Many of the Saints in the Old Testament who were used of God are often times overlooked; seemingly overshadowed by those who are more familiar in their ministry for the Lord. One of these Saints is an obscure handmaiden of the Lord which is introduced to us in the books of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles.
The young King Josiah, appointed workers the task of restoring the Temple of God. In the process of doing so, Hilkiah, the Priest, discovered the lost Books of the Law, The Torah. He gave the books to Shaphan, the scribe, to take to the King. Once Shaphan read the Law, King Josiah rent his clothes and directed a group of men to inquire of the Lord concerning the words of the book. The Prophet Jeremiah, was out of town at the time of the discovery so these men traveled to Jerusalem to seek Huldah the Prophetess. Actually it was deemed that since Huldah was compassionate and tender of heart thereby she would soften a possibly harsh prophecy that awaited them
King Josiah, the last righteous king of the Southern Kingdom became king at a very young age. Josiah had developed a personal bond with Hulda because she had a prominent position in the royal court and helped nurtured him into the God-fearing man he was to become. Therefore he had no qualms about consulting her to verify the authenticity of the Books of the Law. This would indicate that she was an educated woman, one capable of discerning whether or not the scroll was authentic.
Actually there is more known about Huldah’s husband than there is about her, which would indicate that she was a seemingly humble lady. esteeming her husband more than herself. Huldah’s husband. Shallum. was a nephew of Jeremiah. Ironically Jeremiah was a kinsman of Huldah in that both descended from Joshua and Rahab. While Jeremiah admonished and preached repentance to the men, Huldah could be found in the midst of the city giving counsel to women and children who wished to inquire of Jehovah God. This devoted woman may have had more testimonies of the Lord than many of the men whose office it was to explain and enforce the laws.
She apparently manifested the feminine grace of speaking with kindness. Although some have criticized her for not addressing the King respectively (2 Chronicles 34:23); but then in verse 26 she address Josiah as the king. Perhaps this is addressing not only Josiah’s human nature but also his spiritual condition as well. Her confidence in the King’s wisdom was a reflection of her ability to discern the focus of Josiah’s heart.
Huldah actually ranked with Deborah and Hannah when it came to the outstanding women of the Old Testament. Her word was accepted by all as divinely revealed. Huldah, after attesting to the genuineness of the scroll, then prophesied national ruin because of the nations disobedience to the commands of God. This prophetic message and the public reading of the law brought about a revival whereby the King rent his clothes and set out to institute a reformation. With a renewed spiritual life not only the King but also the people vowed to follow the God of their fathers more faithfully and to forsake their wicked ways. Even today when men discover the truths of scripture, and apply them to their lives and morals, great and mighty changes take place. Huldah was one of the main players in this revival.
he name Huldah means weasel. Although these aggressive mammals are notorious for feasting on poultry, the damage they do is far outweighed by their value as destroyers of rodents. These Carnivorous mammals are usually brown, with white underparts. Species living in snowy regions acquire white coats in winter and are then known as ermine. Historically, ermine was the status quo fur for royalty, and the most sought-after fur for court presentations and official portraiture. Ermine, as it
turns out, became linked with Western European courts due to a symbolic legend stating that an ermine would “rather die than be defiled/soiled”, as translated from the Latin, “potius mori quam foedari”. Hence its representation of royal “moral purity.”
Huldah can be likened unto the weasel in that she was actively pursuing the rodents of sin in the lives of the people. Like the ermine, she was used in God’s court of royalty. Her life represented the “rather die than be defiled” symbol associated with the ermine. May each of us desire to emulate this Godly woman in our ministry and lives.
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2 Kings 22:14-20; 2 Chronicles 34:22-33
Golden Gems from Grandma 