2. Friend – Access to Secrets and Heart Motives

John 15:15

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have

called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you

• Moves from obedience to relationship.

• God shares His purposes and plans

• Involves vulnerability, shared values, and divine trust.

3. Child – Born Into the Family, Loved Without Earning

John 1:12

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those

who believe in His name.

• Identity is given, not earned.

• Can approach God with confidence (Rom. 8:15 – “Abba, Father”).

• Still growing in maturity and understanding.

The child knows they are loved and accept it thou they are still growing

Ex. Mary

Luke 1:38

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your

word.” And the angel departed from her

4. Son – Matured Identity, Heir with Responsibility

Luke 2:49

And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My

Father’s business?”

Gal 4:1-2;7

Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is

master of all, 2  but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father….

7  Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

• Reflects God’s character and carries His name.

• Moves from receiving to representing.

• Knows the Father’s business

Sons are trusted not just with blessings—but with burden

Ex. Jesus at 12 Years Old…

5. Bride – Intimacy Rooted in Covenant Love

Isaiah 54:5

For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy

One of Israel;

• Deepest emotional, spiritual, and covenantal intimacy.

• Marked by desire, delight, and mutual pursuit (Song of Songs).

• The Bride waits, longs, and prepares for union.

 The bride shares in God’s heart, dreams, and inheritance.

6. Habitation of God

Eph 2:22

  in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit

John 14:23

“If anyone loves me… we will come to him and make our home with him.”

• Constant communion; no separation.

• God’s presence abides, not just visits.

• Life becomes an overflow of union, not effort.

This is the goal of intimacy—God dwelling fully in a surrendered life.

Ex. Paul the Apostle

.

GAL 2:20

I AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST, NEVERTHELESS I LIVE BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME AND THE

LIFE I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH I LIVE BY THE FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD WHO LOVED ME AND

GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME

Progression Through the 7 Levels of Intimacy with God

From Servant to Habitation

1. From Servant → Steward

Key Shift: From obedience out of duty to trustworthy responsibility

Steps to Grow:

• Develop Faithfulness: Be consistent in small assignments (Luke

16:10)

• Serve with Integrity: Do what’s right even when unseen (Col. 3:23)

• Seek Understanding: Ask not just what God wants, but why

Mindset Change: “I don’t just work for God—I manage what belongs to Him.”

2. From Steward → Friend

Key Shift: From manager to partner in relationship

Steps to Grow:

• Prioritize Presence Over Performance: Spend time with God not just

in

service, but in stillness (Luke 10:42)

• Cultivate the Fear of the Lord: Friendship with God is for those who

reverence Him (Ps. 25:14)

• Pursue Transparency: Speak honestly and listen deeply in prayer

Mindset Change: “God doesn’t just trust me with things—He trusts me with His

thoughts.”

3. From Friend → Child

Key Shift: From access to identity

Steps to Grow:

• Receive, Don’t Just Respond: Stop trying to earn love—embrace it

(John

1:12)

• Let God Father You: Invite Him into emotional and soul wounds for

healing (Rom. 8:15)

• Rest in Acceptance: Know you belong even when you’re not

producing

Mindset Change: “I’m not just close to God—I belong to Him.”

Ex. Love Slaves

4. From Child → Son (or Daughter)

Key Shift: From receiving love to reflecting God’s heart

Steps to Grow:

• Embrace Responsibility: Sons carry the Father’s mission (Luke 2:49)

• Submit to Correction: Maturity comes through discipline (Heb.

12:6–11)

• Walk in the Spirit: Learn to be led, not just loved (Rom. 8:14)

Mindset Change: “I’m growing up in God to look like Him and carry His name.”

5. From Son → Bride

Key Shift: From identity to intimacy

Steps to Grow:

• Cultivate Desire for God Himself: Not His gifts, His presence (Psalm

42:1–

2)

• Let Love Refine You: The Bride makes herself ready (Rev. 19:7)

• Wait Well: Embrace seasons of longing and preparation

Mindset Change: “I love Him with my whole being, and I live to bring Him delight.”

6. From Bride → Habitation

Key Shift: From covenant relationship to complete surrender and oneness

Steps to Grow:

• Die to Self Daily: Allow Christ to live fully through you (Gal. 2:20)

• Host His Presence Constantly: Live aware of and yielded to the Holy

Spirit (John 14:23)

• Embody His Mission: Live as His vessel, surrendered to His will

(Phil. 1:21)

Mindset Change: “I no longer live for myself—my life is the resting place of God.”

A Warning, Awakening the Church From Spiritual Apathy | Pastor Chris Searcy | 6.29.25

 A WARNING

Awaking the Church from Spiritual Apathy

God is pouring out… But Why… We answer that today.

Who is Joel
Prophet Joel (Yahweh is God) — Son of Pethuel

• Likely from Judah, given his knowledge of the Temple and priests.
• Date: 9th–6th century BC. Believed to be 586 BC
• Theme: Yom YHWH (Hebrew)– The Day of the Lord.

• Judgments on Israel and the nations.

• But: Hope for the Remnant.

• Purpose & Occasion:

Joel calls inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem to lament and return to the Lord during a time of national calamity.

Understanding the Day of the Lord

Yom YHWH — 5x in Joel, 13x in 7 other prophetic books.

• Occurrences in Joel: 1:15, 2:1, 2:11, 2:31, 3:14

Indicates a time when the presence of the Lord brings judgment 

or deliverance and blessing….. depending on the circumstances!

Three main movements in the the text

• Judgment
• Repentance
• The Promise of the outpouring of the Spirit

Structure

1. Past Events

When God saved His people and confronted evil in the Old Testament

2. Current Events
How God can save us

3. Future Day of the Lord

When God will defeat evil for the whole world as seen in Revelation (Johns vision.)

OLD TESTAMENT JUDGMENT

Throughout the Old Testament, God's judgment often came in the form of active discipline—plagues, famines, invading armies—not merely to punish, but to turn His people back to Him.

NEW TESTAMENT JUDGMENT

John 3:16–18

16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."

Jesus came offering life, but those who reject Him stand already condemned. They are not struck down instantly—they are left to the destruction of their own rebellion.

ROMANS 1

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

THE REMEDY

If God’s Judgment is handing people over to their dishonorable passions then the inverse is a turning of hearts to God and his commands 

The remedy is:

Matthew 28:18-19

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

2 Chronicles 7:14

"if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Sins that Judah lead them to Judgment

1. Idolatry

They worshiped other gods alongside or instead of Yahweh.

Jeremiah 2:11–13
11 Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods?

But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.

12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate,

declares the Lord,

13 for my people have committed two evils:

they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

2. Violence, Bloodshed, and Injustice

Leaders oppressed the poor, accepted bribes, and failed to uphold justice.

Ezekiel 22:6–9

6 Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood.

7 Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you.

8 You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths.

9 There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you who eat on the mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst.

3. Religious Hypocrisy

They kept the outward rituals of worship but their hearts were far from God.

Jeremiah 7:8–10

8 Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail.

9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known,

10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?

4. Child Sacrifice

They sacrificed their children to Molech — a horrific act of rebellion.

Jeremiah 19:4–5

4 Because the people have forsaken me and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods… 5 and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind—

INVASIONS OF JERUSALEM AND JUDAH

 First Invasion – 605 BC

• King of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar II (for all 3)

• King of Judah: Jehoiakim

• What Happened:

• Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah and made it a vassal state.

• He took the first wave of captives from Jerusalem to Babylon — including Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 1:1–6).

• Temple Status: Still standing

 Second Invasion – 597 BC

• King of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar II

• King of Judah: Jehoiachin (briefly), then Zedekiah (installed by Babylon)

• What Happened:

• Nebuchadnezzar invaded again, laid siege to Jerusalem, and took 10,000 more captives (including Ezekiel – see Ezekiel 1:1–3).

• He also looted the temple treasures.

• Temple Status: Still standing, but defiled and partially looted.

 Third and Final Invasion – 586 BC

• King of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar II

• King of Judah: Zedekiah

• What Happened:

• Nebuchadnezzar launched a full-scale siege of Jerusalem lasting nearly two years.

• Jerusalem was breached, the temple was burned, the walls were torn down, and the city was destroyed.

• Most remaining people were either killed or exiled; only the poorest were left to tend the land (Jeremiah 52:12–16).

• Temple Status: Completely destroyed.