Plants and Foods of the Bible · Pasture and Beehive · Food
Milk
The gentle food of shepherds and the sign of the good land that God promised His people
- Key verse
- Exodus 3:8
- Where we find it
- The pastures where shepherds raised their goats, sheep and cattle
- What it reminds us of
- Food, gentle care and growth
Stories from Scripture
Milk in the stories of the Bible
Abraham and Sarah
Abraham welcomes his guests
The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre. When he saw three guests, Abraham ran to prepare cakes, a good tender calf, butter and milk. Then he stood by them under the tree and served them until they had eaten.
Genesis 18:6-8Moses
A land flowing with milk and honey
From the burning bush, God told Moses that He had seen the suffering of His people in Egypt. He had come down to deliver them and to bring them up to “a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Exodus 3:7-8The apostle Peter
The pure milk of the Word
The apostle Peter writes to believers to be like newborn babies who long for the pure milk of the word. Just as milk helps a baby grow, God’s Word helps us grow in faith.
1 Peter 2:2
From the world of the Bible
Did you know?
In Bible times people drank mostly goat’s milk, but also sheep’s and cow’s milk.
Milk was kept in skin bags. By shaking the bag, people got butter.
Cheese was also made from milk: when David was fleeing from Absalom, his friends brought him, among other things, butter and cheese.
From the Holy Scriptures
What do we read in the Bible about milk?
8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
In kids’ words: God did not only set His people free from slavery, He also prepared a good home for them, with plenty of food.
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
In kids’ words: Just as a baby needs milk to grow, we need the Word of God to grow in faith.
Verses are quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Read each passage in the context of its chapter in the Bible.
What milk teaches us
God feeds us and takes care of us
Milk is the first food of a little child, and it comes with care and gentleness. The Bible uses it to show us that God feeds His children with love, and that we need His Word every day to grow.
How we can live this out today
Read or listen to a verse from the Bible today, as naturally as you drink a glass of milk.
Mini-Quiz
What did you learn about milk?
Milk, together with honey, describes in the Bible:
For parents and children
At home and in Sunday school
A question for parents and children
How do we feed our souls every day as a family? What verse would we like to learn together this week?
“Lord, thank You for the food of every day and for Your Word, which helps me grow. Make me always long for it. Amen.”
Activity at home
A glass of milk
Drink a glass of milk together and thank God, who also takes care of today’s food.