Turkey Protest

And you Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into exile to Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied lies. Jeremiah 20: 6

I had seen this picture and found it to be quite an eye catcher, but so many things have been coming out of it.  What do you see?  What do you make of it? What I saw was a smart turkey at thanksgiving time, being so fed-up of his family being sacrificed at this special, celebratory time that he took on a one turkey protest. He walked around with a placard, telling all those turkey lovers to turn to the cow, love the cow and choose the cow. 

This was really funny until I came to my school with our Teacher, when I saw Jeremiah before God, complaining about the treatment he was receiving at a particular time, because of who he was.  Like the turkey, no other one seemed to be going through the trauma as he was.  It was one of those times when Jeremiah was really down and he was complaining to God. He was holding up a placard, so to speak, exposing his strengths and weaknesses.

Return to the turkey. 

Don’t you see strength in terms of this ‘one man’ stand against that with which it can no longer cope?  

Don’t you see strength in the fact that he is no longer hiding, pretending, taking it with a smile, no complaining attitude?  He is done with such hiding and he is doing something about it.

Don’t you see strength in the boldness of the turkey, to come out and make every effort to save his life and the lives of all like him?

Dare I liken this to Jeremiah chapter 20?  These are the deep strong complaints of the prophet of God before his Lord. Who is Jeremiah? He is a called servant of God, chosen to speak God’s Word to His people. Jeremiah is obedient and does all that God calls him to do. He only speaks to the people what the Lord tells him to speak. But this honesty, loyalty and obedience in being faithful to the Word, has brought him no end of constant and consistent persecution.

Look at him! He has just been released from being in the stocks and being severely beaten, not because of a lying tongue, but for a truthful tongue. The problem is that the priest, Pashhur and all his religious advisers are telling the people, in the name of God, what is opposite to what Jeremiah is telling them. The people and even some of his so called friends only see him as proclaiming violence and destruction. In this way, says Jeremiah, the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long. Jeremiah 20: 8b. 

 In all that Jeremiah speaks to his God, he is open, frank and honest in how he feels about his life at the moment. In all that he speaks, his fears and his faith come out; his strengths and weaknesses are uncovered; his joys and pains are exposed.

I see strength in terms of this ‘one man’ stand against that with which he can no longer cope.  Jeremiah goes to no one else but to his Master saying that he can no longer go on this way. O LORD, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed.  I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. Jeremiah 20: 7

I see strength in the fact that he is no longer hiding, pretending, taking it with a smile, not talking out attitude.  His strength is still in his Master even though his weakness is present. Look at Jeremiah 20: 11, for example. But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonour will never be forgotten.  Is this not strength of faith in his God?

I see strength in the boldness of Jeremiah to make every effort to save his life and the lives of all like him, as he seeks the Lord’s mighty hand to save and help. O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause. Jeremiah 20: 12.

What of the weaknesses?  I am going to use just one that covers so many others.  The reality is that the turkey, in his very protesting, is seeing the cow as better than himself.  Think of it.  Every Thanksgiving, or Christmas for that matter, it is he, not the cow that is used. He is comparing his life with that of another who does not suffer the same fate as he does.

Listen to Jeremiah in these chillingly frank words. Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed! Jeremiah 20: 14. There is his weakness before God, as he thinks of his birth in light of his present persecutions and sees no joy, no happiness, no celebration in his being born.  If he were not born, then God could not choose to use him as a servant, in this way and he Jeremiah, would never have to suffer all he suffers as a servant of God. 

Does any word here speak to you?  Are there times when you feel extremely pressured and see your life as targeted? Do you sometimes feel like a turkey around Christmas or Thanksgiving? This is not an all year happening, although it feels that way at times.  I just want to say to you and all who are like that at this time that like Jeremiah, speak out the truth to the Lord. Speak the truth about your love for Him. Speak out about your joys and your sorrows, your strengths and weaknesses, your zeal, yet your weariness.  Speak to Him for He is your love and your pain.

Make me a living Sacrifice to You O Lord. Amen!