They Were a Nation in Crisis!
This series of Bible studies seeks to retell the stories of women who were divinely called and empowered to do great things. Many of them rose to the occasion, and a few very famously did not. Often, the tragedies and triumphs in their lives are missed, and their stories are told from perspectives other than with the honor and dignity they deserve.
After excavating their narratives from millennia of obfuscation, now meet the freshly restored, valiant, vivid (and sometimes villainous) women of the Bible.
Prophet to the Nation: Huldah
The high priest had just discovered the long-lost scriptures in a shuttered room of the temple. The king tore his clothes when he heard God’s Law for the first time, ever. They were a nation in crisis! Who should they turn to for counsel?
The answer may take your breath away.
This thirty-page book includes the retelling of Huldah’s story, a fifteen-question Bible study, and link to a twenty-minute multi-media presentation of Huldah’s career as one of the most influential prophets in the Hebrew scriptures.
The fate of the king, the high priest, and the entire nation hung on her word
Prophet Huldah’s narrative is one of many in the Bible that recognizes God’s intentional call on women as well as men to teach and lead at even the national level. Her story offers a deep appreciation for God’s particular work and call in and through women and encourages us to take practical steps towards recognition and support of women in all levels and varieties of ministry and spiritual leadership today.
Yet her Jerusalem gate—which stands to this day— offers a silent metaphor to what commentators have done with her account, which is to say, very little. I have yet to find a chart of Hebrew prophets, or a timeline, or a list, or any other artifact that even acknowledges Huldah, though other prophets who did not author books, such as Nathan, are included.
The original Huldah’s Gate into Jerusalem was fortified in Herodian times to access the Temple Mount. But in an ironic, and perhaps quietly prophetic statement, most of Huldah’s Gate was blocked up in antiquity by other construction. Various conquerors who overtook God’s holy city sought to leave their own stamp upon it. Nevertheless, steps leading to Huldah’s gate and a part of the original arch are still visible today, as is the now walled up Triple Gate.
It is as though, despite human attempts to cover over the fact of Huldah’s existence, and to hide the fact of God’s mighty call and wondrous work through her, the truth will out. God’s truth will not be hidden indefinitely.
Nearly forty free Bible studies on a woman in the scriptures are available through signing up to the newsletter below. What’s included:
- Access to all the Bible studies that have been made available so far.
- One new study each month.
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