Within the Outdated Testomony we will learn the account of the feminine prophet, trainer, and chief Huldah who performed a key function in Jewish historical past. That is the story …
Context
The story of Huldah is present in 2 Kings 22 after which retold with some extra particulars in 2 Chronicle 34. The story is ready within the seventh century BC earlier than the Exile, throughout the reign of King Josiah of Judah. Presently, the tribes of Israel had been break up into the southern kingdom of Judah, and the northern kingdom which saved the title of Israel. King Josiah
Josiah was the great-grandson of King Hezekiah. He succeeded his murdered father King Amon, when he was solely eight years previous, to develop into king of Judah (2 Kings 2:1-2) in about 640 BC. The textual content particularly mentions that his mom was Jedidah (2 Kings 22:1). That is vital as a result of when kings had been younger, the queen mom was usually the precise ruler, ruling as regent within the title of her son, till he was sufficiently old to rule. Within the eighth yr of his reign, when he was aged sixteen, the textual content says that Josiah started to hunt the God of his ancestor David (2 Chronicles 34:3). This will likely point out that now he’s ruling himself.
Prophets on the time of Josiah
There have been a number of prophets on the time of King Josiah. The e-book of Jeremiah begins by saying the phrase of the LORD got here to Jeremiah within the thirteenth yr of the reign of Josiah (Jeremiah 1:1-2), which is when King Josiah was 21 years previous. The e-book of Zephaniah additionally begins by saying that the phrase of the LORD got here to Zephaniah throughout the reign of King Josiah (Zephaniah 1:10). Many students suppose that Habakkuk was additionally a up to date of Jeremiah, as a result of the e-book is ready within the speedy pre-exilic interval. In addition to Jeremiah, Zephaniah and Habakkuk, there was additionally one other prophet, who’s much less well-known, and that was Huldah, who was a feminine prophet. Discovering a scroll
The Bible says that within the 18th yr of King Josiah’s reign, when he was 26 years previous, he ordered the monks to restore the Temple, which had fallen into disrepair. He paid carpenters, builders, and masons to revive and renovate it (2 Kings 22:3-6 and a pair of Chronicles 34:8-13), which was overseen by the Levites. It was throughout the restore of the Temple that the Excessive Priest, Hilkiah discovered a hidden scroll which is described because the ‘E-book of the Regulation’. (2 Kings 22:8 and a pair of Chronicles 34:14). The king’s scribe Shafan took the newly discovered scroll to the king and skim it to him (2 Kings 22:8-10 and a pair of Chronicles 34:24-18). After listening to the phrases, King Josiah despatched for his advisers (2 Kings 22:11-14 and a pair of Chronicles 34:19-22). He needed to know if the scroll was real. The story relates that it was to not the prophets Jeremiah nor Zephaniah that the Excessive Priest deferred, however to Huldah (2 Kings 22:11-14 and a pair of Chronicles 34:23-25). Who was Huldah?
Not so much is thought about Huldah. Her title in Hebrew is ,חוּלְדָה written as ‘Huldah’ in most English-language translations, and sometimes as ‘Chuldah’ in Jewish literature. She was the spouse of Shallum, who’s described as keeper of the wardrobe. It’s not clear if that was the royal wardrobe, taking care of the king’s robes, or the Temple wardrobe, in control of priestly robes and vestments, or possibly each. If it was the Temple wardrobe, that in all probability means they had been each Levites. The textual content says that they lived in 1 / 4 of Jerusalem, so close to the Temple. Huldah appears to have been educated as a result of she may learn the Scriptures. Jewish custom has it that Huldah was a trainer of the Torah exterior the gates within the southern wall of Jerusalem, and these gates, which at the moment are blocked up, are often called the ‘Huldah Gates’. She was recognised as an authority on Scripture, and so the scroll was taken to her. She learn it and recognized the scroll as Scripture. Huldah is the primary individual recorded as declaring any writings to be Scripture.Huldah’s Prophecy
Huldah prayed and made an announcement beginning with the customary “Thus saith the LORD” (2 Kings 34:25 and a pair of Chronicles 34:23), indicating that she was a prophet. She delivered a message concerning the destiny of Judah, attributable to their disobedience, predicting catastrophe. Nonetheless, she mentioned that as a result of King Josiah humbled himself, catastrophe wouldn’t come till after he died (2 Kings 22:15-20 & 2 Chronicles 34:23-28).
Covenant service
Josiah held Huldah’s prophecy in excessive regard. He adopted the directions which had been learn out and assembled the folks on the Temple in Jerusalem. Right here there was a public studying of the Regulation from the rediscovered scroll (2 Kings 23:1-2 & 2 Chronicles 34:29-30). There was unanimous settlement from all of the folks, who renewed their covenant, and so they pledged to obey the LORD and hold his instructions (2 Kings 23:2 Chronicles 34:31-32). In 1755, this story impressed John Wesley to create the annual Methodist Covenant Service.Re-instating the Passover
King Josiah then put into motion a non secular reformation. He purged paganism, and destroyed idolatrous shrines, altars, and statues, and dismissed monks who had served at pagan shrines (2 Kings 23:8-20 & 2 Chronicles 34:33). King Josiah then re-instituted the ceremony of Passover (2 Chronicles 35:19), which had fallen off form. He gave the order to the folks to ‘have a good time the Passover to the LORD your God, as it’s written on this E-book of the Covenant’ (2 Kings 23:21) i.e. in accordance with Deuteronomy 16:1-8. The textual content says that folks got here from throughout Judah and lots of from the northern kingdom of Israel. It was essentially the most full Passover for the reason that time of the prophet Samuel (2 Kings 23:21-22 & 2 Chronicles 25:18), some 4 centuries earlier than. With out Huldah, King Josiah wouldn’t have re-instituted the Passover, and maybe with out the Passover there would have been no Final Supper, and no trendy communion service.Which scroll was it?
On the time of King Josiah a lot of the books of Hebrew Scripture as we all know them had not been written but. Within the passage the scroll which was discovered is named ‘the E-book of the Regulation’ which suggests the Torah, or a part of the Torah. Josiah’s actions which adopted its studying replicate the contents of the e-book of Deuteronomy, and it’s in Deuteronomy that the Passover was outlined as a pageant which everybody ought to attend (Deuteronomy 16:1-7). Evidently the scroll was the fifth e-book of Moses which we name Deuteronomy, so with out Huldah we might not have had this e-book within the Bible. Legacy
Huldah’s story just isn’t well-known. Many individuals have merely by no means heard of her, and most Christians have by no means heard a sermon on her, and also you don’t hear of Jewish nor Christian ladies being known as Huldah. A really sensible cause Huldah’s story just isn’t well-known in lots of church buildings is that the story doesn’t seem as a studying within the lectionary. But it’s a nice story. She is a noteworthy Outdated Testomony feminine prophet, who was a trainer and a pacesetter, and who was deferred to by each the King and the Excessive Priest, even instead of different male prophets.
We must always not neglect Huldah’s legacy. With out Huldah we might in all probability not have the e-book of Deuteronomy, nor the Covenant Service, nor the Lord’s Supper.
