Outdoor Object Lesson 85: Better Than Metal Bones

Key Text

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

Lesson

Have you ever wished that you were made of metal? That your bones were as strong as steel and could never be broken, or perhaps that you had your own metal armor? This is a dream shared by many boys but probably few girls. It is an interesting thought and one contemplated by biologists. Not long ago biologists discovered one creature that does have a metal skeleton. It is called the scaly-foot gastropod (Crysomallon squamiferum). This odd creature is a snail-like animal that lives deep in the ocean near hydrothermal vents where it is warm. They live at depths of 1.5-1.7 miles (2.4-2.8 km). Scaly-foot gastropods grow their own shell which they use as a defense from predators.

Their shell is made of a trilayered composite structure that resembles modern armor. It is made of a highly calcified inner layer, an organic middle layer, and coated with an iron-sulfide outer layer. This deep-sea snail has iron armor! It is currently the only known animal to achieve this. This metal armored shell also acts as an exoskeleton for the snail. It serves to protect it from the harsh corrosive water it lives in as well as to stop predators from eating it. This unique creature is providing researchers with new insights that may lead to better designs for materials to use in armor and all sorts of applications.1

Researchers have studied metal and other materials as possible substitutes for bone in humans. Metals and other composite materials are used to replace bones in some surgeries such as hip replacements. These materials are in many ways stronger and more resilient than bone. One critical barrier remains to replacing our bones with other materials—self healing. Our bodies are designed to heal injuries using the materials and molecules we had at birth. Our bodies are simply not designed to heal metal bones.

Humans may devise a way to replace their bones with stronger materials one day. It may seem better to never have to worry about having a broken bone. But metal bones or armor will not stop all pain or harm. It cannot prevent death. God has given us something better than metal armor. He has provided a shield for us. As it says in the key text, those who trust in God will have him as their protector, as their rock. When we submit to God and trust him to provide our protection then we can have peace. God has outlined his armor for us in Ephesians 6:10-18: righteousness, faith, truth, and salvation. With these tools we have the protection of the Almighty King, much better than any metal. The scaly-foot gastropod can go about its business, without worry of danger, confident in the armor God has provided for it. How much more can we live free from worry, confident in the protection God provides us? Are we not more valuable than a sea snail? Jesus died to redeem us, our salvation is assured. We may suffer broken bones here on this earth, but that is nothing compared to the hope we have in Jesus!

Questions

If you have had a broken bone, how did it happen?

Would you choose between metal bones or metal armor? Why?

What do we do when we trust God’s protection but still worry?

Sources

1. Yao, Haimin, Ming Dao, Timothy Imholt, Jamie Huang, Kevin Wheeler, Alejandro Bonilla, Subra Suresh, and Christine Ortiz. “Protection Mechanisms of the Iron-Plated Armor of a Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Gastropod.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107, no. 3 (January 19, 2010): 987 LP-992. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0912988107.



Written by David F. Garner

Photo credit:  Kentaro Nakamura, Hiromi Watanabe, Junichi Miyazaki, Ken Takai, Shinsuke Kawagucci, Takuro Noguchi, Suguru Nemoto, Tomo-o Watsuji, Takuya Matsuzaki, Takazo Shibuya, Kei Okamura, Masashi Mochizuki, Yuji Orihashi, Tamaki Ura, Akira Asada, Daniel Marie, Meera Koonjul, Manvendra Singh, Girish Beedessee, Mitrasen Bhikajee, Kensaku Tamaki via commons.wikimedia.org. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.

Outdoor Object Lesson 75: A Camel's Burden

Key Text

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29 (WEB)

Lesson

What has four legs, a long neck, and a hump? If you guessed a camel than you are correct. Camels are instantly recognizable for their unique shape and iconic hump. They are truly amazing animals with features that allow them to survive and thrive in harsh, barren deserts. Camels are best known for their legendary ability to survive a long time without needing to drink water. Camels routinely go several days or more without drinking any water. Even more surprising is that they can go for several months without any food! How do they do that?

Many people mistakenly think camels store water in their humps. Rather, fat is stored in their humps and provides energy when they go without food. Camels do not have a large empty space in their body to store extra water like some internal water battle. Instead their body (specifically their cardiovascular system, kidneys, and other organs) is extremely efficient at retaining and managing water. God gave camels special tools to enable them to go without water for many days. This ability makes camels very important animals for people who live in desert places.

Camels are mentioned numerous times throughout the Old Testament as a means of transportation. Jesus would have been very familiar with camels. He may have even ridden one. Camels are still an important means of transportation in Israel and the Middle East today. They carry heavy burdens for their owners. But if you have ever seen a picture of a camel, then you may remember they have very long legs! Most camels are 5-7 feet (1.6-2 meters) high and are taller than many horses.1 So how does an owner put a camels burden on and take it off each day?

In the morning, the camel must kneel down so that its owner can load the days burden onto its back. A good owner knows just how much the camel can carry for the days journey. After being loaded the camel gets up again to carry his burden for the day. The camel then simply follows his owner who has the greater burden of leading the way safely through the desert. At the end of the day, the camel kneels down again so his owner can remove the burden and the camel can rest. This is exactly how it is when we follow Jesus. When Jesus is our owner he promises to bear our burdens (Psalm 68:19). In turn he asks us to bear his burdens. He will take responsibility for leading us through the desert of life. He says in the key text that when we take his burden that he will place them on us gently. He also promises to give us rest from our burdens, all we must do is simple kneel each night and let him remove them.

Questions

Have you ever seen a camel in real life? If so what did you think about it?

How do we kneel down and let Jesus remove our burdens?

What did Jesus mean in the key text (Matthew 11:29) when he said take my yoke upon you?

Do you think it is easier to bear the burden Jesus gives us?



Sources:

1: “Camel,” San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants online, accessed October 7, 2018. https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/camel.



Written by David F. Garner

Photo credit: dimitrisvetsikas1969 via www.pixabay.com