Healthy Living

The Temple of the Ear

by Terry Barlow
03/18/14
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Listening to a presentation on the human ear, it occurred to me for the first time, though much of the material was familiar, that the structure of the human ear resembles the ancient Jewish temple which had three parts; an outer court (outer ear), a holy place (middle ear) and a holy of holies (smaller compact inner ear). And this it seems to me is no accidental resemblance, but comes as a reminder to us of the sacredness of the sense of hearing, be it physical or spiritual. The numerous folds and bends in the ear mechanisms enable us to determine from which direction sounds come, even as we learn in approaching God to discern which thoughts proceed from his Holy Spirit and which proceed from a different spirit. As the materials in the ancient temple grew more precious as one went inward, so the mechanisms of the ear grow more intricate and delicate the farther inward. Multitudes of nerve endings are encased in the inner ear with tiny hairs functioning like a keyboard, but a keyboard of 40,000 keys inside the skull and sending electrical impulses to the brain.  Imagine the innumerable harmonic and melodic possibilities when playing a keyboard of 40,000 keys!  The function of physical balance is regulated also from the inner ear, like the spiritual equilibrium learned and maintained in communion with God who has taught us as has been aptly said that "the path of life is narrow with a ditch on either side of it."

   It's worth mentioning also that it has been written that the inner part of the ear is the one part of an infant's anatomy that comes fully developed.  Spiritually speaking new believers can often "hear" God as clearly or even, in some cases, more clearly than mature believers.  Why is that?  Maybe it's because the "wax" of the world hasn't had as long to accumulate!