Animals of the Bible
9. The Camel – Bearing Patiently
“And they lifted up their eyes and looked,
and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites
came from Gilead with their camels
bearing spicery and balm and myrrh,
going to carry it down to Egypt”
(Genesis 37:25)
Image: morguefile.com
The animal we are considering on this occasion is a very unusual one. One thing which particularly distinguishes it is its shape, a feature which makes it instantly recognisable. In fact its ability to survive in parts of the world where life is very difficult and also its usefulness to man have much to do with its strange shape, as we shall see.
This animal is the camel, a mammal which is native to Asia and Africa. There are two species of camel. The Arabian camel is identified by a single hump on its back and has been kept for thousands of years in the Middle East. The Bactrian camel belongs to Central Asia. It has two humps, one behind the other. It is still found in the wild but in dwindling numbers.
The Arabian is the species we meet with in the Bible. It is first mentioned when Abraham stayed in Egypt during a time of famine. It seems that Pharaoh gave him camels as a present when Sarah was taken into his house (Gen.12:16). Rebekah rode upon a camel when she went to meet her future husband Isaac (Gen.24:61,64). Job’s greatness was seen in that he had three thousand camels before his calamities and six thousand afterwards (Job 1:3; 42:12).
An adult male Arabian camel is seven feet high at the shoulder and weighs up to fifteen hundred pounds. Its colour varies from grey to brown. As well as serving as a means of transport the camel has other uses. It is a source of sweet milk; Esau gave “thirty milch camels with their colts” to Jacob (Gen.32:15). It is used for meat, although this was forbidden to the Jews (Lev.11:4). Its coat, which consists of short, fine fur which grows thicker on the head and neck, provides wool. You will remember that John the Baptist wore a garment made of camel’s hair (Matt.3:4).
The camel is amazingly well-suited to its environment, which is arid desert and semi-desert. Its teeth are able to deal with the toughest, prickliest shrubs; one plant which it grazes is known as the Camel’s Thorn. Its nostrils contain valves which can be fully closed to keep out the sand blown by the wind. These things are not accidental but remind us that every animal has been designed by our all-wise Creator to be fit for life. The animals have also been designed to teach us important lessons about our walk with God. What can we learn from the camel?
Firstly the camel has a sure step. Its feet consist of two toes covered in a hard, elastic skin. Thick, padded soles protect the toes from the heat of the desert surface and spread out sideways to enable the animal to walk safely without sinking deeply into the soft sand.
It is vital that as Christians we are careful about our walk. We live in a world which is very dangerous for the unwary. The path of our duty is plain, for God has revealed it to us in His Word, but Satan constantly tries to turn us aside from it. He will put difficulties in our way so that we are discouraged from following Christ. Or he will tempt us with a worldly lifestyle, encouraging us to try the pleasures which excite others. If we listen to his voice our souls will quickly sink into sin.
We must say to ourselves each day that we rise, and several times during the day, “I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living” (Psa.116:9). We should say this to others too when they would have us join with them in their sin. If we walk in the truth then we have this precious promise from God, “He will keep the feet of his saints“ (1Sam.2:9). This the Lord will continue to do until he presents us without fault in his own glorious presence.
Secondly the camel has a superb strength. It is commonly used as a beast of burden and is known as the ‘ship of the desert’. The stronger breeds can carry a load of over two-thirds their own weight on short journeys. The lighter breed known as the ‘dromedary’ is designed for speed.
Do you realise that you have a burden that you should get rid of and another burden that you should take up? The burden to be removed is the burden of sin. It can only be lost at the cross of Calvary where the Lord Jesus Christ died for sinners. The burden you must carry is your own cross – whatever is required of you in order that you be faithful to your Saviour.
Finally the camel has a supreme stamina. It is able to survive for months without food or water. The hump on its back is a storehouse of food, made up of fatty cells, which decreases in size when these reserves are called upon. Other special cells in the stomach store water which can be used when no other source is available.
The Lord’s people are travelling on a long journey through a weary wilderness. They find that this world provides nothing for their souls, being full only of that meat which “perisheth” (John 6:27) and that water which if a man drink he shall ”thirst again” (John 4:13). So they look to the One who says, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Are you too trusting in Christ?
