Chapter 4: Breakfast with Eglah

We rose early and found a basin of clear water outside the door of our room. Sippore had already flown out the window to explore the town. We washed ourselves, dressed, and then descended the stairs with our tote bag down to the tavern to find breakfast. A woman that we did not recognize brought us bread and eggs with cups of fresh milk and a flask of wine.

As we ate our simple meal, Eglah walked into the tavern and sat down with us. “Good morning!” she said. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, the accommodations here are very comfortable,” I replied. “What about you? Did you rest well?”

“Once I got to sleep, I rested well,” she responded. “But my mind was full of questions, and for a long time I was too excited to fall asleep.”

“Oh? So what burning question do have for us?” Sipporah asked.

“Well, tell me more about the Creator. We have been taught that He is the highest God, but that under Him are many lesser gods, each ruling their portions of the earth. So each nation worships the god on whose land they live.”

“There is only one God,” I said. “The Creator owns all that He has created. All others who are called gods are not really gods at all, but are angels or spiritual beings who have usurped land from the Creator. These so-called gods live in fear of the Creator, for they do not worship Him as they ought. They set forth their own imperfect laws, such as the law of child sacrifice, which oppress the nations.”

“These false gods,” Sipporah added, “pretend to be in unity with the Most High God, in order to give credibility to their unjust laws. But they only defame the Creator and make Him appear to be tyrannical and harsh. This makes it difficult for men and women to believe that the Creator truly is a God of love.”

The light of truth lit up Eglah’s face.

“People tend to imitate the gods that they worship,” I continued. “When men think that their god is a tyrant, they set up tyrannical forms of government. When men’s gods require child sacrifice, they justify murder by declarations of war. When their gods give them the right to hate and to mistreat those of other nations, they see nothing wrong with hatred and slavery. When men think that their gods are pleased to assist them in stealing the land of other nations by military conquest, their laws are no longer impartially applied to all men and nations.”

“Then why is it,” Eglah asked, “that the God of Israel did not help them when our people put them into captivity? Our leaders took this as a sign that Philistine gods are more powerful than the God of Israel.”

“Too many Israelites were worshiping other gods,” Sipporah said. “The God of Israel was displeased with them. God judged His own people for their sin, for He had warned them from the beginning that this would happen if they followed other gods.”

“The Israelites polluted their land with idols and with blood,” I added. “When they worshiped the gods of other nations, they took upon themselves the blood guilt that those gods required. Not many of them, as yet, have sacrificed their first-born sons, but, given enough time, their idolatry will eventually lead them to do so. Even now, when they began to worship gods who induce men to murder their children, their land became polluted.”

“Do men sacrifice their children in your country?” Eglah asked.

“Yes, sadly, they do,” I said. “They forsook this practice for a long time, but in the end, human nature seems to have an insatiable thirst for blood and death. In my country, however, they are impatient, killing their babies even before they are born and before mothers have time to form strong bonds with them. They justify this by insisting that unborn babies are not yet human. So unborn children are denied their God-given right to live.”

“However,” I continued, “on a happier note, I can tell you that the God of Israel is now intervening to bring such a practice to an end. He has begun to enlighten our people and has given us a well of living water, which is overcoming the dark currents that flow from the soul.”

“Oh, I wish we had such water,” Eglah said, lowering her head. “We need it here as much as in your country.”

I reached into the tote bag on the floor next to me, and pulled out my flask of living water. “Here is some living water from the mountain of God,” I said. “I brought some with me for those who believe.”

Eglah’s eyes widened with wonder and awe. “You have living water? May I drink some of it?”

“Yes, of course,” I said, handing it to her. “Drink all that you want and never thirst again!” ²⁵

She took the flask gingerly and pulled on the top, trying to open it.

“Here, let me open it for you,” I said. “You have to turn the top this way. In our country many flasks open and close in this manner.”

When the flask was opened, Eglah carefully put it to her mouth, closed her eyes, and drank deeply of the living water. Then suddenly, she stopped and apologized, saying, “I’m sorry; I did not mean to drink so much of it. It’s just that it tastes so refreshing! But I need to leave some for your journey as well.”

“Do not worry about that,” Sipporah said with a laugh. “It is a well that will never run dry. You cannot drink all of it, no matter how hard you try, because it is living water.”

“That is amazing!” Eglah whispered. “I feel as if I drank the very presence of God. I feel renewed and purified like never before.”

“His Spirit now indwells you,” I replied. “His Spirit will remain in you as an unending source of inspiration and truth to guide you in all things. Walk always in faith, never in fear. Follow the inner voice and do not fear the threats of men. You are no longer the woman born of your parents, for you are now a new creation and old things have passed away. ²⁶ God has chosen you to a unique destiny that only you can fulfill. It will not be an easy path, but know that all things will work together for good in the end.” ²⁷

At that moment, the vav in my ear spoke: “Leave now, and go to the place that I will take you. I have a revelation of great importance for you. It is a matter of life and death.”

Having talked so much, I had not finished eating, so I decided to take the remaining bread and the flask of wine with me. “It is time for us to go now,” I said. “We must go, for there are important things that we must do today; but I am confident that we will see you again soon.”

“Will you come to my wedding?” Eglah asked anxiously.

“Yes, of course,” Sipporah said with a smile. “We would not miss it for anything!”

Eglah clapped her hands with delight and hugged Sipporah.

“Until then, Shalom,” I said. “Be at peace.”

Footnotes

25. Romans 8:28
26. 2 Corinthians 5:17
27. Romans 6:28