A few days ago, I was in a meeting with a colleague. In that conversation, about classroom management, he said, “(we) don’t want to create the speckled bird.” I found that phrase a bit humorous and we both laughed.  I asked him where that came from. He replied that he had heard it often in his educational classes at Tennessee Temple University. 

Like most unusual phrases or thoughts, I was intrigued as to the origin, meaning, and application of such an odd phrase. I had heard that Johnny Cash, in 1959, recorded a gospel song entitled “The Great Speckled Bird.”

After additional research, I discovered that the phrase comes from a passage of Scripture in Jeremiah 12:9 which says, “Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.”  The interpretation of this prophetic passage is that God’s heritage, the nation of Israel, is called the speckled bird. Israel is portrayed as a vulnerable defenseless creature, and the other birds are the nations around Israel.

God’s method of punishing Israel for going astray into immorality, lawlessness, and idolatry is to allow for them to come under attack from the “beasts of the field”. More than likely, this is a reference to the ensuing oppression and captivity by Babylon under king Nebuchadnezzar. As a note of interest, that Nebuchadnezzar once went mad and he was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox (beast). His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird (Daniel 4:33).

Israel was the speckled bird, she was perceived as a weak emaciated nation that could easily be conquered and constantly ridiculed. The Bible is a record of how others, under the influence of the Devil, have God’s people in their crosshairs.

Not much has changed today. The church of Jesus Christ is still on the radar of those who think the world would be a better place without Christians. Unless Jesus tarries, perhaps they will soon discover what that will be like. Jesus told us that “in the world we will have trouble” (John 16:33) and “If the world hates you, you should understand that it hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18).

Last week I was watching a TV show and a commercial came on promoting the Freedom from Religion Foundation. The spokesperson was Ron Reagan, son of President Ronald Reagan. In the commercial, he declared himself "an unabashed atheist" who is "not afraid of burning in Hell." As a believer, I feel sorry for him. Unless he receives Christ as his Savior, one day he will regret that bold statement. This is the overwhelming sentiment of the world toward Christ’s church, the speckled bird.

How does this phrase relate to ministry? Is Christianity a “speckled bird” too? Are there those who seem to spend their time and energy critiquing and criticizing the Church? Are there those that seem to celebrate when the church fails?   Have the beasts of the field been organized to devour the great speckled bird?

So what can we do? Let me answer that with a personal illustration followed by an application.

The earliest memory of my childhood was watching the drama of chickens, in my dad’s chicken coop, pecking a weak and injured chicken. Why? Because they could! Had my dad not intervened, those chickens would have pecked the weakened chicken to death. My dad stepped into the coop with a shovel, shielded the injured chicken, and removed it from the pen. He cared for it and nursed it back to health.  That former weak and injured bird became a sort of family pet. It was never placed back in the coop.  I remember how it would follow my dad around the barn and out into the cornfields.

John 16:33 ends with encouragement from the Savior, “…be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.” The image of the speckled bird representing the church is very appropriate. John 15:5, Jesus says “I am the vine and ye are the branches … for without me ye can do nothing.” Our Heavenly Father protects, and provides for us by his capable loving hands.  Let us allow Him to nurture, strengthen, and admonish us in our relationship with Him. Then, the truth of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” will remedy the vulnerability of being the speckled bird.