THE PROPHETESS OF CALAMITY AND COMFORT – 2 Kings 22:14-20
Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on May 12, 2019 under 2019 |
Bethany Bible Church Mother’s Day Sunday Message; May 12, 2019 from 2 Kings 22:14-20
Theme: The story of the prophetess Huldah teaches us that God keeps His hard promises of judgment, but speaks mercy to those who humble themselves before Him.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
(click HERE for audio version)
Every Mother’s Day, we look together at a story in the Bible of a great woman of faith. And this morning, I’d like to share the story of a remarkable woman in the Old Testament. You may not have heard much about her before; but her story is repeated to us twice in the Bible—once in 2 Kings 22, and once again in 2 Chronicles 34. We’ll look today at this woman’s story as it’s told to us in 2 Kings 22.
Her name was Huldah. We know nothing about her except what is told to us in this one story. But this one story is certainly enough to tell us a great deal about her. She was a Jewish woman who lived within the walls of the city of Jerusalem about 600 years or so before our Lord Jesus was born . She was the wife of a man named Shallum—an important man with an important heritage. His grandfather was “keeper of the wardrobe”; which meant that he was the man responsible for the care and and protection of the holy garments that were worn by the priests who ministered the sacred services within the temple. Shallum was this man’s grandson; which means that he was most likely of the priestly tribe of Levi. And Huldah was this man’s godly wife.
And there’s one more very important thing that we know about Huldah from this story. She was a prophetess—a woman who was known for speaking forth an authoritative message from God. She was the one that the king of Judah sent to in order to hear a much-needed message from God at a moment of great spiritual crisis for his people.
And I believe that Huldah’s story has something very important to teach us today—particularly when we encounter God’s word in times of spiritual crisis in our own lives.
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Let’s take some time, then, to learn what the crisis was in her story. It had to do with the condition of the Jewish people under the rule of a particular king.
The days which preceded the time of this king had been very dreadful ones. This king ruled over the southern kingdom of Judah. A few generations before his time, the northern kingdom of Israel had become so disobedient to God that the Lord allowed them to be conquered by the Assyrian empire and taken away captive. The southern kingdom of Judah was all that was left of the Jewish people living in the land of promise that God had given them. And then—sadly—the southern kingdom itself became increasingly disobedient to God and in danger of His judgment.
The great-grandfather of the king in our story this morning had been a good and godly man. His name was Hezekiah. God used him to bring about a great spiritual revival for his people. But the next king—Hezekiah’s son—was a profoundly wicked and ungodly man named Manasseh. He utterly ignored God’s word, and actively led the people of Israel into horrible levels of paganism. He filled his land with the bloodshed of innocent people from one end to the other. And then, this ungodly king’s son Amon came to the throne—and he proved to be every bit as ungodly and wicked as Manasseh was! By the time of our story in 2 Kings, the temple of God had been neglected for over 70 year. It was in ruins; and the people were deeply surrendered to paganism; and the word of God had largely become a forgotten thing.
So; after the horrible days brought about by his grandfather Manasseh, and then by his father Amon, it must have been a breath of fresh air when the king of our story was born. He did a great deal to restore the people of the southern kingdom of Judah back to the worship of the one true God. He—like his godly great-grandfather King Hezekiah—was a king of revival!
The name of this good and godly king was Josiah. He became king when he was only eight years old. The Bible tell us this about him in 2 Kings 22:2;
And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left (2 Kings 22:2).
He began, at a very early age, to live like his godly ancestor King David—a man after God’s own heart. We’re celebrating Mother’s Day today; and perhaps it was Josiah’s mother that broke the cycle of ungodliness and taught her royal son to reverence and obey God. What a relief his ascendancy to the throne must have been to the few people left in Judah who longed for God to be honored once again!
Now; after 18 years—when Josiah was about twenty-six years old—he began in earnest to restore the worship of God and to repair the damages that had been done to the temple by his wicked grandfather and father. He consulted with a very godly man named Shaphan. Shaphan was a scribe—a godly scholar; and perhaps even an official in the royal court. Josiah sent this trustworthy man to to to temple of the Lord with this command:
“Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money which has been brought into the house of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have gathered from the people” (v. 4).
This is money that had been gathered in times past from the people of Israel for the restoration of the temple. But the work had been neglected for many years. And so, the king commanded that, once the money had been counted,
“let them deliver it into the hand of those doing the work, who are the overseers in the house of the Lord; let them give it to those who are in the house of the Lord doing the work, to repair the damages of the house—to carpenters and builders and masons—and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house” (vv. 5-6).
And so, the restoration of God’s house had begun. Just think of what an encouragement this must have been to the weary and troubled people of God! Finally, God had given them a king who would restore the honor of His house—after it had been dishonored and neglected for over 70 years! There was a great deal of work to be done—a great deal of degeneration to be reversed—a great deal of damage to be repaired. But it is always a great sign of revival when the things of God begin—once again—to be given the priority that they deserve.
May God raise up some godly Josiahs in our day! May He, in fact, help us to be Josiahs were we can!
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Now; there’s a principle involved in the way that God works in the lives of His people; and I believe we see it whenever they make a sincere effort to draw back toward Him. The Bible tells us, in James 4:8, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” When we come toward Him in repentance, He comes more than halfway toward us with help. He rewards the effort by giving us the additional truth we need—the additional spiritual light that helps us to draw even closer. That principle is very evident in what happened next.
In the process of the work that went on to restore the temple, God allowed a discovery to be made that—to my mind—is one of the greatest discoveries in all of sacred history. Verse 8 tells us;
Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it (v. 8).
This Book that was found—the Book of the Law—was a hand-written copy of the holy Scriptures that God had given to the Jewish people through Moses. And it would seem that the word of God had become so neglected among the people of Judah during the dark decades of Josiah’s two ungodly predecessors that no one had read it anymore. Perhaps no one had copied it anymore. Perhaps this was the only copy that still existed. And as I have read this story, I have even wondered this: Do we have the Old Testament that we have in our Bibles today because of this remarkable discovery?
You know, dear brothers and sisters in Christ; revival not only happens when the people begin to esteem the things of God once again, but also when they rediscover the word of God that they had been neglecting. What a gift of God’s grace this discovery was! The high priest and this godly scribe must have opened and held this precious scroll—the sacred word of God—with trembling hands and with tears in their eyes!
And by the way; as you’re sitting in church today, are you holding a copy of the word of God in your hand? Just think of what a precious thing that is! Don’t ever take it for granted! And if you’ve been neglecting it, don’t neglect it any longer!
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Well; these men knew that a discovery of this magnitude could not be kept to themselves. Verse 9 tells us;
So Shaphan the scribe went to the king, bringing the king word, saying, “Your servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of those who do the work, who oversee the house of the Lord” (v. 9).
And perhaps, as Shaphan spoke these words, the king looked at the expression on the scribe’s face; and said, “What is it, Shaphan? Why are you looking so strange? Is something wrong?” And in verse 10, we’re told,
Then Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king (v. 10).
I believe that there’s great significance in the fact that Shaphan said, “Hilkiah has given me a book”; and not, “He has given me the Book of the Law.” It may be that Josiah did not know what the Book of the Law was. It may be that after 70 years of neglect, the king of Judah had not heard of the word of God! Shaphan then read the word of God to him. I believe that he read the whole book to him—from Genesis to Deuteronomy. And verse 11 tells us that, when the scribe read the Book of the Law to the king, and the young king heard all that was said in it, “he tore his clothes” as an act of deep humility and contrition before God.
What might it be that the king heard that caused him to do this? I believe that it might have been Leviticus 26—which is a chapter in the Bible that describes not only the favor of God toward those who hear His word and keep it; but also the dreadful and horrifying judgments He would bring upon His people if they turned from it and neglected it. It also speaks of the promise of God’s grace if they would repent. It may have also been that he was impacted by Deuteronomy 28—which is a chapter that describes, in great detail, not only the blessings that God would pour out on His people if they kept His word but also the terrifying curses that would fall upon them if they turned from Him. And as the long-neglected word of God was read to King Josiah, the conviction of the guilt of his people came upon him with great force. He realized that he and his people had turned from God—and that all of the curses and judgments of God that the Book of the Law described were about to fall upon them.
In verses 12-13, we read;
Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Michaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying, “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us” (vv. 12-13).
And when I read this, I think of Hebrews 4:12-13;
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).
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And so; this is how we are introduced to this great woman of faith named Huldah. Verse 14 says;
So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. (She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.) And they spoke with her (v. 14).
There may have been other prophets of God who were actively ministering in the city of Jerusalem at this time. But it was not through them that God gave this message. Rather, it was through her. God raised her up to be His spokesperson to His people in this great moment of crisis.
And hers was a two-fold message. She first declared the pronouncement that God would indeed keep His terrible promise of judgment for the disobedience and sinfulness of His people. In verses 15-17, we read;
Then she said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants—all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read—because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath shall be aroused against this place and shall not be quenched’ ” ’ (vv. 15-17).
What a brave and faithful servant of God she was to speak such a hard word to the king! And as we read on in the chapters that follow, we find that her words were sadly true—and God did indeed bring His wrath upon Jerusalem, and the temple, and upon the disobedient Jewish people. 2 Kings 24:2-4 tells us that the Lord sent …
bands of Chaldeans, bands of Syrians, bands of Moabites, and bands of the people of Ammon; He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by His servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of the Lord this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the Lord would not pardon (2 Kings 24:2-4).
The Babylonian empire eventually destroyed the city of Jerusalem, broke down its walls, burned down its temple, and carried the people of Judah away into captivity for 70 years. The first half of Huldah’s message from God was a message of calamity. And it all came to pass just as God had spoken through her.
But there was a second half to her message. And we find it in verses 18-20. She begins it in these words; “But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, in this manner you shall speak to him …” Do you notice that she began this second half of her message in a different way than she did the first? In the first half—in verse 15—she said, “Tell the man who sent you to Me …” That man, of course, was King Josiah. And that first half was a general message to the one who inquired at the word of God—to the representative of the people. It was a message of calamity. But because this particular representative was a humble king whose heart trembled at the word of God, she had a particular message for him. This second message was a word of comfort. She goes on to say;
“But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, in this manner you shall speak to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Concerning the words which you have heard—because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the Lord. “Surely, therefore, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place” ‘ ” (vv. 18-20).
This two-fold message—a message from God of calamity and comfort—was then brought by the king’s representatives back to him. And you need to know that King Josiah went on—for the rest of his days—to bring about great reforms among his people.
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Now; one of the things that stands out in this story is the greatness of this woman Huldah. She as a brave and courageous prophetess who spoke God’s word to the king in a time of great crisis. She spoke a hard word—but also a comforting one. And I’m even wondering if it may be that God wanted this unique message—for this unique time—to be given by a godly woman. He had equipped her—it seems—to be able to say that God was going to keep His word and that judgment would come; but also to give comfort to those who sought God’s mercy and who humbled themselves before Him. Huldah was, in that respect, a true ‘mother’ of Israel—speaking both calamity and comfort.
But I believe that there’s an even greater message to be learned from this story.
You see; God is a holy God. He never changes from His holy standards. He makes a promise in His word: “For the wages of sin is death …” (Romans 6:23). When we disobey Him—when we reject His rightful rule over our lives—when we turn away from His commandments and sin against Him—His holiness demands that judgment must follow. That was true of the ancient Jewish people; and it’s also true of you and me today. That’s the message of calamity.
But there is also a message of comfort. That same verse says, “ For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And Jesus Himself has taken the punishment for us. As it says in Isaiah 53:4-6;
Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:4-6).
And this two-fold message—a message of both calamity and comfort—is the message of the gospel of God’s love in Jesus.
The story of Huldah is a good one to consider on Mother’s Day. But more; let’s be sure that we consider the word that she gave to the king. God is a holy God; and He brings just judgment upon sin. But He is also a God of great grace. He sent His Son to take the punishment for sin upon Himself fully upon the cross; and thus make it possible for you and I—by faith in Him—to be made right with God.
Praise Him! He is a God who brings calamity—but also comfort!
EA
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