So Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter) and spoke to her to that effect (2 Chronicles 34:22).

The prophetess Huldah… not quite one of the Old Testament prophets we hear very much about. But don’t let the brevity of her appearance fool you. She enters the story at a critical point in the history of Judah and Israel.

King Josiah is in the 18th year of his reign in Judah. He has already chosen to seek the God of David and began purging Judah of pagan idols and places of worship (2 Chronicles 34:3). During the restoration of the Temple, the forgotten Book of the Law is found and sent to Josiah. When Shaphan the secretary reads from it, Josiah is deeply troubled by the transgressions of his people and seeks a word from the Lord.

How do you inquire of the Lord in ancient Jerusalem? You ask your questions to a prophet! During Josiah’s reign, two prominent prophets preached in Jerusalem: Jeremiah and Zephaniah. However, neither is chosen to ask for this prophecy.

It might seem that Jeremiah or Zephaniah would be the wise choice. They’ve both already delivered prophetic words concerning the Lord’s judgement. Today we know that each had a biblical book named for him; in addition, the books of Kings and Lamentations are traditionally attributed to Jeremiah. Wouldn’t they have been the worthy choices for a king seeking wisdom and direction from God?

So why Huldah? Who is she? She doesn’t have any books named after her. She only appears briefly in this passage (and its parallel in 2 Kings). Consider where she lives. Jerusalem’s Second Quarter is also translated as “the college.” According to Jewish tradition, Huldah was a teacher who taught with a commanding awareness of matters relating to the Law. Surely, Josiah knew of her and her wisdom.

Maybe he favored her rhetorical style over Jeremiah and Zephaniah’s. Of course, the prophecy would have been the same, but prophets aren’t machines. They all had their own unique delivery. Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet and the book of Zephaniah shows his preaching wasn’t any more optimistic. Maybe Josiah wanted to get right to the point and sought Huldah for her precise, academic oration.

Huldah knows the words that she receives from the Lord are trustworthy and true. Even though they tell of judgment and wrath, she speaks with convincing authority. Though her time in the scriptural spotlight is brief, Huldah’s understanding of the Law and confidence in hearing the Lord shine as an example to us in this Signature Moment.

How can you practice hearing the Lord and building up that confidence in discerning His voice? We have been given the Holy Spirit to help us do this! May He open our hearts and minds to the voice of the Lord and give us the confidence and boldness to walk in His ways.