Last week we were talking about this Land Flowing with Milk and Honey and a question was brought up on what this was. So what is it?
Most of the Scriptures that this is located in are in the Old Testament, so before Jesus died on the cross. The term is actually used a lot in the books of Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. But the great and awesome thing about the Word is this:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 - ALL Scripture is inspired (God Breathed) and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
This is talking about ALL Scripture, so both new and old.
Matthew 13:52 - And Jesus said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.
All Scripture is inspired and God breathed and helps us basically walk and grown to become mature in the Lord. And we can bring things out new (New Testament) and old (Old Testament).
Pretty neat stuff...
First, what is Milk?
Hebrew word for it is chalab (Strongs # 2461) - Milk, cheese, sucking
It comes from a root word of cheleb - to be fat, the richest or choice part, best, fat, finest, grease, marrow.
So it sounds like the Milk is the best of the land. The finest of the crop or most pure!
This reminds me of a New Testament Scripture,
1 Peter 2:2 - like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
So the pure milk of the word.
Isaiah 28:9-12
"To whom would He teach knowledge, And to whom would He interpret the message? Those just weaned from milk. Those just taken from the breast. "For He says, 'Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there.'" Indeed, He will speak to this people Through stammering lips and a foreign tongue, He who said to them, "Here is rest, give rest to the weary," And, "Here is repose," but they would not listen.
God says that He is going to teach knowledge and to interpret the message to those just weaned from the milk and taken from the breast. Who does this sound like? BABIES!
In Matthew 18:3-4 - and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
You wonder why there are so many different interpretations of the bible by men. Most likely they have not humbled themselves like a child and are not in the kingdom of God and are not being taught by Jesus. Jesus is going to teach knowledge and interpret the message to those who have and are partaking in the milk of the word.
What then is the MILK of the word?