2 Kings 22:12

2 Kings 22:12 says, And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying,  Josiah sent some of his great men, including Hilkiah the priest, to make inquiry of the Lord.  We are blessed today that we don't have to go to anyone else to make inquiry of God, but we can go straight to Him and even have the Holy Spirit to enable us to know what to ask.  This doesn't mean that we shouldn't ask others to pray for us, though.  Verse thirteen adds, Go ye, enquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.  Joash wanted Hilkiah to inquire of God about the book found in the Temple, which the people of God had not been reading and following evidently.  Having a Bible in the house, or several for that matter, does us no good if we don't read and heed what it says.  We know that God expects this of His people.  Verse fourteen continues, So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her.  Hilkiah and those sent from the king went to the prophetess Huldah, who was a married woman.  Matthew Henry says that God not only put the spirit of prophesy into earthen vessels, but He sometimes put the spirit of prophesy into weaker vessels.  Now, many Christians today would have a problem with this, and many women would have a problem being called weaker than men, but that does not make these two things untrue.  Matthew Henry also cited the examples of Miriam and Deborah being used by God.  Verse fifteen states, And she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,  Huldah told them to take a message back to the man who sent them from the Lord God of Israel.  Either they had to believe that God was speaking through her, or they were wrong in coming to her first.  I believe that anytime we seek help in understanding what He would have us do, that if we go to someone else to find answers, whether it be to a man or a woman, we need to go under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and if we do, we should be able to put faith in what they say.  Verse sixteen adds, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:  Huldah said God had pronounced His judgment on those who were called His people.  God has already pronounced His judgment on those who will not accept His gift of salvation.  Verse seventeen concludes, Because 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 kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.  God said that His judgment on them was due to their disobedience to Him and their following other gods.  Unless we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, His judgment will always be on us, and we will never find another way to salvation. Verse eighteen says, But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the Lord, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard;  Huldah then sent a personal message to Josiah.  God sends His gospel message to all, but until we allow it to become personal to us, it does us no good.  Even when God speaks to us individually to call us to salvation, we still have the choice of whether to accept His gift of salvation.  She also referred to him as the king of Judah, but God was still identified as the God of Israel, and Judah was still a part of Israel, God Chosen People.  No matter how we may divide ourselves as Christians, we are still all a part of the same family of God.  Verse nineteen continues, Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord.  Huldah said tell Josiah that God had seen his true repentance.  We will all be judged independently, and this will be based on our relationship with Jesus Christ.  If we have accepted Him as our personal Savior and Lord, it does not matter what God's judgment is of anyone else.  Verse twenty concludes, Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.  Huldah said God's message to Josiah was that the coming judgment would not happen in his lifetime.  God's judgment is coming, whether it is in our lifetime or not.  If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we will never face the coming judgment and see the everlasting punishment of being separated from God and being condemned to hell forever.