THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM

In this lesson we will be looking at the following:

• Anatomical structures that compose the muscular system.

• Physiological functions of the skeletal system
• Spiritual lessons that are revealed by physical truth.

What has strength to lift 20 tons of weight,

That’s dexterous enough to make you skate.
That can stretch itself like a yawning cat,
And stiffen like a frightened rat.
Can make you smile and laugh and frown
cause you stress and jump up and down,.
Will give you energy to get up a hill,
If you exercise much by using your will.
That gets worn out but is built up again,
And can get much stronger by pleasure and pain.
It’s only any good when put to use,
But many do hurt it by their dreadful abuse.
It likes to keep moving but it needs to have rest,
To work for tomorrow and labor at best.
Just trust in the Lord and think on this puzzle,
And you will learn much about your system of muscle.

PRIMARY LESSON OF THE MUSCLES: The muscles teach us the relationship of our works in
the great scheme of God’s Plan.

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we
have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of
the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Gal.2.16
“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I
have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. James.”
2.17,18.

Our body wouldn’t be able to do much if our muscles were not attached to the bones. Since bones
represent God’s law, then it would make sense that our muscles represent our works, neither one is
able to be useful without the other, and God is wanting us to work out principles of His law in our
body. “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make
me to know wisdom,” Psa.51.6.

1. STRUCTURE OF MUSCLES:

The human body contains more than 650 individual muscles anchored to the skeleton, which provide
pulling power so that you can move around. These muscles constitute about 40% of your total body
weight. The muscle's points of attachment to bones or other muscles are designated as origin or
insertion. The point of origin is the point of attachment to the bone to which the muscle is anchored.
The point of insertion is the point of attachment to the bone the muscle moves. Generally, the muscles
are attached by tough fibrous structures called tendons. These attachments bridge one or more joints
and the result of muscle contraction is movement of these joints. The body is moved primarily by
muscle groups, not by individual muscles. These groups of muscles power all actions ranging from the
threading of a needle to the lifting of heavy weights.

There was a man of the tribe of Dan that could lift heavy weight, his name was Samson. No man on
the earth was as strong as him physically but unfortunately he was one of the weakest when it came to
resisting temptation.

“Physically, Samson was the strongest man upon the earth; but in self-control, integrity, and firmness,
he was one of the weakest of men. Many mistake strong passions for a strong character, but the truth is
that he who is mastered by his passions is a weak man. The real greatness of the man is measured by
the power of the feelings that he controls, not by those that control him.” PP.567.003

“God's providential care had been over Samson, that he might be prepared to accomplish the work
which he was called to do. At the very outset of life he was surrounded with favorable conditions for
physical strength, intellectual vigor, and moral purity. But under the influence of wicked associates he
let go that hold upon God which is man's only safeguard, and he was swept away by the tide of evil.
PP.568.001.

“And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the spirit of the LORD came
mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and
his bands loosed from off his hands. And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand,
and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps
upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men. And it came to pass, when he had
made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place
Ramathlehi. And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great
deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the
uncircumcised?” Judg.15.14-18.
After slaying a thousand men Samson failed to give the glory to God and attributed his victory to his
own strength. However God allowed him to feel his own weakness that he would see that the
deliverance was not due to Samson’s power but from the mighty power of the Most High God.

Man is in constant danger of relying on his own strength and putting his trust in it, but the muscular
system teaches us that each muscle of itself has no ability to perform anything, it cannot act
independently, it needs to be empowered by energy from God, directed through the nervous system.

There are three types of muscle: skeletal, cardiac, and smooth. In all three types, the individual muscle
cells are also referred to as muscle fibers. Muscle tissues differ in the structure of their cells, their
body location, their function, and the means by which they are activated to contract.

Skeletal muscle: This is also known as voluntary muscle, because it is within our power to control it,
through the exercise of the will. This type of muscle can be likened to our works that we have
conscious control of.

“To man is allotted a part in this great struggle for everlasting life--he must respond to the working of
the Holy Spirit. It will require a struggle to break through the powers of darkness, and the Spirit works
in him to accomplish this. But man is no passive being, to be saved in indolence. He is called upon to
strain EVERY MUSCLE and exercise every faculty in the struggle for immortality, yet it is God
that supplies the efficiency. No human being can be saved in indolence.” CT.366.

Cardiac muscle: This is heart muscle, found only in the heart

and is not under the conscious control. It constitutes most of
the walls of the heart.
Cadiac Muscle No matter how hard
we try we cannot
change this heart
muscle to do what we
want it to. Just as we
can’t change our
physical hearts, so
too the spiritual.
“YOU CANNOT
CHANGE YOUR
HEART, you cannot
of yourself give to
God its affections; but you can CHOOSE to serve Him. YOU
CAN GIVE HIM YOUR WILL; He will then work in you to
will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your
whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of
Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your
thoughts will be in harmony with Him. SC.047.

Smooth muscle tissue: It is found in the walls of visceral organs, such as the stomach, urinary
bladder, and bronchi of the lungs. It is not striated (which are bands of muscle cells) like the cardiac
and skeletal muscles.
There are two types of smooth muscles, one type is call multiunit smooth muscle, which occur as
separate fibers instead of sheet like formation, such as is found in the irises of the eyes and in the walls
of blood vessels. This smooth muscle contracts only after it is stimulated by a motor nerve impulse.

The second type is called visceral. This smooth muscle is composed of sheets of spindle cells that are
in close contact with each other. As a result when one fiber is stimulated the impulse can travel over to
the adjacent fiber, and they may excite others. These types of muscles may be found in the walls of
hollow visceral organs, such as the stomach, intestines, urinary bladder, and uterus.

These smooth muscles have the ability to produce wave like motions called peristalsis that occur in
various tubular organs, such as the intestines, and assist the passageway of contents along their lengths.

Just as these fibers have the ability to excite other fibers so also do people, either for bad or for good.
For example when the leaders of Israel were deciding what course of action to take against Jesus, it
only took one person to persuade the multitude on a Satanic course of evil. “And one of them, named
Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider
that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.”
John.11.49, 50.

Likewise we see the opposite effect when one person stirs up the people for good, such as was the case
with Nehemiah. “Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's
words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their
hands for this good work.” Neh.2.18

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:” Heb.10.24.

We must be guarded in our words and actions that they have an influence for good and not for evil, for
our influence is contagious, and will spread to those whom we come in contact with.

“Character is power. The silent witness of a true, unselfish, godly life carries an almost irresistible
influence. By revealing in our own life the character of Christ we co-operate with Him in the work of
saving souls. It is only by revealing in our life His character that we can co-operate with Him. And the
wider the sphere of our influence, the more good we may do. When those who profess to serve God
follow Christ's example, practicing the principles of the law in their daily life; when every act bears
witness that they love God supremely and their neighbor as themselves, then will the church have
power to move the world.”

“But never should it be forgotten that influence is no less a power for evil. To lose one's own soul is a
terrible thing; but to cause the loss of other souls is still more terrible. That our influence should be a
savor of death unto death is a fearful thought; yet this is possible. Many who profess to gather with
Christ are scattering from Him. This is why the church is so weak. Many indulge freely in criticism
and accusing. By giving expression to suspicion, jealousy, and discontent, they yield themselves as
instruments to Satan. Before they realize what they are doing, the adversary has through them
accomplished his purpose. The impression of evil has been made, the shadow has been cast, the arrows
of Satan have found their mark. Distrust, unbelief, and downright infidelity have fastened upon those
who otherwise might have accepted Christ. Meanwhile the workers for Satan look complacently upon
those whom they have driven to skepticism, and who are now hardened against reproof and entreaty.
They flatter themselves that in comparison with these souls they are virtuous and righteous. They do
not realize that these sad wrecks of character are the work of their own unbridled tongues and
rebellious hearts. It is through their influence that these tempted ones have fallen.” COL.340.

Structure of a
skeletal muscle:
A skeletal muscle
is an organ of the
muscular system
and is composed
of several kinds
of tissue. These
include skeletal
muscle tissue,
nerve tissue,
blood, and
various
connective
tissues. To make
up our spiritual
muscles we need
strong nerves of faith, and the blood of Jesus Christ.

Connective Tissue coverings: Around each individual

skeletal muscle are layers of fibrous connective tissue called
fascia that separate it from the adjacent muscles.

Sometimes the connective tissues surrounding a muscle extend

beyond the end of the muscle fibers to become part of a
cordlike tendon. Sometimes the tendon connects to the
periosteum of the bone, forming a strong attachment between
the muscle and the bone.

Facial muscles: There are about thirty muscles associated with facial expression
(controlling the eyes, face, and mouth). These muscles take their origin from
the bones of the facial skeleton and attach to the soft tissues of the facial skin,
such as the eyelids, nose, cheeks, and lips. There are seventeen smiling muscles
in all. Some muscles open these orifices wide; others narrow or close them. All
the muscles of the face are supplied by branches of two main nerves, the right
and left facial nerves, which arise from the brain stem. These branches of the
facial nerve control the muscle movements of the face.

The law of God written on every nerve and muscle: “Transgression of

physical law is transgression of the moral law; for God is as truly the author of physical laws as He is
the author of the moral law. His law is written with His own finger upon every nerve, every muscle,
every faculty, which has been entrusted to man. And every misuse of any part of our organism is a
violation of that law.” COL.347.001

Neuromuscular Junction: Every skeletal muscle fiber in the body is connected to a fiber from a
never cell called a motor neuron. Where the nerve fiber and the muscle fiber meet is called a
neuromuscular junction. This is the critical point where stimulation of the muscle takes place and
prompts it into action. At this site the nerve fiber is branched and embeds itself into recesses (synaptic
clefts) of the muscle fiber. Nerve fibers extend down from the brain or spinal cord and attach
themselves to a muscle fiber, which will only contract when it is stimulated by an electrical current
running through the nerve. This is done through chemicals called neurotransmitters that are released
into the gap between the nerve and the motor end plate.

Just as each muscle fiber has its own motor neuron to stimulate it into action, our works must
individually be connected to a power outside of itself, stimulated into action by the effectual workings
of the Holy Spirit. Then we can say as did Moses; “...Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent
me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.” Num.16.28.

Myasthenia Gravis: In a healthy body the muscles respond normally to nervous impulses transmitted
to them however in the chronic condition of Myasthenia Gravis the muscles become weak and
easily fatigued. This results from a disorder at some of the neuromuscular junctions so that nerve
impulses is not transmitted from the motor neuron to the muscle fiber.

This can happen spiritually as well, let us look at a Biblical scenario that teaches us what happens to
our works when we do not carry out the impulses from God.

A Spiritual case of Myasthenia Gravis:

The message sent from the head of the nervous system: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember
that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both
man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. 1Sam.15.2-3.

The Impulse Initiated: “And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that
is over against Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the
people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and
of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy
them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.” 1Sam.15.7-9.

The Impulse Justified: “And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the
LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.” 1Sam.15.13

The Impulse Denied: “And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears,
and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites:
for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and
the rest we have utterly destroyed.” 1Sam.15.14-15. “And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and
said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be
consumed. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil,
and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?” 1Sam.15.18-19.

The 2nd Impulse Justified: “And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD,
and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and
have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of
the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.”
1Sam.15.20,21.
The 2nd Impulse Denied: “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to
hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity
and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being
king.” 1Sam.15.22-23.

Final Impulse accepted: “And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the
commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.”
1Sam.15.24

Saul had a wavering faith, he failed to carry out the messages sent to him exactly as they were given.
The result of this was revealed through his works, and just like the condition of Myasthenia Gravis it
caused an atrophy of his works. His nerves were never the same afterwards, and had to be calmed by
the playing of David. However his works were waxing worse and worse until there was no remedy.

What is most interesting in this story is the end result of Saul. Being wounded in war with the
Philistines he resorted to suicide, however it didn’t completely put an immediate end to his life. This is
a following account from the person who slew him:

“And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul
leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. And when he
looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I. And he said unto me,
Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee,
upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. So I stood
upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took
the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither
unto my lord.” 2Sam.1.6-10.

The lesson from this story is when we fail to respond to a message from God in overcoming the enemy
(self) the enemy overcomes us, makes us weak, and ultimately leads to death. If the muscle fails to
respond to the nerve, it too becomes weak and in some cases paralyses us.

Let us look at some muscular disorders in the Bible:

Fibrillation: “Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the
joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.” Dan.5.6

Paralysis: “And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And
Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.” Matt.8.6-7.

Muscular dystrophy: “And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him,
Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is
troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.” John.5.5-
7.

“And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the
temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;” Acts.3.2
Muscular tension: “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking
of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and
the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him...And as he passed over Penuel the
sun rose upon him, and he halted (crippled) upon his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of
the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the
hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.” Gen.32.24,25,31,32.

Stimulus for Contraction: Just as our works need to be stimulated by God’s messages of love so also
do our muscles need to be stimulated by messages conveyed through the nervous system. Each nerve
fiber releases neurotransmitters into the muscle fiber at a place called the motor end plate. We could
say that the message transmitted is served on a plate, which in turn stimulates the muscle into action.
God has placed on our plate many beautiful messages of His love in order to stimulate us into action,
and carry out the impulses of His will.

Energy Sources: The primary source of energy for muscular contraction comes from the substance
called ATP molecules, which are manufactured in the myofibrils by the mitochondria. ATP gets
converted into ADP, and releases energy in the process. This energy makes possible the reaction
between the actin and myosin filaments. However there is just enough of this ADP for a limited
amount of muscular contraction. Then ATP has to be regenerated.

The source of energy to regenerate ATP from ADP and phosphate is a substance called creatine
phosphate. This is 4-6 times more abundant in the muscle fibers than ATP. This becomes a
storehouse of energy released from the mitochondria whenever sufficient amounts of ATP are already
present. When ATP is being decomposed, energy from creatine phosphate can be transferred to ADP
molecules, which quickly convert back to ATP.

When the muscles become very active, their supply of creatine phosphate is quickly used up. In this
case the muscles become dependent upon cellular respiration of glucose as a source of energy for
synthesizing ATP.

There was a king called Saul who made a foolish oath for the children of Israel to honor, that they do
not eat any food on a day of a heated battle with the Philistines.

“And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the
man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people
tasted any food. And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground. And
when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his
mouth: for the people feared the oath. But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with
the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb,
and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened. Then answered one of the people, and
said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any
food this day. And the people were faint. Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I
pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. How much
more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for
had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?” 1Sam.14.24-30.

The people had used up their energy and their muscles were weak. Honey would have supplied the
glucose for their muscular needs, and enabled them to get a great victory that day, but due to the Oath
of the king the people tasted not, and they became faint. In the Bible honey is a symbol of God’s
Word, “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psa.119.103.
“And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as
honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.” Rev.10.10. Just as honey gives energy to the
muscles to work, so too does God’s Word, it imparts strength and vigor to the soul so that we can labor
effectively and enduringly in working for those we love. It also gives us energy to slaughter the enemy
of self that we may triumph in Christ and gain the mastery over our passions, which the philistines
failed to do.

Just as physically we get weak and wearied, so at times we may feel that way spiritually. What is the
answer to our spiritual weariness? “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners
against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Heb.12.3

We can also pray if we feel faint, or as a prevention for faintness: “And he spake a parable unto them
to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;” Luke.18.1

Jesus never sent people away fainting: “And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will
faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.” Mark.8.3. “He giveth power to the faint; and to
them that have no might he increaseth strength.” Isa.40.29

Just as our muscles need rest from their works so also do we need to rest from our works. “For we
which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into
my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain
place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. For he that
is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” Heb.4.3,4,10.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt.11.28.

Use and disuse of muscles: Muscles need to be exercised or they will atrophy and become weak.
This teaches us that unless we use our strength for God’s work that our works will be feeble, and we
shall reap little. “If the muscles are allowed to remain unused, it will soon be apparent that the blood
does not sufficiently nourish them. Instead of increasing in size and strength, they will lose their
firmness and elasticity, and become soft and weak. Inactivity is not the law the Lord has established in
the human body. The harmonious action of all the parts,--brain, bone, and muscle,--is necessary to the
full and healthful development of the entire human organism.” SPTED.033.002.

When a muscle is not used it produces weak contractions, and tends to decrease its size, strength, and
number of cellular organelles located in its fibers. This condition is called atrophy, and usually results
when a limb is immobilized by a cast or when an accident or disease interferes with motor nerve
impulses. “Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.”
2Chr.15.7

The spiritual food for our muscles: “The words of the living God are the science of all education.
The studied phrases designed to please the taste of the supposed-to-be refined, fall short of the mark.
Our ministering brethren need to eat the bread of life. This manna will give them spiritual sinew and
muscle; then they will not be as weak as babies when any crisis comes.” GH.1899-12-01.016

There was a prophet called Elijah that run away from a threatening woman named Jezebel to save his
life. “But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper
tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away
my life; for I am not better than my fathers. And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then
an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake
baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down
again. And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and
eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the
strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.” 1King.19.4-8

He became weak and God knew that the journey would be too great, so He gave him some food (a
cake) symbolic of the Word of God. It gave him strength to get to mount Sinai, only for God to tell
him to go back to where he belonged. It is the Word of God that gives us strength to survive the
wilderness of despair and empower our spiritual muscles to do the works of God.

2) PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS OF MUSCULAR SYSTEM:

Muscles perform three important functions for the body:

1. Provide for movement.

2. Maintain posture.
3. Generate heat.

With the exception of the amoeboid movement (flowing of their cytoplasm into temporary
pseudopods or false feet to allow them to creep along) of certain white blood cells, the flagella
movement of sperm, and cilia, all movements of the body are a result of muscle contraction. Muscles
are responsible for all locomotion and manipulation, and they enable you to make quick responses to
changes in the environment.

Heat Production: Muscles take an active part in generating body heat and help to maintain body
temperature. When the muscles are intensely active perspiration is formed, and heat is thrown off from
the body. Waste products are also more effectively removed and metabolism is increased, easing the
burden of the detoxification organs. When there is an increase in physical activity there is also an
increase need for oxygen to supply the demands of the muscles.

Let us have a look at a story from the Bible that gives us a spiritual parallel of this phenomena: “And
Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on
the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and
fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass,
when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and
Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his
hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people
with the edge of the sword.” Exo.17.9-13.

In order for the children of Israel to win the battle over Amalek they needed the prayers of their leader
Moses. Physical strength alone was not sufficient to overcome the enemy. We can liken prayer to air,
for it is the breath of the Christian. “Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power.
No other means of grace can be substituted, and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the
heart into immediate contact with the Well-spring of life, and strengthens the sinew and muscle of the
religious experience.” GW.254.004
Just as the children of Israel needed an increase in prayers when they were at war with the Amalekites,
so also does our body need more air when it has increase of physical activity.

Threshold Stimulus: Muscles tend to remain unresponsive until a certain amount of stimulus is
applied. Once it reaches that set amount it contracts. The minimum amount of stimulus needed to
cause a contraction is known as the threshold stimulus.

All-or-None Response: When a muscle fiber is stimulated above the threshold stimulus is responds to
its fullest extent. If one were to increase the intensity of the stimulus it does not however increase the
degree of contraction. There is no partial contraction of the muscle fibers, if it contracts it will
completely contract, though in some cases it will not completely shorten. This phenomenon is called
the all-or-none response.

God wants us to have an all or none response in our spiritual lives. “I know thy works, that thou art
neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither
cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” Rev.3.15,16. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do
it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither
thou goest.” Eccl.9.10 “In a divided, halfhearted life, you will find doubt and darkness. You cannot
enjoy the consolations of religion, neither the peace which the world gives. Do not sit down in Satan's
easy chair of do-little, but arise, and aim at the elevated standard which it is your privilege to attain. It
is a blessed privilege to give up all for Christ.” 1T.241.001.

God has endowed the muscles with special functional properties that enable it to perform its duties.
These properties include excitability, contractility, extensibility, and elasticity.

Excitability: Is the ability to receive and respond to a stimulus. It may be within the body or
externally. In the case of muscle, the stimulus is usually a chemical, such as a neurotransmitter
released by a nerve cell, a hormone, or a change in the pH, which responds by sending an electrical
impulse along the muscle cell membrane. Our works (like our muscles) should respond to stimulative
impulses of the Holy Spirit working upon our mind.

We should be excited friends over the love of God for our souls, that will send a thrill of divine
energies that will awaken the dormant faculties into being. Our works will savor of life when we sink
deep shafts into the righteousness of God, and let the love of God be the actuating principle behind
every good work. This is of course the work of the Holy Spirit to quicken the spiritual muscles into
action.

Contractility: Is the ability of the muscle to shorten when a sufficient stimulus is received. It is this
property that sets muscle apart from all other tissue types.

Without contraction muscles would be good for nothing, and offer no help to use in useful labor, or
any movement whatsoever. Contraction brings action. Once the Holy Spirit conveys its stimulus of
love towards us, our response is to strain every muscle into action for the salvation of perishing souls.

Extensibility: Is the ability to be stretched or extended. Muscle fibers shorten when contracting and
lengthen when relaxed.

“As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury
poured out, will I rule over you: And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of
the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury
poured out.” Eze.20.33,34.

Surely the Lord did stretch out His arms to save when He was hanging on the cross of Calvary, with
fury poured out upon Him. Extensibility of the muscle shows us the love of God stretching out to save
mankind from their sins, truly this is a marvelous thing and worthy to be praised! Thank God that He
has given us a part in this great work!

“For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are
come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:” 2Cor.10.14

Elasticity: Is the ability of a muscle fiber to return to its resting length after it has contracted or has
been stretched. After much work in laboring for souls, it is important to our own souls that we take
quiet periods of rest with Jesus, “And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place,
and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.”
Mark.6.31.

Just as muscles need rest for growth and repair, so also does the Christian need time out for his
spiritual growth and repair, this rest brings him more strength to meet the battles he has to face in the
future.

Just as the muscles have periods of being worked and then having rest, so too is the Christian to
experience the same. Jesus spent much of His life in busy activity, but though He labored as no man
did, He also neglected not the quiet times of refreshment in the presence of His father. “And Jesus
went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed
their sick.” Matt.14.14 “And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.”
Mark.6.46

Muscles are made up of many bundles of fibers. Each fiber is the size of a human hair and can support
1000 times its own weight. We probably have around six billion fibers in the more than 600 muscles
scattered over the body. Like an army of soldiers, each fiber reacts in the same manner when the
“contract” signal is given. The signal (in the case of voluntary muscles), is sent from the brain through
the nervous system. The message is relayed instantly through a network of nerves that reach each of
the fibers involved.

The smooth, or involuntary muscles receive their signals from a different network of nerves, the
autonomic system. These muscles function automatically and we usually are not even aware of their
action, but without the automatic work of the smooth muscle we wouldn’t be able to digest food or
even breath. Aren’t you glad that God has taken care of all these functions without it having to even
be brought to your notice, how different life would be, if we had to concentrate to breath all the time.

The voluntary muscles however, like your biceps, move through the conscious control of your will,
(which is the God given faculty for making choice.) The nerves connect the thought from the brain to
the muscle, through what is like a telephone cable that carries an electrical impulse to a neuromuscular
junction which stimulates the muscle to move. Just as our muscles can’t perform a duty of themselves,
neither can we without Jesus, the current of life of in our lives. “For without me ye can do nothing.”
John.15.5. To work the works of Jesus we have to have the mind of Him as well. “Let this mind be in
you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” Phil.2.5.
 “Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.”
Job.10.11.

TENDONS:

Tendons are very strong and will not stretch. In a laboratory test, a tendon one inch thick supported a
weight of nine tons. Doctors sometimes find cases in which a bone breaks before the tendon attached
to it gives way. Ligaments however will stretch and they join bone to bone instead of bone to muscle.

Tendons are the cords that bind the bone to the muscle, and Jesus is the cord of faith that works by love
which binds us to Him, working out the principles of His law. “I drew them with cords of a man, with
bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto
them.” Hos.11.4. And just as tendons are very strong and able to tolerate incredible pressures, so is
the love of Jesus in our lives.

When Jacob wrestled with the angel in his desperate almost superhuman struggle to gain the mastery,
he had his thigh put out of joint, and his sinew (tendon) shrank, Genesis 32.32. Why did the angel
touch his thigh? And why did his tendon shrink? Let us see if we can find the answers to these
questions in the Bible:

“And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee,
thy hand under my thigh: And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the
God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among
whom I dwell: Gen.24.2-3.

Abraham sent his servant out on an errand to find Isaac his son a wife, so he entrusted this important
task to his faithful servant, and made him swear, or take an oath from him so that he would perform his
duty. When Jacob wanted to receive the inheritance of Esau his brother he asked him to take an oath.
“And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.”
Gen.25.33 The thigh was a symbol of an oath and obligation, as was also indicated in the book of
Numbers, when the spirit of jealousy would come upon a man who suspected his wife of breaking her
oath to him.

“Then the priest shall charge the woman with an OATH of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the
woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy
THIGH TO ROT, and thy belly to swell.” Numbers 5.21,22.

The Lord shrank Jacob’s thigh tendon, symbolizing that Jacob had shrunk from fulfilling his obligation
to God through a faith that works by love. Remember tendons are like the cords of love; bones are
God’s ten moral laws and muscles represent our works. When we brake an oath it is like shortening a
tendon and causes us pain, and inhibits us from walking in the law of God. But we can thank God that
though we have shrunk from fulfilling the requirements of the law, there is a God of mercy still
reaching out to save us. It may take a lot of wrestling, like Jacob, but we will walk away conquerors
with the assurance of victory.

PARALELLS BETWEEN THE MUSCLES & OUR WORKS

 PHYSICAL TRUTH SPIRITUAL TRUTH REF
Muscles are linked to the bones Our works are to be linked to God’s law Psa.78.7

Muscles get stronger through activity even We spiritually become stronger when we 2Cor.12.10
though it may cause weakness feel our weakness
Muscles need blood to function Our works need the blood of Jesus Christ Heb.9.14
in order to serve the living God
Muscles need stimulation in order to Our works need to be stimulated by the Rom.15.19
move Holy Spirit

Muscles are attached to the bone by a Our works are to be attached to the law Hos.11.4
cord of tissue, known as a tendon by the cords of love
Muscles need sugar for energy to produce Our works need to receive spiritual energy Psa.17.4
heat and movement from the study of God’s Word to heat us up
and move us in the right direction
If a muscle receives a wrong message If we fail to receive the correct message as Mark.12.24
through the nervous system they will not given in the Word of God, our works will Mark.12.38-40
respond properly be faulty
The heart muscle is not under our We are not able to control our heart, we can Psa.51.10
voluntary control only surrender it into the hands of God
The more work the muscles receive the The more work we do for God the more Luke.4.1
more oxygen they receive richly we receive the Holy Spirit through
the faith that is in us.
Muscles bear heavy burdens We are to bear burdens for others Gal.6.2

Muscles need rest as well as exercise for God gave us the Sabbath day to rest from Exo.20.8-11
their strength our labors to receive more strength to work
for Him