December 10: Huldah
2 Kings 22
When we think of prophets in the Bible we generally think of men, yet there were many female prophets; one such prophet was Huldah. Like most of her fellow prophets, the word Huldah was given to share was that the people had not lived in accordance with the will of God and would now experience disaster as a result. Yet she also had good news for King Josiah: because he had been faithful, his future peace was assured.
The birth of Jesus, as the angel who spoke to the shepherds that night proclaimed, was Good News because his birth meant that humanity’s future peace is assured – not because humanity had been faithful but rather because of the faithfulness of God. The angel was not uttering a prophecy but was announcing its fulfillment. God has spoken through the prophets of old, both men and women, calling for faithfulness to God’s will, yet to little affect. Most often, bad kings went on being bad and the people went on practicing idolatry and other forms of sin.
Christmas proves one thing above all others, God is always faithful and will be faithful to His word forever. This Christmas, amid such uncertain times the words spoken that night might come to have new meaning for what they promise. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you…” (NIV) If in these challenging times we seek someone to trust, if we seek certainty, if we seek hope, then we need look for no greater truth than this, the Savior has come, and his name is Jesus.
When we think of prophets in the Bible we generally think of men, yet there were many female prophets; one such prophet was Huldah. Like most of her fellow prophets, the word Huldah was given to share was that the people had not lived in accordance with the will of God and would now experience disaster as a result. Yet she also had good news for King Josiah: because he had been faithful, his future peace was assured.
The birth of Jesus, as the angel who spoke to the shepherds that night proclaimed, was Good News because his birth meant that humanity’s future peace is assured – not because humanity had been faithful but rather because of the faithfulness of God. The angel was not uttering a prophecy but was announcing its fulfillment. God has spoken through the prophets of old, both men and women, calling for faithfulness to God’s will, yet to little affect. Most often, bad kings went on being bad and the people went on practicing idolatry and other forms of sin.
Christmas proves one thing above all others, God is always faithful and will be faithful to His word forever. This Christmas, amid such uncertain times the words spoken that night might come to have new meaning for what they promise. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you…” (NIV) If in these challenging times we seek someone to trust, if we seek certainty, if we seek hope, then we need look for no greater truth than this, the Savior has come, and his name is Jesus.
Pastor David Leistra
Sturgeon Bay United Methodist
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