Emphasis Preaching Journal

Jesus likened himself to a broody hen when he said he longed to gather Jerusalem under his wings to protect them. A chicken will generally lay one egg a day. Only after she has laid a certain number, called a clutch, she will begin to incubate them. This ensures that the eggs will hatch at the same time. At this point, her physiology changes, and she becomes "broody." When danger approaches her nest, she will utter a low growling noise and may peck at the intruder. For up to twenty days, she will sit on the nest, leaving only once a day to water, feed, and defecate.