HARRIET THE TORTOISE

In 1835, the famous English naturalist Charles Darwin collected three young tortoises, about five years old, from Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos. Darwin noted they were only about as big as dinner plates when he brought the live tortoises on the HMS Beagle back to England with him. He named these three subjects of scientific research "Tom, Dick, and Harry.” However, the young tortoises did not fare well in cold, damp England. So in 1842, one of Darwin’s colleagues, John Wickham, brought Tom, Dick, and Harry to Australia aboard a whaling ship and donated the youthful 12-year-old tortoises to Brisbane Botanical Gardens.

As time went by, Tom and Dick died from unknown causes. Wanting to preserve their tortoise attractions for the next 100 years, Harry’s Brisbane caretakers tried in vain to mate him with female Galápagos land tortoises. During his time in the gardens, Harry had to endure people riding him. There were visible scars on his shell where people used to engrave their names on his back. Soldiers returning home from various wars even painted his shell a couple of times.

In 1952, Harry was moved to a fauna sanctuary on Australia’s Gold Coast, where it was finally discovered that Harry was, in fact, a Harriet! Darwin evidently was not able to determine Harry’s sex. Harriet made her final move in 1988 to the Australia Zoo. She loved to eat hibiscus flowers, along with zucchini, squash, beans, and parsley. At 330 pounds, Harriet spent much of her remaining days snoozing in her pond. Harriet died at 175 years of age in June of 2006. She was the third oldest tortoise in the world.

One reason Harriet survived so long is because God provides a tortoise with natural armor in its shell. Did you know God has provided armor for Christians to preserve us for everlasting life? Paul writes, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11). This armor is not meant to protect against bullets and bombs, but “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places” (verse 12). With this armor in place, we can be assured of protection from death. We can live forever.

KEY BIBLE TEXT

With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. (Psalms 91:16)

AN AMAZING FACT: The mantis shrimp is neither a mantis nor a shrimp; it derives its name from its claws, which are similar to those of a praying mantis, and its body, which is similar to that of a shrimp. These marine crustaceans, also called stomatopods, come in a variety of colors and can grow to be about 12 inches long. The most colorful is the peacock mantis shrimp, with brilliant neon hues that dazzle the eye. This sea creature prefers a solitary life, hiding in rock formations and waiting for prey to come by, though it will chase and kill for food.

The ancient Assyrians called these creatures “sea locusts.” In Australia, they are referred to as “prawn killers,” but they are also known as “thumb splitters” because of the nasty gash they can inflict if not handled carefully. Mantis shrimp sport powerful claws that they use to attack prey. These claws can spear or stun their victims. In fact, they are classified into two groups based on their claws: the “spearers” (with spiny appendages topped with barbed tips that stab and snag) and the “smashers” (with a club-like claw that bludgeons their meals apart). The mantis shrimp’s claw can strike so powerfully that its speed has been compared to that of a .22-caliber bullet. A shock wave is created as well, so that if the shrimp misses its target, the aftereffect can be enough to stun or kill its prey.

What literally “stands out” in the mantis shrimp is its eyes. They are considered the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. Each eye is mounted at the end of a stalk and can move independently. Most fascinating is that this sea animal can see both polarized and hyperspectral color. Not only that, but each eye is designed to have three regions, giving the mantis shrimp the ability to see three parts of an object from slightly different angles. In other words, they have trinocular vision out of each eye! The optics of this little crustacean are actually being studied to improve the current generation of Blu-ray disc technology.

Jesus once spoke about improving your eyesight. Our ability to see is directly related to our hearts. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). When we humble ourselves before God, seeking to be cleansed from sin, our eyes will be opened to see with vision that is out of this world!

KEY BIBLE TEXT

The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. (Psalms 19:8)

When Alexander the Great led his victorious armies down through Asia Minor, he eventually reached the foothills of the mighty Himalayas, beyond which lay the Khyber Pass and India. To Alexander, it seemed as if he was standing at the edge of the world. At that time, no maps had been made of the vast territory before him, and as far as he knew, he was marching his soldiers off the map of the known world!

Often, when ancient mapmakers reached the edge of charted territories, they drew a line and depicted dragons and monsters beyond it. This practice understandably discouraged exploration. A Roman commander in the first century once led his troops beyond the line on the map into so-called "dragon territory." He sent a courier back to Rome with a straightforward message: “We have just marched off the map. Please send new orders.”

Similarly, when Columbus first sailed west in search of a shortcut to the Indies, he knew he would essentially be sailing off the map into a region that mapmakers marked with sea monsters. Due to the unknown distance ahead, he loaded his ships with as many provisions as they could carry and set sail by faith across the trackless sea, believing God was urging him forward.

When we consider conditions in the world today, with unprecedented changes in every arena of life, it seems we have reached a point in history where we are drifting off the map! However, the good news is that nothing surprises God. All these events have been charted before in Bible prophecy. When Daniel was asked to interpret a strange dream of an ancient Babylonian king, he said, “But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days” (Daniel 2:28).

Nothing is hidden from God’s eyes, not even the ends of the earth. The past, present, and future are all before the Lord.

KEY BIBLE TEXT

For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing. (Deuteronomy 2:7)

President Bill Clinton was once accused of renting out White House rooms in exchange for campaign contributions. That was nothing compared to Arthur Furguson’s enterprise—he leased the entire building. Arthur Furguson was a dapper little Scotsman, always impeccably dressed and with a charming manner. He began his illustrious career in the roaring ’20s as a small-time scam artist working the streets of London, but by the time he arrived in America in 1925, he was a con man without peer.

In one summer in London, he managed to sell American tourists Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, complete with the lions, for $30,000; he sold Big Ben for a bargain price of $5,000, and accepted a $10,000 down payment for Buckingham Palace. While visiting Paris, he even managed to sell the Eiffel Tower for scrap at an unknown price to yet another American. At this point, Scotland Yard detectives were hot on his heels, so naturally, Furguson boarded a ship for America.

Arthur Furguson had only been in Washington briefly when, posing as a government official, he managed to lease the White House to a cattle rancher for 99 years at a cost of $100,000 per year. Furguson told the believing rancher they were going to build a bigger residence for the president closer to the Capitol Building. Furguson convinced the rancher that income from tours of the old White House would bring a handsome profit. Naturally, the first $100,000 was due in advance. When the deal was consummated, Furguson quickly caught a train to New York City with a bag full of money, leaving it to the government officials to explain that the White House was not available for lease.

Did you know the Bible tells about an even bigger con artist who tried to sell the whole world? The Bible says, “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.”’ Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him” (Matthew 4:8-11).

KEY BIBLE TEXT

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)

One hundred and forty years ago, almost 50 percent of patients undergoing major surgery died from infection, largely due to filthy conditions. Doctors were puzzled as to why 80 percent more women died giving birth in hospitals compared to those who had their babies at home. At that time, doctors wore bloody aprons and moved from patient to patient without washing their hands or instruments, causing even patients with minor wounds to die from infection or blood poisoning transmitted by the doctor.

In the 1860s, a deeply religious English surgeon named Joseph Lister was disturbed by the staggering number of patients dying from infection. He read in the Bible where God instructed the Israelites to wash after contact with the sick or a dead body. Based on this and Louis Pasteur’s discoveries, Lister recognized germs as the likely source of infection. He suggested that surgeons dress cleanly, wash their hands, and sterilize instruments before operating. He insisted that the operating room be kept clean and developed a method for preventing infection during an operation by treating wounds with an antiseptic.

Initially, Lister was regarded as eccentric, and nurses resented the extra work caused by his obsession with cleanliness. There was also significant mocking and resistance from his peers. However, Lister, a shy but determined man, was firm in his purpose. He humbly believed he was directed and inspired by God in this endeavor. Despite the opposition he faced, he never gave up. As time went on, everyone began to notice a change. The deaths from blood poisoning, infection, and gangrene were greatly reduced in Joseph Lister’s hospital ward in Glasgow. Eventually, British and American hospitals saw the benefits and gradually adopted the sterile procedures promoted by Dr. Lister. Before he died, Lister’s contributions to medicine were recognized, and he was awarded a knighthood. Louis Pasteur described Lister as one of the greatest men of the 19th century.

It’s amazing how the world has been transformed by applying the simple rules of sanitation found in the Bible. But did you know there are many other biblical secrets of health that the world is neglecting? The God who formed us knows the principles of caring for the bodies He has given us. He lovingly shares that wisdom with us in His Word.

KEY BIBLE TEXT

He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days. (Numbers 19:11) He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean. (Numbers 19:12)