Femme Friday Huldah

Nine short verses. That's the only mention of our Femme Friday heroine, Huldah. Huldah was a prophetess to Judah. She foretold the destruction of Jerusalem to King Josiah. Huldah was a contemporary of Jeremiah. While Jeremiah was prophesying to the men the ruination of Jerusalem because they had forsaken God, Huldah was sharing the same message with women. Jeremiah and Huldah were not only contemporaries of each other, they were also cousins. Having the same ancestor in Rahab. 

Huldah was a woman who lived in the section of Jerusalem called "the college" in the King James Version of the Bible. She was a woman who consistently shared her prophecies with men and women. She was consulted regularly as someone with authority to speak God's word. We have to remember this was a time BEFORE every tent had a copy of God's Word. This was a time when Israel only heard from God thru the prophets and prophetesses. Huldah was doing her work alongside her male contemporaries. With the same level of esteem and importance. 

Rabbinical scholars think that King Josiah came to Huldah for a consultation because he thought she would be more merciful and willing to intercede for him. Because Huldah was a woman. Jeremiah was known to be scathing in his rebukes. Apparently, Huldah spoke truth with more love than Jeremiah did. We do see in the verses that Huldah comforts Josiah that he will not see the destruction of the kingdom he has ruled. Because King Josiah has shown himself to be pious and repentant. Even though the damage has been done to the relationship of God and Israel- Huldah shares God's mercy with the king to comfort him. 

There is actually very little we know about Huldah. Most of what we know concerns her relationship to her father and husband. Which would be a typical emphasis of the time. But we also see a woman being consulted by the king and leaders of armies from this time. Huldah is also accredited with giving the first labeling of certain writings to be holy Scripture. (William E. Phipps)

We see in Huldah a woman who was not afraid to be in the assembly of men. One who boldly declared the words of God to her fellow Israelites. We also see a side of God that is compassionate, merciful and aware. Huldah shows us both authority and tenderness in her actions. Even though we only have nine verses in 2 Kings 22:13-20 and 2 Chronicles 34:22-28, Huldah teaches us much about how to do our work with the authority of God, no matter our audience.