#Huldah's prophecy

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Josiah rules

1 Josiah was 8 years old when he became king, and he ruled for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 He did what was right in the Lord’s eyes and walked in the ways of his ancestor David, not deviating from it even a bit to the right or left. 3 In the eighth year of his rule, while he was just a boy, he began to seek the God of his ancestor David, and in the twelfth year he began purifying Judah and Jerusalem of the shrines, the sacred poles, idols, and images. 4 Under his supervision, the altars for the Baals were torn down, and the incense altars that were above them were smashed. He broke up the sacred poles, idols, and images, grinding them to dust and scattering them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, purifying Judah and Jerusalem. 6 In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, all the way up to Naphtali, he removed their temples, 7 tore down the altars and sacred poles, ground the idols to dust, and smashed all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then Josiah returned to Jerusalem.

Josiah repairs the temple

8 In the eighteenth year of his rule, after he had purified the land and the temple, Josiah sent Azaliah’s son Shaphan, Maaseiah the mayor of the city, and Joahaz’s son Joah the secretary to repair the Lord his God’s temple. 9 When they came to the high priest Hilkiah, they delivered the money that had been collected in God’s temple by the levitical gatekeepers from Manasseh, Ephraim, and the rest of Israel, as well as from Judah, Benjamin, and the residents of Jerusalem. 10 They handed it over to the supervisors in charge of the Lord’s temple, who in turn paid it to those working on, repairing, and restoring the Lord’s temple. 11 They then gave it to the carpenters and the builders to pay for quarried stone and lumber for rafters and beams in the buildings the kings of Judah had neglected. 12 The men worked conscientiously under the supervision of Jahath and Obadiah, who were Levites descended from Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam from the Kohathites. The Levites, all of whom were accomplished musicians, 13 were also in charge of the laborers and all the workers, no matter what their jobs, while some of the Levites served as scribes, officials, and guards.

The Instruction scroll

14 While they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the Lord’s temple, Hilkiah the priest found the Instruction scroll that the Lord had given through Moses. 15 Hilkiah told the secretary Shaphan, “I have found the Instruction scroll in the Lord’s temple.”

Then Hilkiah turned the scroll over to Shaphan, 16 who brought it to the king with this report: “Your servants are doing everything you’ve asked them to do. 17 They have released the money that was found in the Lord’s temple and have handed it over to the supervisors and the workers.” 18 Then the secretary Shaphan told the king, “The priest Hilkiah has given me a scroll,” and he read it out loud before the king.

19 As soon as the king heard what the Instruction scroll said, he ripped his clothes. 20 The king ordered Hilkiah, Shaphan’s son Ahikam, Micah’s son Abdon, the secretary Shaphan, and the royal officer Asaiah as follows: 21 “Go and ask the Lord on my behalf, and on behalf of those who still remain in Israel and Judah, concerning the contents of this scroll that has been found. The Lord must be furious with us because our ancestors failed to obey the Lord’s word and do everything written in this scroll.”

22 So Hilkiah and the royal officials went to the prophetess Huldah. She was married to Shallum, Tokhath’s son and Hasrah’s grandson, who was in charge of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem in the second district. When they spoke to her, 23 she replied, “This is what the Lord, Israel’s God, says: Tell this to the man who sent you to me: 24 This is what the Lord says: I am about to bring disaster on this place and its citizens—all the curses written in the scroll that they have read to Judah’s king. 25 My anger burns against this place, never to be quenched, because they’ve deserted me and have burned incense to other gods, angering me by everything they have done. 26 But also say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to question the Lord: This is what the Lord, Israel’s God, says about the message you’ve just heard: 27 Because your heart was broken and you submitted before the Lord when you heard what he said against this place and its citizens, and because you ripped your clothes and cried before me, I have listened to you, declares the Lord. 28 I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will go to your grave in peace. You won’t experience the disaster I am about to bring on this place and its citizens.”

When they reported Huldah’s words to the king, 29 the king sent a message and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 Then the king went up to the Lord’s temple, together with all the people of Judah and all the citizens of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites, and all the people, young and old alike. There the king read out loud all the words of the covenant scroll that had been found in the Lord’s temple. 31 The king stood in his place and made a covenant with the Lord that he would follow the Lord by keeping his commandments, his instructions, and his regulations with all his heart and all his being, in order to fulfill the words of the covenant that were written in this scroll. 32 Then he made everyone found in Jerusalem and Benjamin join in a similar promise. The citizens of Jerusalem lived according to the covenant made with God, the God of their ancestors. 33 Josiah got rid of all the detestable idols from all the regions that belonged to the Israelites, and he made everyone who lived in Israel serve the Lord their God. As long as Josiah lived, they didn’t turn away from following the Lord God of their ancestors. — 2 Chronicles 34 | Common English Bible (CEB) Common English Bible Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible. Cross References: Genesis 46:11; Exodus 10:3; Exodus 32:20; Exodus 34:13; Leviticus 26:30; Deuteronomy 13:4; Deuteronomy 28:3; Deuteronomy 28:15; 1 Samuel 13:20; 1 Kings 13:2; 2 Kings 7:10; 2 Kings 18:18; 2 Kings 22:1-2; 2 Kings 22:12; 2 Kings 22:14; 2 Kings 22:18; 2 Kings 23:1; 2 Chronicles 29:2; 2 Chronicles 29:8; 2 Chronicles 30:10; 2 Chronicles 33:4; Nehemiah 8:1; Psalm 18:21; Isaiah 39:8; Jeremiah 22:9; Jeremiah 25:3; Jeremiah 36:21

[bijoumikhawal]

The Talmud pays lip service to prophetesses (and numbers among them biblical characters such as Sarah and Abigail who are not obviously prophetesses) but makes every effort to denigrate them and reduce their power. According to the Talmud, there were seven prophetesses: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther. The Talmud makes sure to mention that Miriam's only prophecy is that her brother Moses will be born and redeem the people. Particularly harsh words are reserved for Huldah and Deborah:

Rabbi Nachman said: Haughtiness does not become women. There were two arrogant women, and their names are hateful: one is called hornet [Deborah, bee] and the other weasel [Huldah, weasel].

-- Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 14b

The Talmud also indicates that Huldah was consulted about the scroll in the Temple only because her cousin Jeremiah was out of town. The Talmud is uncomfortable with prophecy in general because spontaneous prophecy overturns the rabbis' ideas about law and interpretation. Women prophets are particularly troublesome, and so they become targets for particularly sharp barbs and criticism.

However, the Talmud does acknowledge one "female prophet"- a divine one. The sages of the Talmud (200-600 CE) believed that the age of prophecy had come to an end. Nevertheless, sometimes it was possible to hear a bat kol- literally, the daughter of a divine voice. This daughter-voice was an echo of the divine word, declaring God's wishes in times of uncertainty. The sages believed the bat kol was the last remnant of the prophetic gift.

Pg 66-67, The Hebrew Priestess

[pickmeforjesus]

"the Word of God tells the world of man that you are inferior to them"

VERY curious to know WHERE in the Bible it is established the woman is inferior to man, but ok.

Actually, Galatians 3:28 explicitly states that God makes no difference regardless of race, social class and gender (and is pretty much a verse rebuking racism, classism and sexism within the Church).

"Their deities are men"

YHWH is the Father but transcends males/female boundaries as we know them. God being identified as Male (e.g the Father) has literally no impact whatsoever in His relationship with female believers. Women aren't anymore "dominated" by God because He's male, than male believers. Actually, I've always found pretty sweet how the Church (so both men and women lumped together) was metaphorically represented as a bride, and Jesus as the groom. That's because, as I said, the relationship each believer (regardless of their gender) has with God transcends earthly comprehension of sex. Otherwise this would imply that men of the Church have homosexual relationship with the groom Jesus? 🤔

"Their prophets are men"

That's how I know you people have no idea what you're talking about.... The Bible actually have plentiful of female prophetess : Deborah, Huldah, Anne, Mary..... Just because the Bible doesn't have entire books featuring their names, doesn't mean they aren't acknowledged as such. You people don't read the Bible, and it shows.

Otherwise you'd know it specifically talks about sons and DAUGHTERS prophesizing in the end times (Acts 2:17). Spiritual gifts -of which prophecy is one of them- can be acquired regardless of sex.

"Their teachers are men"

Christian women can be teacher actually - just to not teach men (1 Timothy 2:12). If anything, Christian education seems to withhold sex segregated education (which I'm personally a proponent of). I also think female separatists would also agree with me on that lel

"these are men dominated cult, run by men and advocated by men to perpetuate their control"

God dominates the Church - not men. Actually the Bible makes a big deal of showing that men will eventually *always* fall short of God holiness, and that believer should only rely on God Himself.

You people have such a reductive vision of Christianism that you can't remotely comprehend that many of us live our faith outside of church communities, without a (male) church leader.

I will never get how comfortable so many of you are to erase female's role in Christian communities ("run by men") when women's ministry have a whole part in the body of Christ. Just because Christian women aren't called to have a "leading" position when interacting with men, that they are not important or should be dismissed as insignificant. There's something pretty ironic with feminists being uncapable of divesting from men and are so obsessed in competing with them they are downplaying women's achievements or 'calling' if they are not the same as men...

"Stop trying to carve out a space for yourself in a religion designed to subjugate you"

This doesn't make any sense. If the Church was seeking to subjugate women, it wouldn't compel them to remain celibate instead of seeking for companionship (= free from any male dominance = husband) e.g Paul letters.

Your entire narrative relies on a misconstrued tunnel vision of Christianism that fails the test of reality. Christian women's existence isn't to "carve out a space" into anything. It's a DIRECT RELATIONSHIP with God.

Christian women could never attend any (male-led) church or Christian community one single time in their life and still be Christian.

I'm sure you people can't even grasp the difference between the church (little c - buildings), and the Church (capital C - the body of Christ).

I have no idea why you're so obsessive in overestimating male influence in Christian women. Almost the entirety of biblical teaching are regardless gender (but also age, race, language, culture, time frame...). There's a reason why places where Christian influence is the strongest have the fairest life condition for women - but you conveniently ignore it and paint every abrahamic religion with the same brush. Sorry but Christians are different.

Jesus is the way the Truth and the Life.

[elegna0914]

HULDAH: What Makes Huldah's Prophecies So Shockingly Accurate?

[marysittingathisfeet]

Why Change My Name?

Josiah dies and as Huldah prophecied, Jerusalem is over taken.

2 Chronicles 36:1-4- And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father. Jehoahaz King of Judah. 2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. 3 The king of Egypt dethroned him in Jerusalem and imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 4 The king of Egypt made Eliakim, a brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Necho took Eliakim’s brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt.

Eliakim is a Hebrew name meaning “God will establish” or “God rises.” 

Jehoiakim means “whom Yahweh sets firm.” 

I noticed that Jehoahaz (let's call him Jerry) ruled for 3 months before being dethroned and taken as a prisoner to Egypt. During those 3 months, was there peace in Judah? Did Necho demand the levy, but Jerry decided to rebel instead. Therefore, Necho decided to remove him? Or was Jerusalem under siege for 3 months, before it fell? Whatever the case, Necho removed Jerry who probably wasn't being submissive and then chose Eliakim...aka Jehoaikim ...because he was more compliant and controllable.  

Maybe Necho changed the name to make sure everyone knew who really was in charge of Judah. The current King was had to obey Necho. The New King was just a vassal of the true ruler. However I find it interesting that the name was changed from God establishes... perhaps Necho was saying, it is not God who established this ruler, but I Necho. However, Necho must have had some relationship with God because he tells Josiah....2 Chronicles 35:21 NIV

But Necho sent messengers to him, saying, “What quarrel is there, king of Judah, between you and me? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you.”...….

So to give God credit, Necho changes the name to Yahweh has set firmly this man whom Necho has placed. 

Also using God's name...Yahweh...in the name makes the name appear more Royally imposing. The Israelites did not like saying God's name and this may also have been a way to further demoralize the king and people. This is the beginning of the end for Judah. For even Necho's rule was limited. Eleven years later, Nebuchadnezzar invades Israel and takes much of the surviving inhabitants' to Babylon. Eventually the Babylonians will be overrun by Persians. Governments come and go. Remember this no matter the results of November. Pray for our country.

2 Chronicles 7:14- If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

[bernardo1969]

The Bible set the life of King Josiah of Judah as an example to imitate. Josiah was the successor to Amon, who was assassinated, but unlike Amon who was an idolater, Josiah was an upright and God-fearing man. Josiah tells us the Bible sought with all his heart the ways of God: "He began to seek the God is his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols" 2 Chronicles 34:3. And it happened in the times of this King that during the repairs to the temple, which was in very bad condition, a book of the law was found. Moved by the situation, King Josiah sought out a prophetess named Huldah to give him an interpretation of the events. Huldah gave the King a prophecy, God had decided for the sins committed by the people the destruction of the country. But the seer's prophecy did not end at that point, but she told the King that this would take time to come true because Josiah had managed to postpone the event through his righteous acts. Josiah, Huldah prophesied, would die without seeing these sad facts. This is how the prophecy of Huldah tells us how Josiah appeased God with his devotion: "Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. Now I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here" 2 Chronicles 34:27-28.

[yunathun]

A VIRTUOUS WIFE

A VIRTUOUS WIFE

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A VIRTUOUS DAUGHTER OF ZION, AMEN...

FROM THE KING JAMES BIBLE (KJV 1611) BY AUTHOR: J.R.WILLIS

***INTRODUCTION*** DEFINITION OF (VIRTUOUS), AMEN:

Definition of virtuous

1a: having or exhibiting virtue

b: morally excellent : RIGHTEOUSa virtuous decision

2: CHASTE

3: POTENT, EFFICACIOUS

***IMPORTANT NOTES***

WHAT IS A VIRTUOUS WIFE & DAUGHTER OF ZION ACCORDING TO THE HOLY WORD OF GOD, AMEN:

PROVERBS 12:4

[4] A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

PROVERBS 31:10-11

[10] Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

[11] The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

2 ESDRAS 16:49-50

[49] Like as a whore envieth a right honest and virtuous woman:

[50] So shall righteousness hate iniquity, when she decketh herself, and shall accuse her to her face, when he cometh that shall defend him that diligently searcheth out every sin upon earth.

ECCLESIASTICUS-(BEN SIRACH) 26:1-4

[1] Blessed is the man that hath a virtuous wife, for the number of his days shall be double.

[2] A virtuous woman rejoiceth her husband, and he shall fulfil the years of his life in peace.

[3] A good wife is a good portion, which shall be given in the portion of them that fear the Lord.

[4] Whether a man be rich or poor, if he have a good heart toward the Lord, he shall at all times rejoice with a cheerful countenance.

ECCLESIASTICUS-(BEN SIRACH) 28:15

[15] A backbiting tongue hath cast out virtuous women, and deprived them of their labours.

***IMPORTANT NOTES***

A NON VIRTUOUS WOMAN, A FOOLISH WOMAN, AN EVIL WOMAN ON HER WAY TO DEATH & HELL, AMEN:

PROVERBS 9:13-18

[13] A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.

[14] For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

[15] To call passengers who go right on their ways:

[16] Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

[17] Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

[18] But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

***FINAL NOTE***

Wake up Daughters of Zion and return to thy Great God and keep His Majesty's Holy Laws such as Virtuous Wives & Daughters of Zion-(MOTHER EVE-SARAH-REBEKAH-LEAH, RACHEL, BILHAH, ZILPHAH-JUDITH-HULDAH-DEBORAH),

or perish with the rest of the ungodly Jezebel, Semiramis-Liltih spirited witches and strange women of our people, of our blood whom shall be purged very soon with the wicked of Yisrael as it is written, Amen-(ISAIAH 1/ISAIAH 2/PROVERBS 5, 6 & 7), Amen...

***CONCLUSION***

THE LION OF JUDAH IS COMING TO DESTROY ALL HEATHEN-GENTILE NATIONS, AMEN:

JEREMIAH 4:7

7. The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.

For Judgement-(DEATH) comes for Esau who is Amalek, who are Edom, which are the Caucasian nations by way of the WRATH OF THE LAMB.

REVELATION 2:9

9. I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich)-(LORD YASHAYA KNOWS OUR OPPRESSION-AFFLICTION & DESTRUCTION AT THE HANDS OF OUR ENEMIES AS HE HIMSELF ENDURED THEM FOR US-BUT WE ARE RICH BECAUSE WE ARE THE LORD'S HERITAGE-WE ARE THE WORLD & THE WORLD WAS CREATED FOR US),

and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews-(AMALEK-EDOM-THE CAUCASIAN NATIONS), and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan-(THESE WICKED SERPENTS ARE THE CHIEF HOUSE OF THE DEVIL HIMSELF).

NOW WHO SHALL DENY THIS REPORT?

J.R.WILLIS-(YUNATHUN ZION)

AUTHOR: A RACE OF DEMONS REFINED 2017

AUTHOR: SPIRITUAL CRIMES 2018 AUTHOR: THE PROPHECIES AUTHOR: THE PROPHECIES, BOOK 2 AUTHOR: DAEMONOLOGIE YEAR 2020

[taperwolf]

There's a very odd story towards the end of the Bible's book of 2 Kings. (Chapters 22 and 23.)

The boy king of Judah, Josiah, who has just turned 18, sends a secretary to the Temple for some routine accounting work, and the high priest tells the secretary that he's just found "the book of the law" somewhere in the temple. The scribe comes back to the king with the book and reads it to him.

And the king is floored. He's never heard this stuff before. If this is the law, we sure haven't been following it! He sends the scribe and the high priest and some other people who pop into the story suddenly to ask of God what's going on; they immediately go to Huldah, a prophetess (!), who tells them that God is going to bring down destruction upon the country, but that Josiah is good enough that he'll die in peace before the desolation happens.

Josiah proceeds to take a bunch of idols out of the Temple in Jerusalem (specific gods called out were Baal, Asherah (the wife of God), and the stars) and shut down all worship outside the Temple, desecrating altars, shrines, and tombs. (The book makes the odd statement here that nobody had celebrated Passover until then.)

Josiah then proceeds to get killed, either in battle or by assassination during a diplomatic visit, by Pharaoh Necho II, kinda invalidating that part of the prophecy.

To modern eyes, this all looks really weird. Scholars have proposed that the "book of the law" was the core of the modern book of Deuteronomy, and that this was effectively a coup by what's termed the "Deuteronomic school" of priests and scribes, using a king they'd raised from the age of eight to consolidate their power by consolidating worship. The case for this is aided by the note that the priests who'd been serving at all the far-flung altars and shrines were brought back to Jerusalem and maintained there.

The Deuteronomic school are also considered the ones responsible for writing what's called the Deuteronomic history: the present-day books of Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings. The modern contention is that the sort of polytheism that Josiah put down, and which these books claim was imported from foreigners over and over and over again, was the real traditional religion of the nations of Judah and Israel, and that the Mosaic demand for sole worship of YHVH was projected into the mythic past for clout.

[treeofcups]

c-is-for-circinate replied to your post “Oh, right, I was going to come up with a daemon for Avantika (in my...”

Fun fact, many sea snakes are actually EXTREMELY venomous :) (try googling 'beaked sea snake'). What a good choice for Avantika!

This is what happens when I think “Eh, I can google it later” XD. I like the look of the beaked sea snake, it’s really beautiful. Imagine that first meeting with her on the deck of the Squalleater, with her daemon winding his way up her arm so he can stare at these newcomers over her shoulder. And later, when she shows Fjord the eye in her hand and talks about prophecy, he curls around her arm and rests his head on her wrist, tongue lashing across the surface of the eye.

(Huldah, for the record, spends this whole meeting casually frozen on one of Avantika’s seat cushions. Fjord gets the notion that he should maybe just run and jump off of the balcony and swim away, and he’s not entirely sure if the thought came from him or his daemon).

[sjecblogarchive]

2021 LENT DAILY DEVOTIONALS (UPDATED DAILY)

03/26/2021

BY SJECWARRENTON

2021 LENT DAILY DEVOTIONALS (UPDATED DAILY)

Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation (Guest Devotional 3/26/2021

From the Center for Action and Contemplation

Week Twelve: Prophetic Imagination

JOINING THE PROPHETIC CHORUS

While the most well-known Hebrew prophets are presumably male, such as Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel, the Bible also contains little-known women prophets such as Deborah (Judges 4:4–5), Huldah (2 Kings 22) and Anna (mentioned in Luke 2:36). Rabbi Tikva Frymer-Kensky shares one example of this historical reality:

Unlike priests, generals, judges, and governors, a prophet does not have to be appointed by superiors, and a prophet’s status does not depend on advancement within a hierarchy or on completion of a course of study. As Amos and again Jeremiah inform us, God tells the prophet to speak. Prophecy is a “gift of the Spirit,” offered to whomever God wills, and societies can accept women as recipients of the gift and value them as prophets even as they deny women roles in the official hierarchies of religion and polity. Toward the end of Israel’s history, King Josiah sent his men to see a female prophet, Huldah, to validate the discovery of a scroll in the Temple that called for Israel to behave in ways it had not been observing . . . (see 2 Kings 22:12–14).

It is not surprising to find . . . Huldah accepted as [a] professional prophet. Unlike priests, kings, judges, or administrators, prophets were not born to their role or appointed by a hierarchy. There were cadres of professional prophets, but there were also lone mavericks, called by the spirit of God. . . . In Israel, where God often works through the marginal and brings the peripheral to the center, women appeared as the harbingers of history. [1]

We might know the names of only a few prophets, memorialized in the scriptures and by history, but by the gift of the Spirit, we can all think and act prophetically. We can pay attention to what isn’t right in the world around us and speak and act out of faith and love to change it.  Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister, a prophetic voice in our day, encourages us to do just that:

These prophetic people, people just like us, simple and sincere, eager and inspired—these sheep herders like Amos and small-business people like Hosea, these simple country farmers or priests like Jeremiah, these thinkers and writers and dreamers like Isaiah and Ezekiel, these struggling lovers and suffering witnesses like Micah, these brave and independent judges and leaders, like Deborah and Miriam, made no small choices. They chose courage. They chose the expansion of the soul. They chose to stake their lives on what must be rather than stake their comfort, their security, the direction of their lives, on what was.

It is that steadfast, unyielding, courageous commitment to the eternal Will of God for Creation—whatever the cost to themselves—that is the prophetic tradition. It sustains the eternal Word of God while the world spins around it, making God’s Word—Love—the center, the axle, the standard of everything the faithful do in the midst of the storm of change that engulfs us as we go. [2]

[1] Tikva Frymer-Kensky, Reading the Women of the Bible (Schocken Books: 2002), 324, 328, 330.

[2] Joan Chittister, The Time Is Now: A Call to Uncommon Courage (Convergent: 2019), 17–18, www.joanchittister.org.

Image credit: Dorothea Lange, Tractored Out (detail), 1938, photograph, public domain.

Image inspiration: A lonely house on barren, tilled earth may tell us hard truths of what has been, what is, and what is to come.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Josiah Son of Amon, King of Judah

1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he ruled for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah from Bozkath. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He walked in all the ways of his father David. He did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Josiah Repairs the Temple

3 In King Josiah’s eighteenth year, the king sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah son of Meshullam, to the House of the Lord, saying, 4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him weigh out the entire amount of silver which has been brought to the House of the Lord, which the gatekeepers have received from the people. 5 It is to be given to those who are appointed to supervise the work on the House of the Lord. They are to give it to those who are working in the House of the Lord to repair the damage to the temple. 6 Give it to the craftsmen, builders, and stonemasons so they can buy wood and quarried stone to repair the damage. 7 But no accounting is to be demanded for the silver which is given to them, because they are acting honestly.”

The Book of the Law Found

8 Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the House of the Lord.” Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan, and he read it. 9 Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported: “Your servants have paid out the silver which was found in the temple, and they have given it to those who are appointed to supervise the work on the Lord’s house.”

10 Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” Then Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.

11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. 12 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the servant of the king: 13 “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all of Judah concerning the words of this book, which has been found. For the Lord’s wrath which is burning against us is great, because our fathers did not listen to the words of this book and do everything which was recorded for us.”

14 Then Hilkiah the priest, with Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah, went and spoke to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, who was the son of Tikvah, who was the son of Harhas, the keeper of the vestments. She was living in Jerusalem in the Second District.

15 She gave them this message:

This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says. Tell the man who sent you to me that 16 this is what the Lord says.

Look! I am bringing disaster on this place and on its inhabitants, everything written in the book which they read before the king of Judah, 17 because they have forsaken me and have burned incense and offerings to other gods, so that they provoked me to anger with all the works of their hands. My anger will be poured out on this place. It will not be quenched.

18 This is what you will say to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord:

The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken the words which you have heard. 19 But because your heart was repentant and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants—that it would be desolate and cursed—and you have torn your clothes and have wept before me, I, even I, have heard you, says the Lord.

20 Therefore, be aware of this! I will gather you to your fathers. You will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants.

They brought this message back to the king. — 2 Kings 22 | Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV) The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 37:34; Exodus 10:3; Leviticus 26:31; Deuteronomy 5:32; Deuteronomy 29:23; Deuteronomy 29:25;26 and 27; Deuteronomy 31:17; Deuteronomy 31:24; Joshua 1:7; Joshua 7:6; Joshua 15:39; 2 Samuel 5:11; 2 Kings 12:4; 2 Kings 12:9-10; 2 Kings 12:11-12; 2 Kings 12:15; 2 Kings 23:2; 2 Kings 23:30; 2 Chronicles 24:30; 2 Kings 25:22; 2 Chronicles 24:22; 2 Chronicles 34:1; 2 Chronicles 34:8; 2 Chronicles 34:26; Isaiah 5:25; Isaiah 57:1; Jeremiah 36:13; Jeremiah 36:21; Jeremiah 37:7; Jeremiah 39:14; Jeremiah 42:9; Daniel 9:11; 1 Corinthians 4:2

[benito-cereno]

I absolutely LOVE the new Bible podcast. It is my new favorite thing! Two questions. First, those virgin daughters who prophesied in Acts. I was surprised by that, since all the apostles are male. Was female prophecy something common? Second, I am trying to do all the reading before each podcast. For the Book of Daniel, should I seek out the "extra" stories, like Susanna and the Elders? Thanks, I am SO grateful for this podcast, you wouldn't believe it.

Hey, thanks! We have been getting very positive reaction to @apocrypals and I, at least, am very grateful.

To your questions:

1) Female prophets are not common, but also not unheard of. In the Old Testament, a few different women are referred to as prophetesses, including Moses’s sister Miriam and Deborah the Judge and some people whose names you might not recognize, like Huldah and Noadiah.

In the New Testament there aren’t so many. There are the four virgin daughters who prophesy and Anna the Prophetess and that’s about it.

I will note, however, that women were incredibly active in the early Christian church, and indeed there is considerable evidence that the early church was majority women. This article has a good summary of women in the early church.

2) Yep! Besides the canonical version of Daniel, we will also be looking at the three additions to the Greek version of Daniel. They are as follows:

The Prayer of Azariah

Susanna

Bel and the Dragon

If you have never read them, they are........buck wild

Again, thank you for listening!

[carolap53]

March 12, 2021

What Kind of Woman Does God Approve Of? AMY CARROLL

Lee en español

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them …” Romans 12:6 (ESV)

My pastor’s wife was a truly amazing woman. To me, a woman in my twenties, she was everything a truly godly woman should be: gentle, kind and she had some serious skills in the kitchen! I put her high up on a pedestal.

And because she was a model of godliness for me, I began to jest, “Real Christian women bake bread.” Only I wasn’t joking.

I stacked her life circumstances, talents and personality against mine, and deep down, I believed I wasn’t the kind of woman God fully endorsed.

Her kitchen was filled with yummy homemade goods; mine was stocked with meals from the frozen foods aisle.

She was a stay-at-home mom; I was a single working woman.

She was soft spoken, and I was loud and a little sassy.

Her marital and maternal status, gifts and nature were in stark contrast to mine. I just wasn’t the same kind of woman, the type I believed could be endorsed by God.

But an overview of Scripture declares a different story.

These days, as I study women in the Bible with my friend Wendy, she’s helping me to see with a renewed perspective that God delights in and approves of all the many kinds of women He’s made, gifted and called. The women in the Bible are like us, in different seasons of life with many “flavors” of personality and giftings. There are women like:

Lydia, who opened her home and led in her church. (Acts 16)

Shiphrah and Puah, the Jewish midwives, who bravely broke the rules for good. (Exodus 1)

Rahab, who provided protection and shelter for God’s people. (Joshua 2)

Mary Magdalene, who followed hard after Jesus and monetarily supported His ministry. (Luke 8)

Huldah, who was trusted to listen to God and pass on His truth. (2 Kings 22)

Priscilla, who taught Scripture in all its glorious fullness. (Acts 18)

The unnamed Shunammite woman, who cared physically for God’s people. (Thank you, Lord, for the women who bake bread!) (2 Kings 4)

Dorcas, a possible widow, who used her hands to clothe others and do charitable work. (Acts 9)

Some of these women were single, and others were married. There are incredible women in the Bible who were widows or childless, and some who were mothers. Many had questionable pasts or made mistakes along the way; still, God didn’t waste one bit of their willingness and unique experiences.

That list only scratches the surface of the women highlighted in the Bible. How amazing! There’s a veritable rainbow of different kinds of women in God’s Word, all using their various gifts and personalities for God’s glory — just as Paul commands in Romans 12:6 when he says, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them …”

The kind of woman you are is more than just OK. Your unique personality and combination of gifts are God-created and approved. God loves you and wants to use you no matter your circumstances or season of life.

Now, years after my twenties, my more-mature self knows I didn’t need to be just like my pastor’s wife for God to delight in me. We don’t have to compare ourselves to other kinds of women when we celebrate each and every one He’s made!

Lord, I thank You for the kind of woman You’ve made me. I trust You to use my gifts, my personality and my current season of life. I believe that You value me and the kind of woman I am just as much as all the other kinds of women You’ve made. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY: Romans 12:4, 6-8, “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function … Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” (ESV)

[alyuhauuhatheesteembreath]

Many Say Women Should Be Silent ALYUUHAUUHA Speaks ! The Virtues of Noble Woman MASHLY/Proverbs 31:-25-26 25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future. 26 She opens her mouth in UNDERSTANDING/KNOWLEDGE,  And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27 She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. MASHLY/Proverbs 1:20 Out in the open UNDERSTANDING Calls Aloud, She raises her voice in the Public Square; MASHLY/Proverbs 8:1 Does not UNDERSTANDING Call out? Does not understanding Raise her voice? MASHLY/Proverbs 8:2 At the highest Point along the way, where the paths meet, She takes Her Stand; TAHALYM/PSALMS 68:11 YAHUAH Gives Instructions. The Women who Announce the BESORAH=MESSAGE are a large army. TAHALYM/PSALMS 68:11 YAHUAH Announces the Word=DABAR, and the Women who Proclaim it are a mighty throng: Philippians 4:3  Yes, I also ask you, Syzugus, my true partner, to help These Women. They fought beside me to spread the BESORAH/MESSAGE/Righteous News Along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers, whose Names are in the Book of Life.   SHAMUTH/Exodus 15:20 Then MYrYam the Prophet, Aaron's sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. Huldah's Prophecy A Woman Prophet  A Male Priest Went To A woman For Help In Prophesy THAT ALYUUHAUUHA GAVE her Huldah 14 So Hilkiah the Priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah WENT TO  Huldah the Prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, 15 She said to them, " SAYS ALYUUHAUUHA ALMIGHTY-ONE of YASHARAL, 'Tell the man who sent you to me,16 SAYS ALYUUHAUUHA "Behold, I bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of YUhauhadah/Judah has read The Virtues of Noble Woman MASHLY/Proverbs 31:-25-26 25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future.  26 She opens her mouth in KNOWLEDGE, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27 She looks well to the ways of her house hold, And does not eat the bread of idleness. OUR-your first TEACHER YUHAUUSAAL WAS A WOMAN your MOTHER. https://www.instagram.com/p/B1IgoIKHFMA/?igshid=1844thgw47gjm

[marysittingathisfeet]

Meet Mole: One Of The Seven

2 Chronicles 34: 14B- 16A- Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses. And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan. And Shaphan carried the book to the king,

Jerusalem was in the middle of a revival thanks to Josiah the king who was only 26 at the time. Josiah was only 8 when he became king. When he was 16 he started seeking out God. When he was 20 he bean to purge the land of all the idol worship. When he had reigned for 18 years the land had been purged so Josiah then commissioned that the temple be repaired. In the process of the repair the book of Moses which was under debris was found. How long had it been since the word of God had been read in the land of Judah? (Note: don't think that the young cannot be used by God)

2 Chronicles 34: 18-21- Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king's, saying, Go, enquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book.

Now Hilkiah was High Priest in Jerusalem at that time. He was the spiritual head of the kingdom. It's like the Pope in the Catholic Church. He is supposed to be closest to God. Shaphan was a scribe- I am assuming he was the chief scribe if Hilkiah brought the the laws of Moses to him. What is a scribe? In ancient Judah, scribes were learned men who were experts in the law of Moses. They were to prepare copies of Israel's sacred literature on parchment scrolls. Therefore, they were experts in the law. They not only ensured accurate copies of the scriptures, they created legal documents such as marriage, contracts, land purchases, divorces, and etc. They were also known as teachers. In addition at that time scribe and wise man were synonymous because the men were so learned that they were considered wise.

Josiah instructs these 2 men along with other leaders to seek out what God wants them to do. Now why didn't Josiah trust Hilkiah to seek the Lord? After all who better to seek out God's will than the High Priest of the land. I don't know. Maybe they were so distressed knowing that the laws of Moses had been ignored for so long, Could God have spoken through them? Sure. Instead they sought out a prophetess. This implies she was well known and respected even by the king.

Now traditionally there are only 7 prophetess in the old testament. They are Miriam, Sarah, Hannah, Deborah, Abigail, Esther, and Huldah. Her name was Huldah. This means mole or shrew. Not very noble or romantic. Almost insulting. Maybe she was a tiny lady, but very vigorous. her name suggests that her origins may have been humble at first. She had to have received an education at some point to be able to read and interpret the Bible. She must have had many prophecies for Josiah the king to know of her. However, these prophecies are not recorded. But her reputation as a woman of God was obviously well established.

2 Kings 22:14 - So the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the prophetess Huldah the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; she resided in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter, where they consulted her.

Note: There was a group of men besides Hilkiah who met with this humble prophetess. What do we learn about Huldah from this verse? We can see she was a wife. She was married to a Levite who was a keeper of the wardrobe. Only those of Levite descent could work in the temple. Because of this she would have had a lot of contact with the spiritual leaders of Jerusalem. Somehow God used her position to lead and guide the men who visited her husband. She had to have been bold enough to speak out to the men at first. In this patriarchal society, she would not have been initially consulted. I imagine the men sitting around a table laughing and talking. One of them brings up a point in the law. As Huldah is filling their cups with wine, she makes a point that none of the men had considered. At first they were angry. How dare a woman disagree with them. But later after studying the texts, discover she is correct. Slowly over time they came to not only socialize, but seek out her wisdom. They recognize that the Lord speaks profoundly through her.

Huldah's prophecy does confirm that Judah will be punished for their years of idolatry. But because Josiah had humbled himself before God, the destruction would not come until after Josiah died.

She is never mentioned again. But what she prophesied had a powerful impact on Josiah who summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, all the priests, and all the people and they read the entire Book of the Covenant that had been found in the Lord's temple. Josiah and the people rededicated their lives to the Lord. Huldah was most likely in the crowd that day.

What do we learn from this. Never underestimate how God can use you. Being obedient to God and stepping out in faith may lead us down paths we never imagined.

[drjayr78]

Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law

2 Chronicles 34:14-33 KJV

14And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses. 15And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan. 16And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they do it. 17And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen. 18Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.

19And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes. 20And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king’s, saying, 21Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book.

Huldah’s Prophecy

22And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect. 23And she answered them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me, 24Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah: 25Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched. 26And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard; 27Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD. 28Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.

Josiah Renews the Covenant

29Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.

31And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book. 32And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

After all this was done the Passover was restored by Josiah. I often wonder when ministers will rediscover the book of Gods laws. Unlike the priest in those day they have not lost the book they just refuse to obey it. They refuse to honor the Passover feast and celebrate it the way God had commanded His people too. No, we longer have to shed the blood of lambs for Jesus has completed that part of the feast forever, but we should still honor his commandments. Even Jesus at the Last Supper told His apostles to continue doing the Passover in remembrance of Him. Like the people in Josiah day we have forgotten Passover the day that our Lord Jesus had delivered us from bondage. Instead we have provoked Him by not holding on to scripture and decided to celebrate it by human means. Instead of being joyous and celebrating Passover and the seven days of Unleavened Bread we have shortened it to one day. Why have we allowed our elders to rob us of celebrating the covenant that God has given to us? Do we answer to man or to God. We have become blinded by tradition and ceremonies. Jesus is not about tradition but about obedience. I pray that our minister turn from course they have taken and return to obedience under God. May you all pray upon this message for your own guidance from the Holy Spirit.