Who was Huldah??

Last night we learned about another amazing woman from the Bible who unfortunately we do not hear about often if at all. I mean really, to be completely honest, who has heard about the woman named Huldah before? I know until I started doing the research for class last night I had not heard of her, and yet she is a very prominent woman in the Scriptures. What she did should be talked about so much more than it is.

Huldah was a prophetess in Jerusalem who actually was a teacher at the college of prophecy that was located there. Her husband, Shallum, was a courtier, which is someone who is attendance at the royal court.

If you turn to 2Kings 22:14-20, you will read about Huldah. While that is not a lot of attention given to her, what she did was of national importance. When books were found, the king, Josiah, told the priests and spiritual leaders to find out about what was written since it depicted was destruction for all of them.

Look at this:
2 Kings 22:12-13
He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: “Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.” 


The king tells the priests and spiritual leaders to inquire from God about what they read in this book they found. It was the priests then that went and found Huldah... The interesting thing is that Jeremiah was an active prophet in the same area...and yet the priests did not go to him for the information. It could be because of Jeremiah's known behavior and that they didn't want to face him. We do not really know why they chose to go to Huldah, but we do know that Huldah heard from God.


What she said to the priests:
2 Kings 22:15-20
She said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’”


She had to hear from God in order to know what to say to these men. Notice that she says "Tell the man who sent you to me" and then later she says "Now tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord." If she did not hear from God then she would not have known to say this to these men. But in actuality, she was calling them out by telling them the two separate statements of prophecy. 


This woman was not afraid to tell the men what God was saying. She allowed God to use her, to work through her in order to get His message across. The king told the spiritual leaders to go hear from God and then the spiritual leaders came to her for help. 


God does not just use women because there are no available men to use. Jeremiah was readily available and yet Huldah was the one with the answer from God.


Never let anyone tell you that you cannot do something just because you are a woman. God does not look around for men to use and only when He does not find one will He then look for a woman to use. That is not how He works. God uses women and men to do His work. All you have to do is be willing to be used by God and ensure that you are obeying His word and His commands in order to Hear from Him. 


God uses the willing.... Are you willing??