Women of the Bible—Huldah

The Women of the Bible section:

Name: Huldah

Meaning: Weasel, mole

Her Character: Despite the idolatrous time she lived in, Huldah was a righteous woman who had the gift of prophetic insight.

Her Sorrow: Huldah had to deliver the news of the punishment that was to come.

Her Triumph: Huldah was able to truly and freely act in her gift of prophecy.

Key Scriptures: 2 Kings 22:14, 2 Chronicles 34:22

Huldah was alive during the time of King Josiah in 7^th Century B.C., and she was a much respected prophet in Judah. Her husband was Shallum, who was the keeper of the king’s wardrobe.

During the reign of King Josiah, the king had his high priest, Hilkiah, go to the Lord’s Temple to count the money the gatekeepers had collected from the people at the temple. The money was then to be entrusted to the men assigned to supervise the restoration of the temple.

While at the temple, Hilkiah found a Book of the Law and the book was sent to King Josiah. When the court secretary read what was written in the Book of the Law to King Josiah, he was greatly despaired. He knew that his ancestors and people had moved far from God’s Law.

King Josiah sent messengers to the temple to inquire about the words written in the scroll and whether it was authentic. These messengers included his high priest and the scribe of the temple. These distinguished messengers were sent to consult with the prophet Huldah, who was a prophet that could still hear from God. The fact that she was sought out by the king and a high priest shows how well known she was in the kingdom and how respected her gift was.

Before and during her lifetime, many people had abandoned God and many of the priests were ignorant of God’s Law. The book that was found clearly highlighted how far the people had moved from God’s Law. But Huldah stood as a righteous woman with the gift of insight and the love of God in her heart.

Unfortunately for King Josiah, the scroll was authentic and the words were true. The disaster the Lord spoke of in the scroll would come to pass because the people had abandoned God and worshipped other idols. God’s wrath would be felt. But because of King Josiah’s love for God, his willingness to obey God, his repentance, and his despair, God’s punishment would not happen in his lifetime. Huldah’s words gave King Josiah the confidence he needed to fight evil in his land. He made a covenant to walk closer to God.

As a prophet, it was not always popular or safe to be the bearer of bad news, but Huldah spoke the words God gave her with no fear or fencing. Huldah is to be admired. She was able to keep and maintain truth during a time of much idolatry and a time many were ignorant of God’s Law.

Huldah was a woman who was well regarded in her time. Like Miriam and Deborah, she did not let being a woman get in the way of fulfilling what God called her to do in her life. Huldah knew who she was in God, and she did not let anyone control or change the truthful way she ministered to the people of God. Depending on the tradition, Huldah either taught publicly in school or she taught and preached to women. Regardless, Huldah was a woman who lived very close to God.