The provided clips do not explicitly discuss the ark of bulrushes, but they show that biblical arks are sealed boxes that provide safety from judgment.
Scripture records that Moses' mother placed him in an ark of bulrushes sealed with slime and pitch. Les Feldick's teaching on the same Hebrew word and the function of pitch gives the reader the symbolic key: an ark is a box, and its pitch keeps the waters of judgment out. So the ark of bulrushes, like the ark of Noah, symbolizes a place of safety.
Exodus 2:3 — This is the verse where the ark of bulrushes appears and is daubed with slime and pitch, forming the basis for all teaching on its symbolism.
Exodus 2:3 says, "And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink." The text simply describes the action of Moses' mother. It does not explain the symbolism of the ark or the pitch in this verse. The word used for Moses' little vessel is the same Hebrew word that is used for Noah's ark and for the ark of the covenant. In each case, it refers to a box-like container. The Bible record gives the physical details, but the deeper significance is taught through the way God later uses the same word and the same sealing material in connection with safety.
In the available clips, Les does not specifically name the ark of bulrushes. But he teaches on the Hebrew word for "ark" and on the meaning of the pitch that sealed the ark. He says the Hebrew word translated "ark" is also translated "coffin," and that it simply means a box. He applies this same word to Noah's ark and to the ark of the covenant, both of which were boxes. Les's most important point for the symbol of the ark is that the pitch sealed out the waters of judgment. In his teaching on Noah's ark, he says the floodwaters were waters of judgment, and the pitch kept the family inside in perfect safety. He then makes the application that when a person enters into salvation, that person enters "God's ark of safety," and the waters and fires of judgment will never touch the believer. When applied to the ark of bulrushes, the pattern is the same: it is a sealed box that holds the child safely as he is placed on the river. The clips stop short of giving a detailed Exodus 2 application to Christ, but they establish that the ark is a box and that the pitch is what provides safety from judgment.
Les points out that the Hebrew word translated "ark" is also translated in Genesis as "coffin," and a coffin is a box. He says Noah's ark was a rectangular box, not the little round tub with a shed on it that people picture from Sunday school. He also notes that the ark of the covenant was a box, wooden overlaid with gold. This understanding changes the mental picture and helps the reader see that the ark of bulrushes was a box-like vessel.
Les teaches that on Noah's ark the pitch sealed out the waters of judgment, keeping the family inside in perfect safety. He says the floodwaters were judgmental on the unbelieving multitudes, but for those within the ark it was a place of safety. He then extends the picture to salvation: those who enter God's ark of safety will never be touched by judgment. The pitch is therefore the element that provides safety from the judging waters.
Moses, the Ark, and the Second Coming: Unlocking the Prophetic Pattern
Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
The Ark Was a Rectangular Box
Les corrects the common mental picture of the ark by explaining that the ark was a rectangular box, not a round tub with a shed on it.
Crossing the Jordan on Dry Ground — What Most People Miss
Verse 3, They commanded the people, saying, When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you leave your place and go after it. Now, that's going to be the sign of their leadership, the Ark of the Covenant.
Pitch Seals Out Judgment
Les teaches that the waters of the flood were judgmental, but the pitch sealed them out, making the ark a place of safety. He applies this to salvation as entering God's ark of safety.
What "Baptized Unto Moses" Really Means — 1 Corinthians 10 Explained
And they thirsted there for water, and the people murmured against Moses, and they said, wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? What's the purpose? My Moses, we could be just as well down there mixing mortar and making brick as to die of thirst. All right.
The Hebrew Word 'Ark' Means Box or Coffin
Les explains that the Hebrew word translated 'ark' is also translated 'coffin' and simply means a box. The ark of the covenant also fits this meaning.
Crossing the Jordan on Dry Ground — What Most People Miss
But now when you get here, something else happens. It isn't the cloud that leads them into the river, but now it's the Ark of the Covenant being carried by the priests. All right, let's pick up the account then in Joshua chapter 3 that Joshua rose early in the morning, and he removed Jedom and came to Jordan. He and all the children of Israel.
What the Tabernacle Reveals About Christ Most People Miss
Now, I know it was there at the time of the Babylonian invasion, but I can't find anything in the record that the Babylonians took, that is, under Nebuchadnezzar, took the Ark with them. So, I'm going to leave you with some Bible study. You do some searching of the Scriptures, and same way with the Jews on television. If you can give me a hint, I'm just more than willing to listen.
Exodus 2:3: And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
This is the actual verse about the ark of bulrushes and provides the physical object that the question asks about.
Genesis 6:14: Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
This verse shows the same Hebrew word for ark and the same use of pitch to seal it, connecting to Les's teaching.
Genesis 50:26: So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
The Hebrew word for coffin in this verse is the same Hebrew word translated 'ark' elsewhere, supporting Les's point that the ark was a box.
In the available clips, Les does not specifically name the ark of bulrushes. However, he teaches on the same Hebrew word and on the function of pitch, showing that an ark is a sealed box that keeps judgment out.
The clips do not describe the shape of the ark of bulrushes, but Les teaches that the Hebrew word for ark means a rectangular box or coffin. The biblical ark was a box-like container, not a boat with a shed.
Les teaches that the pitch sealed out the waters of judgment on Noah's ark, making the ark a place of safety. The same imagery can be applied to the ark of bulrushes, where the pitch sealed the little vessel so the child was safe on the river.
Watch the Teaching: Moses, the Ark, and the Second Coming: Unlocking the Prophetic Pattern