Women in the Word Part 4

Huldah - The Prophetess

Good morning, we are going to keep continuing on with our series on women in the word and this morning we are going to meet Huldah. She is a prophetess. We are going to take a look at a passage in the Old Testament as our text this morning.

2 Kings 22:14–20 NIV

Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter. 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.’ ” So they took her answer back to the king.

Prayer: Lord use us even when the things we say are not always easy to hear. Let us stand boldly with the truth and share it as we have been called to do.

Hulduah is a feminine given name, which was a Hebrew word meaning weasel or mole.

She was a prophetess in the Old Testament spoken of in the book of Kings and Chronicles.

There were many prophets and prophetesses in that day during this time period in our text. Why was Hulduah the one the King told his people to seek out?

Background:

Let’s take a look at some background first. Hulduah was the wife of Shallum ben Tikah who was known as keeper of the wardrobe.

We know that she was married to Shallum, who was the keeper of the King's wardrobe, and that she lived in the 2nd Quarter of Jerusalem, probably a suburb.

The Hebrew word for this suburb was Mishneh, meaning 'a place of repetition'. Education was primarily an oral thing at this time, and repetition would have been the way things were taught, so we can assume that Huldah was a teacher.

She was related to the prophet Jeremiah and a descendant of Joshua and Rahab. There is not much known of her.

At the beginning of our text we see that King Josiah is made aware of the penalties that will come because there has been a breaking of the covenant with God. The King knew there would be grave penalities because of breaking their covenant with God. The King knew Judah broke the covenant and the King became terrified of what would happen. He tore his clothes as a sign of mourning.

She had peace in who she is in God

He needed to know for sure what would happen. The King instructed his courtiers to inquire of God to see if its words are valid.

They took the book to Huldah who is a renown prophet of Jerusalem.

The High Priest and the delegation from the King must have had confidence in Huldah, and known that she was a woman of God, that she had a knowledge and understanding of God's laws, and could be trusted to bring the word of God.

She was in a right relationship with God; we know this as He used her to give His message to King Josiah, and she was also in right relationships with others.

When looking at Huldah’s life you can’t help but think about how do we get to this place where we have peace in where we are in God and stand in that peace.

How can we get to that place of having peace, wholeness and well being?

Are we in that right place?

Are you in that right relationship with God?

This is how it happens

When we trust God

When we obey God

When we let God have control of our lives

We receive an inner peace.

What can rob us of this inner peace?

When we don’t listen to God that robs us of that peace.

Isaiah 48:17–18 NIV

This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.

May we have peace that flows through us and guides our lives and everything we do.

Not being in right relationship with God robs that peace.

Hebrews 12:14 NIV

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Colossians 3:15 NIV

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

When we are fearful, anxious, troubled we can loose our peace.

We can allow worry to damage our health. It can cause the object of our worries to consume our thoughts. It can disrupt productivity, it can negatively affect the way we treat others, and it can reduce our ability to trust God.

Philippians 4:7 NIV

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

John 14:27 NIV

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

We can find peace in God when we walk in His Spirit. He will protect our hearts and minds from worry, fear and anxiety. He will give us a confidence to trust.

The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is a deep and lasting peace, not a peace that this world can offer. The peace the Holy Spirit offers us is the assurance that in any circumstance we are going through, if we have Jesus' peace, we have no need to fear the past, the present or the future.

She had confidence in God

Huldah knew who she was in God and that gave her confidence.

This is so wonderful to see an example of in scripture. To know who we are in Christ. To know and have confidence in who we are in Him and to Him is so encouraging and powerful.

We are not told, but I believe Huldah was a woman who knew the scriptures and spent a lot of time in prayer. The people around her knew she was a woman of God, a woman God used to speak through - she was a prophetess.

When she was asked to speak to the Lord, she confidently spoke with God and relayed his word.

There are times when God wants to use us it is hard to stand in confidence. It is intimidating, we get worried we may be doing wrong etc. We want to be right and our need to be right may sometimes stop that confidence to speak out and do what He is calling us to do!

Are you confident in God?

Confidence in God is not a virtue but an inner strength and determination inspired by God. It is not a self-confidence because that would be a false security.

Deuteronomy 31:7–8 NIV

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Do you know this morning that you are a child of the living God?

Romans 8:16–17 NIV

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Do you know that you are a masterpiece?

Do you know He has given you the means to stand confident in Him?

Ephesians 6:10–17 NIV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

She was faithful in what she was called to do

Huldah was faithful to God. She gave the word from the Lord not knowing what reaction she would get.

She trusted God and by being faithful she changed the religious ways of a nation, and brought them back to God.

When we think of faithfulness we usually think of God's faithfulness to us, but we must be faithful in what God has called us to.

God's faithfulness to us, challenges us to be steadfast in our loyalty and our unwavering trust in Him.

It's not always easy to do the things God has asked us to do, and sometimes we have push through circumstances in our lives.

Matthew 16:24–27 NIV

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

There is a reward for the followers of Christ.

Revelation 2:10 NIV

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

Huldah was a woman with an inward peace, a confidence in who she was in God and she was faithful in what God called her to do.

Are you a person with Huldah's heart?

Do you want to honor God in all things you do?

Conclusion:

Huldah was simply a messenger

she spoke with no personal authority

yet there was both authority and power in her message.

She knew that evil was coming upon Jerusalem, and she knew the reason.

She was obliged to tell out the determination of God to bring upon Jerusalem and its citizens all the curses that were written in the book of the law.

The wrath was brought about because of their idolatry, therefore, His wrath was poured out, and it should not be quenched.

God gave her also a personal message to KingJosiah:

"But unto the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the Lord, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard; because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest His words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and hast humbled thyself before Me, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof."

Here was the message. They brought it to the king; and the effect of it was such that king Josiah "sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem," and he "went up to the house of the Lord," and, as the head of his people, he instructed them in the Word of God. The king himself took the book of the law, and with his own voice he "read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord."

And this was not all. The king meant definite business with his God. He "stood in his place, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. And he caused all that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it."

Such was the effect of one godly woman's fearless prophecy. Nothing more is told us of Huldah. She gave her message, and retired from the scene. But she had left her mark upon her generation; and if she had never spoken another word to the king, or high priest, or the scribe, she had, nevertheless, left her impress upon the lives of each of these distinguished men.

She had fulfilled her mission, and she might rest in peace.

Blessed are the women who are willing to be used or set aside just when God wills. O, how powerfully He can use those who have no choice as to the use which He shall make of them, those who are willing to be nothing and nobody. God raise up Huldah’s in this generation, let us not back down from the things God is calling us to do and how we need to take our stand no matter what.