What materials were used for the basket, and why are they significant? Setting the Scene Exodus 2:3: “But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a papyrus basket and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in the basket and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.” The Materials Named in Exodus 2:3 • Papyrus (bulrushes) • Tar (chemar, a sticky bitumen) • Pitch (zepheth, a resinous coating) Why Papyrus? • Abundant in the Nile Delta—Moses’ mother used what was locally available, showing God’s provision right where His people lived. • Lightweight and buoyant—perfect for floating. • Flexible yet strong—easy to weave into a tight, protective vessel. • Cultural familiarity—Egyptians used papyrus for boats (Isaiah 18:2) and writing material, so a papyrus vessel would not attract attention. Why Tar and Pitch? • Waterproof seal—keeps the Nile out and the baby safe inside, just as Noah’s ark was sealed (Genesis 6:14). • Protective covering—tar and pitch form a barrier against decay, symbolizing God’s preserving grace. • “Covering” language—Hebrew kofar (“covering”) appears elsewhere for atonement (Leviticus 17:11). The same idea: a covering that saves from death. • Durability—tar hardens in the sun, ensuring the basket stays intact among reeds and currents. Echoes of an Earlier Ark • The word for “basket” (tevah) is used only here and for Noah’s ark (Genesis 6–9). Both vessels: – Built of natural material (gopher wood / papyrus). – Sealed with pitch. – Carry a chosen life through judgment waters. – Serve as the means by which God preserves a deliverer (Noah for mankind; Moses for Israel). A Foreshadowing of Future Deliverance • Crossing water safely anticipates Israel’s later passage through the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22). • Salvation by a divinely prepared vessel points to the ultimate Deliverer carried safely into and out of danger (Matthew 2:13-15). • Moses, rescued in a mini-ark, will lead a nation to freedom—God’s pattern of rescue repeats on ever-larger scales. Takeaway Truths for Today • God equips His people with the very materials at hand to accomplish His purposes. • A simple basket, when sealed and surrendered to Him, becomes an instrument of deliverance. • The same God who covered Moses with pitch covers believers today with the atoning work of Christ (Romans 3:25). |
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