Compare Exodus 2:3 with Noah's ark; what parallels can be drawn? Shared Hebrew Term—“Tebah” • Exodus 2:3 and Genesis 6:14, 7:7 both use the rare word tebah (תֵּבָה), translated “basket/ark.” • Nowhere else in Scripture is this word applied, highlighting a deliberate link between Moses’ basket and Noah’s ark. Protection from Waters of Death • Exodus 2:3: “She placed the child in it and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.” • Genesis 7:7: “Noah and his wife, and his sons and their wives, entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood.” • In both narratives, lethal waters surround—but cannot reach—the chosen ones inside the tebah. Pitch and Provision • Exodus 2:3: “She…coated it with tar and pitch.” • Genesis 6:14: “Coat it with pitch inside and out.” • The same sealing agent underlines God-given wisdom to keep judgment at bay. Divine Initiative, Human Obedience • Jochebed acts on an inward prompting to preserve her son; Noah builds exactly “as God commanded” (Genesis 6:22). • Both obey in faith before any visible deliverance appears (Hebrews 11:7,23). Preservation of a Deliverer • Moses will become Israel’s redeemer (Exodus 3:10). • Noah becomes the patriarch of all post-flood humanity, a type of new-creation head (Genesis 9:1). • God keeps alive the vessel through whom He will bless others. Foreshadowing Salvation through Water • 1 Peter 3:20-21 connects Noah’s ark to baptism: water that once destroyed now points to salvation. • Moses’ rescue through water anticipates Israel’s later passage through the Red Sea (Exodus 14:29) and the believer’s identification with Christ in baptism. Setting Out by Faith • Jochebed releases the basket into Egypt’s powerful Nile—trusting God’s unseen hand. • Noah shuts the door of the ark, surrendering control to God (Genesis 7:16). • Both stories invite the same trust echoed in Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” Resting Place and New Beginning • Moses’ basket comes to rest amid reeds near Pharaoh’s daughter, opening the path to Israel’s future liberation. • Noah’s ark rests on Ararat, signaling the dawn of a renewed earth (Genesis 8:4). • Each landing spot marks the start of a new chapter in God’s redemptive plan. Key Takeaways for Today • God fashions unique “arks” of safety for His purposes; no flood or river can thwart His covenant plans. • He often employs simple, humble means—a reed basket or wooden vessel—yet achieves mighty deliverance. • The same Lord who shut Noah in and watched over infant Moses still safeguards every believer who entrusts life to Him (Psalm 32:6). |
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