ONE NIGHT WITH A PROSTITUTE

“A cohen is not to marry a woman who is a prostitute, who has been profaned or has been divorced; because he is holy for his God.”
Leviticus 21:7

I want to start off by saying that I have never been with a prostitute, and I understand this title may take a few people off guard. But as I was reading this portion of the Torah, I began to recall the details of the life of Samson. I know that Samson was not a Levite priest, but as we are to be holy as Adonai is holy, I cannot help but think that this same command applies to us. The cohen, priest, was to be selective in who he married, with her having to be a virgin from among his own people and not a prostitute, widow, or divorcee. The reason for this was due to the level of holiness Adonai commanded. So then, let us explore this in light of Samson.
By the time Samson was lured in by prostitute, he had already been used by Adonai to judge the mis-deeds of the Philistines . Because of his Nazirite vow to drink no fermented drink, eat nothing considered unclean, and not cut his hair, Adonai’s Spirit rested on him. With this Spirit came great strength. When attacked by a lion, he tore it apart with his bare hands (Jud 14:6). When outsmarted in his riddle, he struck down thirty men and stripped them of the belongings to pay his debt (Jud 14:19). In an act of breaking free from bindings, the Spirit of Adonai came upon him and with a donkey jawbone he busted the heads of a thousand men (Jud 15:16). But then he met the prostitute.
There must have been someone watching guard that night, for the story continues that the people of Gaza were tipped off that Samson was in town. They surrounded the place, waiting for just the right time to make their move. When the sun would rise, they would attack. But Samson didn’t wait that long, and in the midnight hour he left town. On his way out, seeing they were trying to trap him, his strength again proved useful as he dislodged the doors of the city gate and made his exit. Samson didn’t stay till morning, but he still stayed too long.
Proverbs 5 tells us of the seduction of adultery. The adulteress looks good. She has sweet words to match her sweet lips. She is trained in seduction and knows just how much to reveal to catch the eyes of the men passing by. As she waves to the men, and giggles, and flirts, she becomes the black widow that invites her prey into her trap. Some fall victim, like Samson, but all are encouraged to resist. Her path leads to death, her steps straight to the grave. It is from her that we are encouraged to run, as Yosef did when seduced by Potiphar’s wife. “Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house…” (Prov 5:8). Who will listen?
Again, we are called to be holy as He is holy. So then, are we any different than Samsom? We may not desire or accept the offer of a present day prostitute seen on the corner, but do we not pay the fee of the prostitute of sin? Do we not walk into the house of an addiction, or a lie, or a theft, or anything contrary to Adonai’s Word? All sin is the acceptance of one night with a prostitute, and the cost for her pleasure is our death. Yes we have forgiveness through Yeshua, but let us stop using Him as our crutch and start obeying Him by keeping a path far from sin. And not only should we stay away, but we should help others stay clear of her street. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted” (Gal 6:1). Isn’t time that we pay more attention to what road we’re on and steer clear of the red light district of sin?

Leviticus 21:1-15