Good evening, and welcome to EBible Fellowship’s Bible study in the book of Genesis.  Tonight is study #2 of Genesis 33, and we are at the beginning of the chapter in Genesis 33:1-5:

And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.

I will stop reading there.  In our last study, we started to look at the number “400”  in other places in the Bible where it mentioned 400 men or 400 prophets (which would have been all men).  And it took us to a few Scriptures where we saw that references to 400 prophets had to do with false prophets.  I think we saw three verses that indicated that.

Then we started looking at David and his 400 men, and that grew to 600, and we saw two instances where David was going to battle, but in one case he did not go to battle in the incident with Nabal.  In the second case, he did go to battle and fight with the Amalekites, and 400 men went with him while 200 men remained behind with the stuff.  We were looking at 1Samuel 30, and we are going to turn there again.  It says in 1Samuel 30:17-18:

And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled. And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

Here we see there were 400 young men that escaped and fled, so that is something else to consider as we look at this number.  We have not drawn any conclusions yet, but we are just going to the verses where 400 men are in view.  As I mentioned in our last study, David had gone to the battle with 400 men, but as we read the account, we read: “And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives … David recovered all. And David took all the flocks…This is David's spoil.”

It is all “David, David, David,” and this is because he is a type of Christ, and Christ fights alone.  This is a battle that identifies with God’s salvation program and the deliverance of captives.  The deliverance of David’s wives points to all the elect, the bride of Christ, as well as the spoil that was taken.  It all points to God’s salvation program, so David is the focus here.  He is the main character as far as God is concerned, and David won the battle.

And yet, we know there were 400 men with him, and they pointed this out, as we continue to read in 1Samuel 30:21-25:

And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them. Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart. Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which JEHOVAH hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand. For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike. And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.

The statute is that those that stayed with the stuff would receive a like portion with those that went to the battle.

We discussed how the total number of David’s men was 600, and 400 is two thirds, and 200 is the one third that stayed back with the stuff.   There is the one third/two thirds relationship that we have seen many times, which identifies with God’s salvation program, as we read in Zechariah 13:8-9 where two thirds are cut off and died and the one third are said to be God’s people, and they live.  It is just like the two captains and their fifties perished and burned up, and one captain and his fifty survived.

We have another example of David in 2Samuel 8:1-2:

And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines. And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts.

Once again, we see that two parts died, and one part lived.  It is a very consistent theme.  It only goes “off script,” so to speak, in the New Testament in Revelation 8 where the “third part” comes under judgment.  But we have talked about how that “third part” is a figure of speech for the (apostate) churches that identified with God because the elect of God that are likened to the “third part” were found in the churches and congregations.

But these verses help us to understand why David was the one who was fully in view concerning that battle, and the 400 were not mentioned.  But they mentioned it.  However, notice how they are described in 1Samuel 30:22, speaking of the 400 that are the two parts or two thirds of David’s men; or we could say, two thirds of Christians.  David is a type of Christ and Christ’s men are Christians, but “many are called, but few are chosen.”  But it says in 1Samuel 30:22:

Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David…

These 400 went with David to the battle.  Let us think on the spiritual level regarding what that battle meant.  It was the “battle of salvation,” the deliverance of captives, and the Bible insists that Christ did that work alone.  But these men went with David, so they are spoken of as being “wicked men and of Belial,” and they refused to give a portion of the spoil to the ones left behind with the stuff.  And those left with the stuff are the “third part” that identify with God’s elect children.  They did not go to the battle – they were too faint, so they did not go to battle.  I think we can clearly see the spiritual picture concerning these 400 that entered into the battle as those who are trying to do their own work to get themselves saved or to save others.  It is another gospel, a works gospel, just like the 400 prophets of the grove or the 400 prophets that spoke with one voice to the king of Israel, telling him to go up (to battle) and prosper.  But they lied, and the king went up and died in battle, just as Micaiah, the true prophet, had foretold.

So here, too, the 400 are likened to wicked men of Belial, and they did not want to share the spoil with the “third part.”  I think that a way we can understand this is to think of the churches where there were many unsaved people that had a “works gospel.”  Even if they called themselves “Reformed,” they added a touch of works to it, saying, “Yes, we are saved by election, but you have to believe.”  That is how they teach you in Reformed seminaries.  They tell you, “Believe like a Calvinist, but preach like an Armenian.”  No wonder there was so much confusion in the churches.  They are saying, “You have to go to the battle.  You have to contribute.  You have to go with Christ and do your work of faith.”  And yet, God’s elect do not.  God will not allow us to engage in that kind of thing. 

So here, we see that the 200 were “too faint.”  Historically, these men may have been the weaker ones, but that does not matter. We were told twice that they were “faint.”  It says in 1Samuel 30:10:

But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

And again, it says in 1Samuel 30:21:

And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David…

They would have followed him, but they were so faint.  The Hebrew word translated as “so faint” is Strong’s #6296, and it is only found in these two verses, so that does not help us.  However, there is one related word, Strong’s #6297, and it has the identical consonant but different vowel pointing, so it would be pronounced differently.  But remember that the vowels were added at a later time, and they were not inspired.  It was the consonants that God wrote in the original Hebrew. 

When we look up Strong’s #6297, we find this in 2Kings 19:35:

And it came to pass that night, that the angel of JEHOVAH went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

The word translated as “corpses” is Strong’s #6297.

Also, it is found 2Chronicles 20, a chapter we are very familiar with.  It is a historical parable pointing to Judgment Day.  It says in 2Chronicles 20:24-25:

And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

So this word is translated as “dead bodies” or “corpses,” and it is used several times, and consistently used in this manner.  I will read one more reference, but you can look up this word, and that is why I give you the Strong’s number so that you can look it up.  In another chapter that deals with Judgment Day, it says in Isaiah 34:3:

Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.

The word “carcases” is the same word translated as “corpses” and “dead bodies,” so I think we get the meaning of this word very well.  It means being “dead.”  In Isaiah, the “stink” came up out of their carcases, which reminds us of what was said of Lazarus in John 11:39:

Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

He was a dead corpse.  I think we can see the relationship and why God used this word of the 200 (men) that remained behind by the stuff because they were “so faint” they could not follow David.  That is, they were “dead” in trespasses and sins.  They were like Lazarus, being a dead, stinking corpse, and they could not do anything to win their salvation and deliver themselves, freeing themselves from their spiritually dead condition.  Only the Lord Jesus Christ could accomplish that, so we see this beautiful spiritual picture developing with the 200.  They were, perhaps, not the best soldiers, and maybe they were not the ones you would want on your side if you were fighting a physical war.  They were faint and they had to stay with the stuff, but in the spiritual battle that God fought for His people, they are exactly the ones you would want.  You would not want the 400 that thought they were alive and that they could fight and do the work necessary to attain deliverance of the captives.  As far as spiritual battle goes, it is the opposite.  You look for the broken ones, the defeated ones, and the ones who recognize that they are dead in sins.  The only way they can “live” is for Christ to do a miracle, and for God to have mercy upon them, so they tarried behind with the stuff.

By the way, the word “stuff” is the same word as “vessel” or “vessels” in Jeremiah 18 where the Potter took the clay and made the vessels of pottery.  So “stuff” and “vessel” are the same word, just as we read in the New Testament, “In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away…”   That word “stuff” is also translated as “vessel” in Romans 9 where God speaks of “vessels unto honour,” and “vessels unto dishonour.”  He is the Potter, and it is picking up the same imagery from Jeremiah 18, and it clearly identifies the “vessels of honour” with the elect children of God.

So the 200 were “so faint,” and the fact that they were “faint” identifies with those that are not able to do the work and they recognize that, so they wait upon David: “Let David go.  Let David win the battle and return to us.”  And David did so, and they partook of the spoil.  They are given equal portion.

We have looked at the “400” in a few different places in the Bible, and I think we see fairly consistently that when we read of 400 men or 400 prophets, it identifies with those that are under the Law.  False prophets are ungodly men and, therefore, they are still in their sins in that marriage relationship to the Law of God.  They have not become “dead to the law” in order to be “married to another,” as are those saved by the Lord Jesus. 

So Esau is a type and figure of the Law in this account in Genesis.  Remember, he identifies with mount Seir, and God relates mount Seir to Sinai or mount Horeb where the Law was given.  Esau is coming with 400 men, or those that are under the Law, and they are a serious threat and danger.  This is why Jacob had sent the offering before him, the presents, and so forth.

Let us go back to Genesis 33:1-2:

And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.

We do not readily see this, but the number “3” is really in view here.  In the first verse, Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and beheld.    So we see a threefold emphasis on “seeing.”  Then Jacob divided the children unto Leah, Rachel, and the handmaids, so there were three groups.  Then it says, “And he put the handmaids and their children foremost,” and they would be the first group.  Then it says, “and Leah and her children after,” so there was Leah and six sons, plus Dinah, so the emphasis could be on the “6” or the “7.”  Then it says, “And Rachel and Joseph hindermost.”   So, again, three groups are in view.  If we add up the total of the wives and handmaids and their children, excluding Dinah, we see that the handmaids and their children would total “6;” Leah and her six sons would total “7;” and Rachel and Joseph would total “2.”  So the sum total is “15,” which is “3 x 5,” with the number “3” having to do with the purpose of God, and the number “5” having to do with atonement.  And we already know that this scene does have to do with the atonement, as we saw in Genesis 32:20:

And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.

If you remember, the Hebrew word translated as “appease” is the usual word for “atonement” in the Old Testament.  And the word “present” is also translated as “offering,” so Jacob has made an offering to Esau in order to atone to him.  Historically, this would be because of the deception he was involved in regarding the receiving of the blessing.  But, spiritually, it is a different picture.  Esau identifies with the Law, and this must be the case.  Actually, Jacob will say when he sees Esau’s face that it were as though he saw the face of God.  So there is no mistaking that with this language of Jacob bowing down and finding grace in Esau’s sight.  Esau is representing the Law of God, and the Law of God carries the weight of God, so it is as though God Himself was coming, and it was the purpose of God for this encounter to take place, and for the “atonement” to be received. 

The experience of Jacob finally meeting Esau after 40 years could have gone either way (before we read this).  Esau, the Law, could have come to destroy Jacob and his wives and children and take away all his flocks.  It could have gone that way, but it did not, so the “present” or “offering” that was sent before for the atonement was accepted and received in a positive manner.  So we read in Genesis 32:3-4:

And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

You know, we have a lot of things to look at here concerning this long-awaited meeting between twin brothers.  It has finally happened, historically, and it actually points to something that happens at the time of the end of the world, in our day.  Lord willing, we will continue to look at this interesting account when we get together for our next Bible study.