THE JEBUSITE SPIRIT. Ezekiel ch 8. 2 Sam ch 24 v 18 - 25. Mat ch 26 v 69 - 75.
2 Sam ch 5 v 6-12. Luke ch 21 v 20-24.
When man comes to the Scriptures God always gives him a physical picture to teach a spiritual truth. There are 4 steps involved. First, he has to identify the physical picture. Second, he has to see what spiritual truth God is teaching from the picture. Third, he has to see how that truth applied to Israel. Fourth, he has to see how that truth applies to him personally.
Each time the Scriptures list the people opposed to the Hebrews, the Jebusites are mentioned last. This enemy was Israel's last foe. The name "Jebusite" means treading or trodden down. It comes from the root word to tread down with the feet, to pollute or to defile. The Jewish people grew grapes and when they were harvested they were trodden down by feet in a vat and crushed to release the juice. It is a clear picture of the work of this spirit. The giant can be seen as a vile, malevolent spirit sent to tread down, pollute and defile the holy things of God. In Psalm 110 v 1. The process will be reversed. Jesus will put everything under His feet at the end of time. On a personal level, it is the Jebusite spirit, which brings the believer to a point of condemnation, accusation and intimidation - leading to his feeling defeated and down trodden.
The physical manifestation of the spirit is revealed in its physical dealings with Israel. Jerusalem was chosen by God as His city as a symbol of eternity. It is 5,000 years old. In Gen ch 14 v 17 Melchizadek, the King of Salem appeared to Abraham 3,800 years ago. He brought bread and wine to bless Abraham, for Melchizadek was the priest of the Most High God. The next time Jerusalem is mentioned is several hundred years later when the city is ruled by the Jebusites. It is called Jebusi. Josh ch 18 v 28. Adoni-Zedek had set himself up as lord of righteousness, treading down and polluting the holy place, which God had chosen as His holy city. 1 Kings ch 14 v 21. The Lord chose Jerusalem from all the cities of Israel to put His name there. It was God’s address on Earth. It was chosen as a symbol of eternal reality. It is pictured as a foreshadow of the Heavenly city, where man will dwell in eternity with God. All the great cities of antiquity have come and gone, but Jerusalem remains. God chose it as a symbol of weakness to confound the wise. In human wisdom Jerusalem would never be chosen. It has no great attributes. There is no great river or minerals. It is not on a sea front or on a trade route. It barely had a water supply, just the Gihon Spring. Jebusi was one of the cities, which the Israelites had the greatest difficulty in conquering when they entered the Promised Land.
It was King David who captured the city from the Jebusites 3,000 years ago. 2 Sam ch 5 v 6-10. The highest point of the city was Mount Moriah, where Abraham offered Isaac in sacrifice. God chose that incident to teach the World that one day He would not withhold His only begotten Son, who would die on that very place to pay the price for the sins of the World. It was a holy place. In David's time it was being used as a threshing floor to thresh wheat. 2 Sam ch 24 v 15 - 25. 1 Chron ch 21 v 14 - 30. David eventually purchased the threshing floor. The holy place was again restored to its former glory. God can turn around any situation. He will use anyone who has a heart for His purposes. But it cost David to purchase the site of Mount Moriah. Later Solomon built the temple on Mount Moriah. Every tourist knows the place today, topped as it is by the Dome of the Rock, with its golden dome, in which it states several times: “God has no Son.” Jerusalem is the city of the great King and the capital city of the State of Israel.
The Jebusite spirit is seen later when God took Ezekiel by the spirit from Babylon to Jerusalem to show Ezekiel what idolatry was going on in the temple of the Lord on Mount Moriah. Ezekiel ch 8 tells of the various degrees of idolatry, which eventually drove God from his temple. In ch 10 Ezekiel described something like a space ship with God leaving the temple and boarding His ship before it moved off, leaving Jerusalem deprived of the presence of God. It is a very graphic picture of a godless place.
Daniel spoke of the abomination of desolation in Jerusalem. Ch 9 v 27. Antiochus Epiphanes IV stopped the temple worship and offered blood of pigs upon the great altar in the temple. Jesus spoke of another incident to take place in Jerusalem at the end of time. Mat ch 24 v 15. If it takes place at the end of time, millions may well see the event on World-wide television.
The battle for control of Jerusalem has gone on down through the centuries. 20 times the city has been conquered. 14 times it has been sacked and later rebuilt. From B. C. 586 when the city fell to Babylonian forces, it was not under Jewish rule. This changed in 1967 when Israel captured the whole of the city of Jerusalem from the Jordanians and the whole of the city of Jerusalem came under Jewish rule. Right up to the present date the enemies of Israel in the form of the P. L. O. are determined to capture Jerusalem as their capital city of a Palestinian state. The Israeli parliament has declared that Jerusalem is the eternal and indivisible capital of Israel. Today the highest position is dominated by the Mosque with the golden dome. Jerusalem is the battle-ground between the forces of good and evil. Satan is determined to tread down the holy city. Jesus said that Jerusalem would be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the days of the Gentiles were fulfilled. Luke ch 21 v 24. The holy city shall be trodden down for 42 months, right up to the return of Jesus. Rev ch 11 v 2. The number 42 in Scripture is the number for the Devil. It is a combination of 6 and 7. Six is the number for man and 7 is the number for perfection. Man is mixed up with the things of God. Hence the phrase speaking of a person being at sixes and sevens.
That is the physical picture, which God gives to teach the spiritual truth that there is an enemy whose purpose is to tread down the holy place of God. How does it apply to Israel?
Zechariah ch 12 pictures the battle for Jerusalem with the warning that God will deal harshly with those who seek to tread down His chosen city. It is seen daily on news bulletins. Suicide bombs. Children taught to hate the Jewish people. Walls and fences to protect the people from enemies utterly opposed to the very existence of a Jewish state. Islam plans a modern day holocaust – to finish off the unfinished work of Hitler. All the nations of the Earth shall come against it. This could easily happen in the form of a United Nations resolution. So many U. N. resolutions condemn Israel and her capital city. Rome has its eye on Jerusalem wanting to make it an international city. The battle for Jerusalem is the physical manifestation of the spiritual battle-ground in the unseen World. Jerusalem is the epi-centre of the spiritual battle between God and the forces of darkness.
How does the Jebusite spirit tower over believers? In the Christian life the counterpart of Jerusalem is that place of sanctification and completion in the Lord, for which believers strive through the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. The Kingdom of God is the rule of God in the heart of man. So God wants to be in control of the life of each of His children. The Jebusite spirit wants to dethrone God from their life. When the believer is fully possessed by the Spirit of God, he enters into his true inheritance. It is only when he is able to dislodge this Jebusite spirit that the believer enters into the fullness of Christ. The Jebusite spirit's main thrust is to bring the believer to the point of despair and defeat, when he is tempted to give up and deny Christ. In that way he defiles the holy place of God. Peter was attacked by the Jebusite spirit and tempted to deny Jesus. It left Peter in a miserable state. Peter wept bitterly. Mat ch 26 v 69 - 75. It looked like Satan had won the day. Jesus had chosen Peter to be the rock of faith on which the Church would be built. It was therefore to be expected that Peter would be the target of Satan's attack. Leaders are the most likely to be attacked. Defeat the leader or disgrace him and the flock will all suffer. The spirit of Fear was also working against Peter. The spirits often work together.
Jesus said: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came to bring life in all its abundance.” How does this demonic Spirit work to accomplish his master’s purposes? The Jebusite attacks believers on three fronts.
The first line of attack. To discourage and intimidate.
The tactics are to discourage and intimidate the believer and to bring the believer to the point of saying: "I cannot." Goliath intimidated Saul to the point that Saul could not face Goliath. The giant outsmarted Saul by suggesting that the battle be decided on the outcome of a fight between the biggest men on each side. This was a smart move, since the Philistines had a man bigger than anyone on the other side. But why did Saul agree to the terms put forward by Goliath? The enemy grasped the initiative and intimidated the people of God. Islam adopts the same tactic of intimidation. In effect Saul said this is not a situation of my choosing or to my liking. How often does a believer find himself in this situation? The danger is of following Saul’s example and hiding in his tent. It is easy to bury a difficult letter or decision at the bottom of the pending tray. The thought of the problem can easily tower over that person, robbing him of peace of mind. It has a habit of coming to back to mind. David came on the scene and sized up the situation. David went against the enemy in the opposite spirit. Zeal for God drove him to win the day. Intimidation has no place in the life of a believer. God commands His children to encourage one another. 1 Thes ch 5 v 11. The contrary spirit is one of encouragement. Go in the opposite spirit. God knows how important this is for His children. Joseph was such an encourager that he was renamed Barnabas - son of encouragement. Acts ch 4 v 36. If a believer feels intimidated by religious people, who seem better able to speak and more knowledgeable, he should recognise the spirit at work and go against them in the opposite spirit - zeal for Jesus. That will defeat their clever talking.
The call from the Jebusites to David was: “The blind and the lame can keep you out.” That was a real put down. There is a saying that sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me. That is a lie. Discouraging remarks and insults can really sting far longer than physical wounds. A man may remember a hurtful remark from years ago even when he has forgotten a painful injury. Football fans shouting cheerio to fans of a defeated team is a similar put down. The Jebusite spirit is at work. Next week it may be their turn to face defeat and the taunts of the opposition support.
Isaiah ch 42 v 4. “Jesus will not fail or be discouraged.” Jesus was so discouraged with the response of the Jewish people if His day that He wept over Jerusalem. Mat ch 23 v 37. He could have walked away and decided that it was not worthwhile dying for these people. It is easy to be so discouraged by disappointment and lack of support that believers say: "I shall never do that again."
Num ch 32 v 1 - 15. Two of the tribes wanted to stay out of the Promised Land, because the grass was better for their crops. This was a discouragement to the other ten tribes. Sometimes believers may not want to go on with other believers, preferring the riches of the World and the others feel discouraged. “If only there were more of us to serve the Lord.”
Deut ch 1 v 38. Joshua was to be the leader of the people to enter the land. God charged the people to encourage him. The leader is always liable to be discouraged.
1 Pet ch 2 v 23. Jesus did not threaten those who oppressed Him. He was the very opposite - love.
1 Sam ch 7 v 7. The Israelites were afraid of the Philistines.
Judges ch 7 v 3. Gideon said that anyone who felt afraid should go home. They were no use.
Ezra ch 4 v 4. The people in the land discouraged the Israelites and made them afraid to go on building.
Neh ch 6 v 19. “Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.” That was a real discouragement to go on with the work.
John ch 7 v 3. No one spoke openly for fear of the Jews.
John ch 19 v 38. Joseph of Arimathea was a secret disciple for fear of the Jews.
What will other people think?
The second line of attack is accusation. Although the believer is declared by God to be justified by the blood of Jesus, the enemy attacks the feelings. A believer may not feel saved or victorious but he is. Satan suggests to the believer: "You are no good. What right do you have to call yourself a believer after what you have just done? Who do you claim to be: You are only a small group. What right do you have to claim to be serving the Lord? What have you ever achieved?" Here he is accusing, intimidating and condemning the believer. Some are even led to believe that they have committed the unforgivable sin. Satan is the accuser of the brethern. Rev ch 12 v 9 - 10. The Book of Job shows how Satan appears before God to accuse God’s own children. Job ch 1 v 9. Satan found fault in Job and accused him. He reports every weakness to God. He accused Job of worshipping God only because God had blessed him. Whereas Satan accuses believers, Jesus ever intercedes for them. John says that Jesus is described as an advocate standing alongside them in court answering the accusations. A believer should analyse the thoughts, which cloud his mind and find that it is Satan, who is levelling accusations against him. He will emphasise every mistake in detail and make the believer feel a failure. He will use people close to him to criticise him and bring out any mistakes he makes, laughing at him and putting him down. Gossiping about him - telling tales about him to his friends. It is wise to remember the motto: “We never have failures - only learning experiences.” Being called a sect is a putting down of a fellowship of believers in the Lord Jesus. There is little as damaging as a false accusation unsupported by evidence. The damage is done. Most will take the position that there is no smoke without fire. It is very difficult to prove a negative. Eccles ch 7 v 1. Says that a good reputation is more valuable than the most expensive perfume. The Church is the only army, which shoots its own people.
This spirit is probably behind satire and ridicule of people in positions of authority. The purpose is to cause society not to trust anyone in a position of authority. God is the ultimate one in authority. There are insinuations that things are not above board.
Zech ch 3 v 1 - 5. “The Lord rebuke you, Satan.” That is the word to speak, if accused by Satan.
Mat ch 12 v 10. The religious leaders sought to accuse Jesus.
Mat ch 27 v 12. The chief priest and elders accused Jesus of being King of the Jews.
Deut ch 19 v 15 - 21. It is a very serious thing to make a false accusation against another person.
Dan ch 3 v 8 - 12. The Babylonians accused the three friends of Daniel of paying no heed of Nebuchadnezzar. They ended up in the fiery furnace.
Acts ch 23 v 28. Paul was falsely accused to the Romans.
1 Sam ch 22 v 9. Doeg the Edomite accused Ahimelech of conspiring against Saul by helping David.
The purpose of all such accusations is to belittle the individual before men and to make his life difficult.
The third line of attack is condemnation. This is not God's purpose or attitude toward His children. Romans ch 5 v 18. One man's trespass brought condemnation for all men. John ch 3 v 17. God has not sent His Son into the World to condemn the World but to save the World. Paul concluded in Romans ch 8 v 1. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The Greek word for condemnation is judgement. Romans ch 5 v 18. Those who refuse to believe in Jesus as the Son of God are in a state of condemnation. Romans ch 8 v 34. “Who is to condemn us? Not Jesus.” Romans was written to believers. Those who are saved have passed from condemnation. John ch 8 v 3 - 11. The woman taken in adultery shows that Jesus did not condemn the woman. What did Jesus write in the sand? The religious people condemned her. “Neither do I condemn you. Go but sin no more." Rom ch 8 v 1. God does not condemn believers. Jesus does not condemn believers. On the other hand Satan does condemn believers. He tries to lay guilt on them. He brings to mind sins, which have been forgiven, and causes them to doubt their salvation. That is why it is unwise to tell others, even in a testimony, of the dreadful things done before conversion. God has forgiven these things. But if Satan can get a hold of them through the ears of some person, he will use them to discredit the believer in the eyes of others.
Condemnation destroys the peace of the believer and makes him ineffective. It leaves him with a feeling of worthlessness and being down trodden. Some believers are so down trodden that they genuinely doubt their salvation. God invites man to be convicted of sin and to repent and confess his sins. Conviction on the other hand makes man feel closer to God. Mat ch 20 v 17 - 19. Jesus was condemned to death. During His public ministry Jesus was condemned, discouraged and falsely accused. When He said: “If they hated me, they will hate you. If they persecuted me they will persecute you.” Here Jesus was speaking about the Jebusite spirit. The letter to the Romans was written to believers.
How do believers tackle the attack by the Jebusite spirit? It is vital to be practical.
1. Be covered with the blood of Jesus. Satan cannot condemn what God has declared righteous. He cannot curse what God has blessed. The believer must rest in his blessing. He must know it and believe it and be well taught in Biblical doctrine. Bible study is essential to know the Word of God. .
2. He must be alert to the wiles of the Devil. Expect the attack and reject it with the Word of God. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. When a man recognises an attack, he should speak against it in the power of the Spirit and with the Word of God. He should not lie down to Satan.
3. Affirm the facts of the Gospel and the so great salvation. The angel of death passed over the house in Egypt when he saw the blood of the lamb on the door-post and not the size of the faith of the person in the house. The believer should count his blessings daily and give thanks for them.
4. The ability of the believer to overcome is dependent not only on the blood of Jesus but on the word of his testimony. Rev ch 12 v 11. A response from him is required before full victory is his. Witnessing is an essential part of the life of the believer. Jesus calls him to make a public confession. He is called to nail his colours to the mast. When the flag is showing the enemy knows which side he is on. An English sailing ship hoisted the flag of England to the top of the mast and other ships knew which side the ship was on. If a believer keeps his flag down it indicates uncertainty. The enemy will attack the weaker one first. If he does not speak out his faith in Jesus, he feels intimidated. “You are useless. You do not really believe it." If the Devil can seal his lips and have him dwell on his defeats and deficiencies, he will have won a major victory. It is important to keep witnessing.
5. Jesus was intimidated by Satan in the wilderness. He retorted with the Word of God. The believer needs to know the Word of God and speak it back at the attacking spirit. Romans ch 8 v 1. Romans ch 8 v 31. James ch 4 v 7. 1 John ch 4 v 4. 2 Tim ch 1 v 7. 1 John ch 3 v 1.