THE SPIRIT OF SHEBNA (2022) and The Spirit of Baal
THE SPIRIT OF SHEBNA
Sunday, October 30, 2022
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
As we are facing down the demonic/political strongholds over this nation concerning the 2022 mid-term election, I pulled up this sermon from 2011 for Friday’s Prayer-Net call. The focus of the message is the spirit of Shebna. He was a great officer at the courts of King Hezekiah and his son, King Manasseh. Manasseh was a wicked ruler with the power to corrupt morally, religiously and politically a whole nation. He was a worshiper of Baal.
Shebna was the treasurer and over the Royal Household. He was a proud, materialistic usurper and a type of the spirit of antichrist. He was thrust out of office (like Judas) and was replaced by the faithful Eliakim, a type of Christ, both head and body.
The Lord’s dealing with government-wickedness is the same today as it was in the days of Shebna. The Word of God is a Living Word and became flesh in Christ Jesus. Isaiah’s oracles over the sins of the nations are the same today as it was then. Leaders, who in their arrogance are not seeking guidance and help from the Lord will be removed from their office.
I also want to insert that the prophets are prophesying against the spirit of Baal. I recently heard a prophecy by Kim Clement (1957-2016) which he prophesied in 2011 that Baal and Jesus Christ were in a war over the United States. Dutch Sheets prophesied this past week that America is in war with the spirit of Baal. We are reading “The Return of the gods” by Jonathan Cahn on Sunday evening. He, too, is saying out warfare is with Baal. Apostasy is one of the signs of Jesus’ coming.
“Baal was the god of apostasy. His mission was to take a nation that had known and been consecrated to God and turn it away from God, estrange and alienate it from the God of its foundation. As Baal was the chief of the “other” gods in Israel’s apostasy, he would be the first in America’s apostasy and the one to lead the way for the others.” Cahn further describes Baal as “the Possessor.” He was the god of fertility, prosperity, lord of rains, lightning, storms, etc. He was a warrior. Baal was the chief god of the Canaanite pantheon of gods. As the lord of rains and fertility, he represented increase, gain and profit. Fast-forward to the 21st century and his name has been changed to global warming which has become a religion in western culture.
2 Kings 21: 1-7 describes the evil practices of Manasseh. He built up altars for Baal, Asherah, Molech, and the demonic hosts. He practiced soothsaying and augury. He dealt with mediums and wizards! He built an image of Asherah and set it in the Lord’s house. When Manasseh turned twenty-one, he began consulting with the false prophets of Baal and with the dead, as well as sorcery. The “New-Age,” “Woke,” “Critical-Race” are centuries old. Practices such as astrology, channeling, voodoo, crystals, divinations and witchcraft date back to ancient Canaanite and Babylonian beliefs. Isaiah prophesied that Manasseh would be taken away with a hook in his nose and a bridle on his lips. 2 Chr. 33: 9-11: … The Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the King of Assyria, which took Manasseh with hooks and bound him with bronze fetters and carried him off to Babylon.
During his imprisonment, Manasseh repented to the Lord for all that he did. Amazing grace is the Lord forgave him and restored him back to his throne in Judah. (2 Chr. 33: 12-13).
However, the judgment of Shebna, a type of the corruption public office did not repent of his evil (un-atoned sin).
22: 14-20: The Lord of Hosts revealed Himself in my ears (as He said), surely this un-atoned sin shall not be purged from you until you are punished---and the punishment will be death, says the Lord God of hosts. Come go to this contemptible steward and treasurer, to Shebna, who is over the house (but who is presumptuous enough to be building himself a tomb among those of the mighty, a tomb worthy of a king, and say to him. What business have you here? And whom have you entombed here, that you have the right to hew out for yourself a tomb here? … Behold the Lord will hurl you away violently, O you strong man; yes, He will take tight hold of you and He will surely cover you (with shame). He will surely roll you up in a bundle (Shebna) and toss you like a ball into a large country; there you will die and there will be your splendid chariots, you are a disgrace to your master’s house! I will thrust you from your office, and from your station will you be pulled down (Amplified).
Shebna is a type of a leader guilty of bringing the full weight of the enemy down upon their country. The oracle indicts him as part of the conspiracy of those leaders who did not seek guidance and help from God. God is described in verse 11 as “He” who had planned all that had happened, namely the day of tumult which had afflicted Jerusalem in 701 B.C. (22:5) “For the Lord God of hosts has a day of panic, subjugation, and confusion.”
Shebna is called “this treasurer” being entrusted with the management of the revenue; and he is likewise said to be over the house. The Jews say, “He kept up a traitorous correspondence with the king of Assyria, and was in treaty with him to deliver the city into his hands.” High places are slippery places and those are justly deprived of their honor that are puffed up with it. The nail that is now fastened in a sure place (that is Shebna, who thinks himself immovably fixed in his office) shall be removed, and cut down, and fall.
We have the spirit of Shebna operating in our government in leaders who are conspiring to overthrow the stability of our nation, and create financial havoc in the world monetary systems. We have Shebnas in our government who have made traitorous covenants with the enemies of Israel and enemies of the U.S.A.
The Lord’s judgment is sure. In Him, there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17). Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb 13:8).
Isa. 22: 20-24: In that day I will call My servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and will bind your girdle on him and will commit your authority to his hand; he shall be father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. The key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so, he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house. They shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. In that day, says the Lord of Hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off; for the Lord has spoken it.”
Eliakim’s replacement of Shebna is a story told often throughout the Holy Bible: Ishmael and Isaac, Saul and David, Esther and Vashti, Samuel and Eli, Melchizedek and Levi, Paul and Saul.
“Eliakim” means “God will raise up; God sets up; whom God has established; God of raising, in judgment; raised of God.”
Eliakim is the only other person mentioned in scripture with this blessing on his life of the “key-of-David” except the disciples were given the Keys to the Kingdom. Here Eliakim is a type of the Lord Jesus and the Overcomer. Rev. 3:7: To the angel of the Church in Philadelphia write: These things says he that is holy, he that is true, he that has the key of David, he that opens and no man closes, and closes and no man opens.
This is the Church he has crowned with His Love. This is a description of those who will be His Bride. He has nothing against this group and everything for them. He declares this Church as His and gives them His power (verse 9). He promises them that they will be at His side and will keep them from the hour of temptation. He promises them a new nature (HIS) and an everlasting citizenship in the New Jerusalem.
10-fold Exaltation of Eliakim:
- I will call him
- I will clothe him.
- I will strengthen him.
- I will commit the government to him.
- He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
- I will give him the key of David.
- He shall have authority to open and shut and none shall hinder him.
- I will make him permanent.
- He shall be exalted to his father’s house.
- He shall have all the glory of his father’s house.
22: 24-25: They will hang on him (Jesus Christ) all the glory of his father’s house, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars. In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, the peg driven in a firm place be removed; it will even break off and fall, and the load hanging on it (spirit of Shebna) will be cut off for the Lord has spoken.
Preached by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Eastgate Ministries Church, 10115 West Hidden Lakes Lane, Richmond, TX.
Scripture from K.J.V. and New American Standard; Bibliography; Matthew Henry Bible Commentary; F.F. Bruce Bible Commentary; David F. Payne; Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible. Pastor Carolyn Sissom, Isaiah 22: 15-25, February 7, 2011, Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those from whom I have gleaned.