A Lesson from Huldah in the Bible
Ever been in that moment when you’re talking to someone and their eyes drift off toward something else going on across the room? You know deep down they didn’t hear a word you said, but you smile politely as you wonder, “Why don’t they listen to me?”
As a mom, I’ve often caught myself thinking, “Why isn’t anyone listening to me?” I’ve felt like an old vinyl playing on my vintage record player, skipping because of the scratches on the album. My words play on repeat, but they don’t seem to make a difference.
Moms understand the feeling all-too-well that no one is listening.
Being heard is a struggle many of us face. We long to have someone really pay attention when we’re talking, and we get frustrated when we think our voice isn’t important enough.
Women have struggled to find their voices throughout history. Thankfully God’s Word gives us inspiring examples of women who influenced others. Women like Huldah in the Old Testament. And from their lives, we can find hope for times when we think our words don’t matter.
Who Is Huldah?
Huldah was a prophetess and the wife of Shallum (keeper of the wardrobe.) She lived in the Second District of Jerusalem under the reign of King Josiah.
King Josiah wanted to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. While working to rebuild the temple, Hilkiah the high priest found the Book of the Law and passed it along to Shaphan the secretary. Shaphan read it aloud to the king.
King Josiah was so distraught over how they’d missed following God’s law that he tore his clothes in remorse. He sent Hilkiah to “inquire of the Lord” and verify the book’s truth. They didn’t go to Jeremiah, even though he was a well respected prophet of the day. Josiah instructed them to seek out Huldah the prophetess.
Huldah verified that everything written in the Book of the Law was true. She brought devastating news— because the people had strayed far from God, they would face the consequences. But she also relayed this message. God would spare Josiah from seeing this happen in his lifetime since he showed such remorse when he found out the truth.
Because of Huldah’s response on God’s behalf, the king made extreme changes that not only saved lives in the present, but affected the future of God’s people.
Why Do People Listen to Some Women, but Not Me?
If you’re a school teacher, you get it too. Whatever the age, there are days when you’ve led the most creative, engaging lesson of your life. Only to have your students arrive the next day without a single memory of what you taught the day before.
I can’t even count the number of times this happened in my years teaching junior high! Over time it became comical. Because if I didn’t learn to laugh about it, the hurt of not being heard had the potential to cut deep.
We can try talking more or using a louder voice, but that isn’t necessarily the answer. I can seek out all the advice in the world on getting people to listen, but my efforts will come up empty if my focus is on the wrong thing.
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” 1 John 5:14 ESV (Emphasis mine)
We are reminded in this verse that the God of the universe hears us when we talk to Him. Our circumstances may lead us to believe that the extrovert in the room holds the gift of getting everyone to listen, but those circumstances can be deceiving. Doubt in our worth arises when we stray from God’s truth about who we are. Focusing on what God says about us brings peace when we’re tempted to compare ourselves to others.
God hears us, and He is the only audience we need.
How to Be a Woman People Listen to
Last year I chose a “word of the year” that I felt represented what God was doing in and through my life. My word was listen. Because I realized I’d been on the giving end of not listening too many times. I wanted the people in my life to know that what they’re saying is important. I also knew I needed practice being a better listener.
Huldah spent her life drawing close to God. People sought her out as a trusted source. Her words influenced a king.
So what can we learn from Huldah to encourage us when we struggle with being heard?
1. Huldah drew close to God every day.
Knowing our identity in Christ not only reminds us how much God loves us. It also connects us to Him. How I long to be connected more deeply to our Heavenly Father, but daily distractions keep pulling me away. So to stay close to God, I put prayer walks into practice.
To make sure I spend more time listening than talking, the first half of my prayer walk involves giving thanks and bringing petitions to God. Then I spend the other half simply listening. When my mind wanders, I say, “I’m listening, Lord,” and turn my attention back to the Father. Dedicating time to hearing God’s voice brings us into a deeper relationship with Him
2. Huldah listened to others.
Huldah knew the value of spending time listening to God, and she spent her life listening to others and counseling them based on what she heard from the Lord. Commentaries suggest you’d likely find Huldah each day making herself available to people— to sit with them and hear about their problems. What a great example for us on how to listen well!
As a prophetess, we can respect Huldah’s commitment to sharing the Word of the Lord.
As a woman, we can be inspired by her commitment to listen to others.
Hope from Huldah on Becoming a Woman of Influence
One day after class, a student came to me and asked to speak with me in private. She wanted my opinion on something personal. She said she trusted me because of how I lived my life as a Christian. The strange thing is that— since I taught public school— I never mentioned my beliefs in class. So how did she know if I hadn’t said anything about it?
John 13:35 says, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” A truth we need to cling to when we’re tempted to think no one listens. We never know when someone is really paying attention.
Becoming a woman of influence means putting God first and trusting Him to use us to influence others. God’s ways are so much better than our own. So instead of feeling invisible, we can believe that His love through us speaks volumes of grace, mercy, and faithfulness.
We may feel unheard, but God in us says it all.
For more encouragement from God’s Word when we’re struggling with being heard, check out this post, “How to Think on Lovely Thoughts When People Act Hateful.”
You may also like our email challenges if you’re interested in learning more about women in the Bible. You’ll find those on the email challenge page here.
