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The “Holy Women of Israel” – Huldah

The “Holy Women of Israel” – Huldah

The “Holy Women of Israel” – Huldah.

“Many daughters have done well, with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness, but you excel them all… A woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord in wonder and awe, she shall be honored and praised!” (Proverbs 31:29-31, Amplified Version).

Did you know that the Talmud, the official rabbinic source for Judaism, includes a “Hall of Fame” that includes seven women? These are the prophetesses, the “Holy Women of Israel,” who hold places of honor and are of central importance in biblical history. These women are: Sarah (Genesis 11-23); Miriam (Exodus 2,15); Deborah (Judges 4-5); Hannah (1 Samuel 1-2); Abigail (1 Samuel 25); Huldah (2 Kings 22); and Esther.

In some cases, the Hebrew word for woman prophet, “nebiah,” was used in Scripture, which was an official title of sorts for an accepted spokeswoman for the Lord, a proclaimer of God’s word. But in other cases, the term prophetess included a woman who was divinely inspired, able to receive divine messages about the present or the future, as well as divine interpretations of the past. Prophets male and female were those who spoke what was on God’s mind, and often held up as models of personal sanctity and intimacy with God. In one way or another, during one time or another, the biblical prophetesses were honored as mouthpieces of God and vital to the history of the Jewish people.

There were other inspired women in the Hebrew Bible that deserved “Special Mention” and thus were included in an unofficial list of the Holy Women of Israel:

*The wife of Isaiah in Isaiah 8:3, for the significant name she gave her son that was actually a divine prophecy of Judah’s future;

The Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4:8-10, for being inspired to provide housing and food for the needy prophet Elisha, an example of divine hospitality;

Rachel in Genesis 29-35, the long-suffering wife of Jacob for giving inspired names for her two sons,  including Joseph (“May He add More”) and Benjamin (“Son of my Sorrow”);

Leah in Genesis 29-35, the wife of Jacob who bore him six sons and one daughter, and was inspired to name one of her sons Judah, “This time I will praise the Lord,” who provided the lineage for Messiah Jesus.

Ruth, in the book in her name, a Gentile who remained faithfully loyal to her Jewish mother-in-law Naomi when they traveled to Bethlehem; she was a direct ancestor of Jesus.

It is logical to consider that Solomon had inspired women like these prophetesses in his mind as he wrote Proverbs 31, as he stated that “many daughters have done well and were noble and virtuous.” But at the same time, as we read this passage, it appears that Solomon considered an unheralded woman in private life to be on a higher plane than these heroines of the faith. What makes his Proverbs 31 woman his ideal woman, “far more precious than  jewels and her value far above rubies or pearls.” As impressive as this unnamed woman’s accomplishments, professional  gifts and personal qualities might be, the fact is that this woman has now been renowned through the centuries for “reverently and worshipfully fearing the Lord in wonder and awe.” This anonymous woman is honored above all for her spiritual devotion to God in all the practicalities of daily life. Undoubtedly, Solomon held up all the holy women of Israel as he should. But here he is, claiming that this woman who combined impressive accomplishment with fervent and inspired faith tops all the rest of them!   We will certainly witness bits and pieces of this Proverbs 31 super-woman in the lives of our seven prophetesses, and there is much we can learn from them as we study each holy woman in some depth.

THE STORY OF HULDAH

“When King Josiah heard what was written in the Scroll of Deuteronomy, he tore his clothes in despair. Then he gave orders to Hilkiah the high priest and to many other advisors: ‘Go to the Temple and speak to Yahweh for me and for the people and for all Judah. Inquire about the words written in the scroll that has been found’… So Hilkiah and the king’s advisors went to the New Quarter of Jerusalem to consult with the prophetess Huldah…” (2 Kings 22:11-14).

Fun Facts about Huldah and her Story:

… There is uncertainty as to what the name Huldah means in Hebrew. Some say it means “mouse,” while other sources claim her name means “one who abides and continues.”

… Huldah was a highly respected woman prophet during the early reign of king Josiah around 3300 BC, one of the few women who were officially called a prophetess, a “nebiah,” in the Hebrew Bible.

… Huldah had a husband named Shallum, who was an advisor to King Josiah.

… She had a monumental impact on Josiah and thus on Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel. According to rabbinic tradition, she helped to care for Josiah, helping to raise him, when he took the throne at eight years old during that time of political instability in Jerusalem.

… Huldah was of the line of Joshua and Rahab, which means she was an early ancestor of Messiah Jesus.

… She was also a scholar of Judaism’s Oral Law at that time, leading a school near the Temple called the Study Hall. Her school was solely dedicated to teaching Judaism to women.

… Much can be said of Josiah, one of the most famous heroes in all of biblical history: His name means “Lord who heals,” and became king of Judah when only eight years old, succeeding his wicked father Amon. Amon “was evil in the Lord’s sight,” worshiping pagan idols and leading Judah down a path the Lord despised.

… When Josiah was 26 years old, he instructed his advisors to clean the Temple of all paganism, and it was during this time that the scroll of Deuteronomy was discovered hidden in a wall in the Holy of Holies. The first person Josiah thought of to authenticate this scroll as Scripture was the prophetess Huldah.

… In this royal consultation, Huldah confirmed that Judah was indeed going to experience God’s judgment for all their sinfulness and horrific violations of His Law. (2 Kings 22:16-17).

… There has been much speculation as to why Josiah decided to depend on the prophetic skills of Huldah when both Jeremiah and Zephaniah were equally as available. Some historians claim that Jeremiah must have been out of town at the time, or that he simply didn’t want to get involved in such a difficult word of God.  Rabbinic sages suggest that perhaps Josiah thought Huldah, being a woman, would be less harsh, more tender-hearted and merciful in her prophecies about Judah’s future. These speculations miss the mark, don’t they, and are somewhat offensive to women in general and to woman prophets in particular.  Maybe Josiah knew exactly who he wanted to confirm God’s word and authenticate the scroll’s inspired origins! It’s clear that Josiah knew he could trust Huldah to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth regarding a matter that had huge spiritual and national implications.

… Immediately following prophetess Huldah’s confirmation of God’s judgment, Josiah was struck to the heart and began a series of reforms that transformed the nation of Judah. Josiah proved to be the greatest reformer in the nation’s history… He repaired the long neglected and misused Temple; he discovered a lost scroll of the Scriptures and, struck to the heart, reminded the people of God’s hand on them and His expectations, and promised that he and his people would obey the teachings of the Torah; he oversaw the major project of destroying all the pagan shrines and sites of idol worship; he reinstated the official priests of God for worship at the Temple; he led the national celebration of Passover, the first in many generations.

… During her consultation with Josiah’s advisors, she also shared with them the word of the Lord regarding Josiah’s future as king. She shared with them that Yahweh would begin His judgment only after Josiah’s death, since it was so clear that he had a heart after God. The destruction of Jerusalem at the hand of Babylon, Huldah declared, would occur only after Josiah was dead and buried. (2 Kings 22:18-20).

… So Josiah did what God expected him to do, to break the chain of wicked kings, and he “did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. He did not turn away from doing what was right” (2 Kings 22:2). He was greatly loved by the people of Judah, who seemed happy to submit to his reforms. God indeed decided to postpone the coming judgment of Judah at the hands of Babylon, until after Josiah had died, just as Huldah had pronounced. Could there be a better tribute than this: “Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.” (2 Kings 23:25).

… An interesting fact about Josiah was that he was prophetically named 300 hundred years before he was born! This actual beginning of the story of Josiah started in 1 Kings 13, when a pagan shrine was built in Bethel, north of Jerusalem, after the death of Solomon. This place of idol worship was built to distract the people from going to Jerusalem and worshiping the true God of Israel. Bethel was a tempting competitor, unfortunately, and soon became a vastly popular place of pagan worship. Proving how history repeats itself, a golden calf was placed in Bethel and worshiped fervently by the people, repeating the most offensive sin in the wilderness at the time of Moses. In response to this idolatry in Bethel, the Lord sent a prophet to speak His word over the leader responsible for the paganism, King Jeroboam. The prophet approached Jeroboam as he was about to burn incense to the idol. The prophet shouted his word of prophecy about a boy named Josiah to come in the future and destroy this pagan shrine. Sure enough, this prophecy came true 300 years later when Josiah, the 16th king of Judah, tore down the pagan altar, destroyed the golden calf, and burned down the shrine, grinding it to dust. Josiah then ordered that bones of earlier pagan priests be brought out and burned on that altar to desecrate it (2 Kings 23:15-16).

… It doesn’t take a great leap of logic to marvel at the tremendous influence Huldah must have had on the nation of Judah, both directly and indirectly. There is no doubt that she had an influential hand in raising the child-king Josiah to develop a heart for God and become perhaps the greatest king in the history of Judaism.

… Huldah was held in such high esteem that later on a main gate in Jerusalem was named after her, Huldah’s Gate, and she was honored by being buried within the walls of Jerusalem.