A Different Form of Calamity

When Josiah became king at eight years old, the nation of Judah had been practicing sin and idolatry for so long that the godly men had pretty much ceased form the land. The High Priest had even lost the Book of the Law of Moses! And when it was found and read, only then did they begin to understand just how far the nation had gone. God was about to show them it was worse than they thought.

The King sent Hilkiah the High Priest, Shaphan the scribe, and several others to inquire of the LORD for the king and for the nation. And so they all conferred amongst themselves as to whom they could go to that the Word of the LORD might be found in. Sadly, the High Priest was not even in the list of men who could pray and shake the throne of Heaven. Nor were any of the other men among them. Instead, they went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of the keeper of the Temple wardrobe, who lived in the Second Quarter of Jerusalem, to speak to her.

There were no godly men among the whole city that they could seek to pray for the king and nation. The godly men had ceased, the faithful men had disappeared from among them, fulfilling the lament of David in Psalm 12. Judah was in a bind spiritually and they had no men of God to help them! In the mercy and judgment of God, there was left one godly woman who could pray for them. 

Isaiah prophesied the judgment coming against Jerusalem and Judah. He proclaimed, ‘Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, for what he has dealt out will be done to him. O My People! Their taskmasters are infants and women rule over them. O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray and swallow up the way of your oaths. The LORD takes His stand to contend and stands to judge the people. The LORD enters into judgment with the elders of His people and His princes.’

Judah had fallen so far into sin that God gave them an 8 year old king and only one woman who could pray for them. Children would rule over them and women would lead them. Both of these are judgments from God against His people. With the godly men removed, the only thing left is women and children. 

Huldah told them that God would fulfill all the words which Josiah had read due to the sin of the sons of Israel. His wrath would be poured out and it would not be quenched. But because Josiah had humbled his tender heart and torn his clothing in repentance and grief when he heard the Word of the LORD against Judah, God had heard him. The calamity prophesied by Moses would not come during the days of Josiah. He would die before it happened. His eyes would not see it happen.

God’s Word will always be fulfilled. When godly men cease, God brings judgment through women and children. Our culture celebrates the very thing that God uses to judge His people. The church needs godly men to stand and lead their wives and children. This nation needs that as well. Rise up O Men of God or stand back and watch the calamity be poured out on your own houses, churches, and nation.