2 Kings 21-25

The Facts (Chapter number: Verse)

21:1 - Manasseh's mother's name was Hephzibah.
21:19 - Amon's mother's name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz of Jothan.

22:1 - Josiah's mother's name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.
22:14-20 - The priest Hilkiah, Ahikem, Achbor, Saphan and Asiah 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. She told the men that the Lord was indeed going to bring disaster onto this place as the king had read because the people had abandoned him and made offerings to other gods. The people had provoked God's anger so His wrath will not be quenched. But because the king of Judah, who sent the men, was penitent and his humbled himself before the Lord God will allow the king to be gathered to his ancestors and you shall go to your grave in peace and not see the disaster that God has planned for this place. So the men took this message to the king.

23:7 - Josiah broke down the houses of the male temple prostitutes that were in the house of the Lord, where the women did weaving for Asherah.
23:10 - Josiah defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of Ben-hinnom, so that no one would make a son or a daughter pass through fire as an offering to Molech.
23:31 - Jehoahaz's mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
23:36 - Jehoiakim's mother's name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

24:9 - Jehoiachin's mother's name was Nehusha daughter of Elnathan of Jerisalem.
24:15 - The King of Babylon carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon: the king's mother, the king's wives, his officials, and the elite of the land, he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
24:18 - Zedekiah's mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

2 Kings 25 - No mention of any women.

My Comments

Awesome, one more female prophet to add to the list. Very cool. Nice to see that at least every once in a while God allows a woman to be in a position of some power.

I do wonder how some churches/denominations defend their claims that women are not allowed to be leaders in a church or, sometimes, even allowed to teach or hold authority over boys/men. Especially when you do have women leaders in the Bible. Even women who are prophets, which would imply that God himself chose them to lead in some respect. There was Miriam who praised God after the Israelites were saved from Egypt, then Deborah who served as a judge over Israel, and now Huldah who passes along the word of God to the king. All three of there women (with maybe the exception of Miriam) held great power over men and were sought to learn what God's wishes were or what God's plans were. So how do some churches reconcile this with their current beliefs that women cannot hold positions of power? Do they pretend these women don't exist? Do they downplay their roles in the Bible, regarding them more like a telephone for God than a person who held power and sway over men? Granted, there is MUCH more evidence that women are supposed to be submissive and listen to men to tell them what to do and how to act, so I can't say I blame the churches for believing that women need to be dominated instead of that women can hold positions of great importance and power. Maybe these few women who are prophets for God is the reason some denominations are more woman friendly than others.

Either way, for once the God of the old testament actually looks progressive compared to some churches/denominations, which should honestly make some of these churches think twice about their rules and doctrines.

Monday: 1 Chronicles 1-2