There was nothing remarkable about the morning itself. It began with the same quiet routine I’m used to. The hour was 6 AM. Four out of the six members of my household slept warmly in their beds. I was up nursing my baby, I cradled my son with one arm and held a devotional with the other. My reading was from a lesser known corner of the Old Testament. I was immersed in the turbulent world of 2 Kings 22 when God used my routine morning reading to do something special: He pierced me with the double-edged sword of Scripture.
Second Kings 22 is a climatic point in the chronicles of Judah’s kings. The chapter marks a stunning turn. Righteous King Josiah takes the throne after 57 long years of shocking idolatry. King Manasseh and his son, Amon, ruled before Josiah and they were infamous for bringing idols into God’s temple, burning their sons as sacrificial offerings, and killing innocent Israelites (2 Kings 21:1-16). Josiah succeeds them and works hard to restore the defiled temple and reconcile wayward Judah to her covenant God (2 Kings 23). Josiah gathers various officials in his mission—one of these is a surprising character. She’s a woman, the Bible’s third prophetess, a modest wife named Huldah. On an ordinary morning, while nursing my baby, God used Huldah’s example in Scripture to expose my desire for recognition and call me to contentment and greater faithfulness.
God’s words are not mere words but living Scripture, “able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12, CSB). The Bible examined my heart as I sat meditating on 2 Kings 22. It pointed to my self-perception and longings. I consider myself an ordinary woman—a wife of 17 years and the homeschooling mother of 4 children. I’m a busy mom who sometimes wishes she was more. Yes, I enjoy opportunities to publish words and teach women in various settings. I’m grateful for these doors—and also thankful for my simple family life. At the same time, there are places in me that desire more…more recognition, more regard, and more rank. Scripture spoke to convict my heart—and then to counsel it: seek greater faithfulness over fame.
Huldah’s part in Josiah’s reform serves as a lesson to me. She enters the story with a simple introduction: Huldah was the wife of the palace wardrobe keeper (2 Kings 22: 14). She was an ordinary woman who carried an extraordinary title—one given to few others in the Bible. Huldah was a prophetess, the third after Miriam and Deborah (Exodus 15:20; Judges 4:4). It’s Huldah King Josiah turns to for divine guidance after he discovers an abandoned Book of the Law in the temple. Huldah delivers God’s message without wavering. She prophesies disaster for idolatrous Judah, but mercy for humble Josiah (2 Kings 22:15-20). She shows the king, and ultimately the reader, a God of both justice and grace. Huldah’s role is crucial to this narrative—yet, she’s a lesser known character in the Bible. We recognize Miriam and Deborah before we see Huldah, the wardrobe keeper’s wife. In the end, the Bible’s third prophetess is marked more by her faithfulness than by her fame.
God does remarkable things with ordinary faithful people. This truth encouraged my heart one quiet morning. It’s a glorious lesson for anyone whose heart longs for a little more recognition and just a bit more regard. Remember: the God of unknown Huldah and humble Jesus uses our everyday faithfulness in His work. He sees you.