The Spirit of Sheba in the Local Church - Part III
Sheba’s Base of Operation
by Dr. John Tetsola

Last month we saw that covenant is responsibility. It is a transaction between God and man, or between individuals wherein each party binds himself to fulfill certain obligations. Sheba broke covenant, but Amasai remained committed to the kingdom concept of covenant which manifested itself in allegiance first to the “David” of the house, to the vision of the house, and finally with the helpers of the vision. Now let’s see how the Sheba spirit sets up a base of operation from which suspicion and wrong judgment operates against a team or leader.

…Sheba…blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel. So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 20:1b-2

Right on the heels of Absalom’s recent insurrection and death, Sheba led each man from the ten tribes of Israel to turn on King David. The tribes of Israel repeatedly swayed in their commitment to King David. When Absalom revolted, they followed Absalom, and when Sheba revolted, they followed Sheba. But this was not the case with Judah. The Bible says “but the men of Judah clave unto their king from Jordan even to Jerusalem.” This signifies that the men of Judah were committed to David until the battle was over. Not because it was easy, but because they loved David and understood that commitment is the faithful adherence to those whom God has connected you to in spite of the obstacles. Webster defines commitment as “a decision that cannot be recalled.” Commitment is priceless to a leader. To appreciate a leader’s need for commitment and loyalty is to understand at least two significant things: First, leaders are not superhuman. They hurt and feel the pain of rejection just like you, and probably a great deal more due to the mandate of God upon their lives. Second, and just like you, they need to be loved, appreciated, and defended.

Sheba Needs a Base from which to Operate

But all the men of Israel complained to the king, “The men of Judah stole the king and didn’t give us the honor of helping take you, your household, and all your men across the Jordan.”

There happened to be a troublemaker there named Sheba.…Sheba blew a ram’s horn and began to chant: “Down with the dynasty of David! We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Come on, you men of Israel, back to your homes!”

2 Sam. 19:41; 20:1 NLT

When Judah took the lead in restoring King David back to his throne, the ten tribes of Israel became offended and jealous. They complained to David saying, “The men of Judah stole the king and didn’t give us the honor of helping....” David’s response (or lack thereof) to Israel’s complaint was “perceived” by the tribes as evidence that the king was playing favorites. This argument over the king’s affection would serve as a base of operation from which Sheba would launch his attack and turn all the men of Israel against David. The Sheba spirit is an opportunist. It creates a base of suspicion against a leader from which wrong judgment operates. It then establishes a platform to undermine the weakness of a church or business at a time when they are most vulnerable. Because the enemy had a base of operation from which jealousy, suspicion, and offence prevailed, Sheba was allowed to slip in like an impaired immune system. Dismantle Sheba’s base of operation by maintaining a pure heart toward the vision of God upon your leader. The maintenance of a pure heart is a surety against the spirit of Sheba, so sacrifice misunderstanding, wrong judgment, jealousy, suspicion, and rejection issues on the altar of commitment and position yourself to say as Jesus did in John 14:30, “The enemy cometh, but he has nothing in Me.”

Next month we’ll see the outcome of the Sheba spirit as it relates to the spiritual dynamic between sheep and shepherd.

by Dr. John A. Tetsola