The Respiratory System In the Neck of Marriage

The respiratory system consists of the respiratory tract that is divided into upper and lower divisions. The upper division includes the nose, nasal cavities, sinuses, pharynx (the throat), and part of the larynx (the voice box). The lower division is made up of the lower part of the larynx, the trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, and the alveoli. In our anatomical analogy, the upper division represents the husband and the lower division represents the wife. 

Both the pharynx (upper division) and the larynx (upper and lower division) are housed in the neck. The larynx is the base of the respiratory tree, the airways that bring air to the lungs. The respiratory tree is called such because of the branch-like structure of the airways. The larynx’s union and inferior position to the pharynx lead to this tree, which brings air (life) to the body. 

In biblical symbolism, a tree, its stump (the base), and its branches represent family. The stump is the origin of the family, the two becoming one as Gen. 2:24 states. The branches are the descendants of that union. Jesus is the Branch from the stump of David (Isaiah 11:1). Likewise, the Jewish people are the branches from the tree of Abraham (Rom. 11:17). 

The branches of the respiratory tree have points that follow each other called generations. Each point branches into another airway, representing a new generation, an extension of the family tree. Within a family, a generation is the interval of time that separates parents and children. From Adam and Eve, the first human parents, came Cain, Abel, and Seth, the second generation. Enosh, their grandchild, along with Seth’s other children, made the third generation. All of humanity stems from the tree of Adam (that is, his union with Eve). 

In the respiratory tree, the generations begin at the trachea (the windpipe), the trunk of the tree. The trachea branches off into the left main bronchus and the right main bronchus (bronchi), which branch off into bronchioles inside the lungs. These bronchioles lead to the alveoli ducts, which open to alveoli sacs that contain alveoli. The lungs contain millions of alveoli. These sacs fill with air and allow the red blood cells of their capillaries to absorb oxygen while carrying away carbon dioxide from the lungs. This air exchange allows the body to keep breathing. 

The alveoli ducts represent the produce of the tree branches. They are the flowers that produce the fruit from their ovary. The seeds of the plant are found in the fruit. The flowers are the female carriers of the seed that allow fruit to come forward. The fruit contains seeds that will allow it to reproduce. In other words, the flowers are the mothers who bring forth children who are born with sperm (or eggs) that will allow them to reproduce in the future. They keep the family tree alive. This is by God’s design, as He created both trees and humans to live continually through seed-bearing reproduction (Gen. 1:11, 28). The fruit of the Christian marriage is godly children (Mal. 2:15).