The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Kings 22:14,
"Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter. She said to them 'This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says...'"
A hundred years after the Lord had the northern ten tribes of Israel destroyed due to their rejection of him, Judah was found to be so distant from the Lord, no one knew the Scriptures even existed! As astonishing as it may seem, what was left of the nation Israel had strayed from the Lord completely and entirely. Not even King Josiah, one of the precious few kings of Judah that had a heart for the Lord, knew what the Lord had provided the nation in terms of the law of Moses and the inspired writings of the prophets.
But the Lord had his remnant of believers as he always does. Huldah, the prophetess, was consulted and the Lord spoke to the king through her.
I wonder how Huldah felt living in a nation that had abandoned her God. I have to think she may have felt somewhat lonely living in an age among people that refused to acknowledge the Lord her God.
While we may not be gifted with an occupation of prophecy as was Huldah, we may, nonetheless, feel a certain loneliness at times, living among people who either outright refuse to acknowledge God or, who, through the artificial trappings of religiosity, do not share our genuine heart for our wonderful God.
I am reminded of what Paul had to say as he certainly considered his own loneliness relative to the people he loved so much, in their rejection of God, "I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 'Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me'? And what was God's answer to him? 'I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.'" Romans 11:1-4.
While Paul's words were spoken relative to the question of Israel's then current situation with God relative to their rejection of their Savior, I have to think his own words were a comfort to himself as he considered their rejection of God. In a previous chapter of Romans Paul said, "I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, the people of Israel." Romans 9:1-4a.
"Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter. She said to them 'This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says...'"
A hundred years after the Lord had the northern ten tribes of Israel destroyed due to their rejection of him, Judah was found to be so distant from the Lord, no one knew the Scriptures even existed! As astonishing as it may seem, what was left of the nation Israel had strayed from the Lord completely and entirely. Not even King Josiah, one of the precious few kings of Judah that had a heart for the Lord, knew what the Lord had provided the nation in terms of the law of Moses and the inspired writings of the prophets.
But the Lord had his remnant of believers as he always does. Huldah, the prophetess, was consulted and the Lord spoke to the king through her.
I wonder how Huldah felt living in a nation that had abandoned her God. I have to think she may have felt somewhat lonely living in an age among people that refused to acknowledge the Lord her God.
While we may not be gifted with an occupation of prophecy as was Huldah, we may, nonetheless, feel a certain loneliness at times, living among people who either outright refuse to acknowledge God or, who, through the artificial trappings of religiosity, do not share our genuine heart for our wonderful God.
I am reminded of what Paul had to say as he certainly considered his own loneliness relative to the people he loved so much, in their rejection of God, "I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 'Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me'? And what was God's answer to him? 'I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.'" Romans 11:1-4.
While Paul's words were spoken relative to the question of Israel's then current situation with God relative to their rejection of their Savior, I have to think his own words were a comfort to himself as he considered their rejection of God. In a previous chapter of Romans Paul said, "I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, the people of Israel." Romans 9:1-4a.
Regardless of how lonely we may feel at times, given the small number of folks we may know who actually have a heart of passion for the Lord, we need to take heart as Paul did in realizing there really is a number of us "out there."
I suspect Huldah could have certainly used Paul's encouraging words at times in her day.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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