Prostitute

Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, the will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. Exodus 34:15
The words prostitute and prostitution are extremely unpleasant. I don’t know how you respond but a very specific picture forms in my mind. No matter many times I see real pictures of what we technically term a prostitute, no matter how high dollar that person may look, the picture in my mind is much more of the seedy variety. That applies on both sides. I am still stunned when the celebrity or politician is caught with their pants down, figuratively speaking. What possesses a person of some semblance of intelligence to take that path? Over the years I have been offered several fairly good explanations of what drives men and women to that behavior but I frankly still don’t get it. And I still see it as less than savory. The picture in my mind, on both sides, is that of a dirty, unkempt, sleazy person. Limited? I know but I guess somewhere along the way that image took hold and it remains. I do not see prostitutes or those who frequent them as anything other than sordid and no amount of propaganda is going to change that image. Okay, so “prostitute themselves to their gods?”

That phrase speaks of idolatry to me. There is only one God so anything else put in the position meant solely for Him is an idol, right? If that is true then my picture of prostitution is quite helpful. If I can see the things I put before God as the broken down, beyond suggestively, well into come and get it clad street walking, fast talking mess, then to give my time to it makes me the dirty trench coat wearing, greasy haired, slicker than dirty oil disaster that goes looking for such a mess. I do not want to be cast in the role of one who seeks out a prostitute. I do not want to put something so deplorable in front of my God. Never once in my life have I seen the things in which I choose to invest my time as prostitution. I have seen them as less than valuable, or even a considerable waste of time, but never as something so filthy and disgusting.

Reading this verse today another idea of prostitution came to mind. Not too long ago I remember watching as a prominent politician had to confess to the world that yes, he was involved with a “call girl.” Whatever buddy! A prostitute by any other name is still not your wife. She wasn’t his wife. She was an extremely expensive substitute. I wondered what drove that man to spend so much time and money on something that would never be his. To me it’s a bit like owning a beautiful home but living in an apartment, all the while paying for both of them and not truly caring for either. Shouldn’t his wife have come first?

We are told in Exodus 34:14 that God is a jealous god. He does not want us to have idols or to put anything in the place created in us for Him. The word prostitute comes from the Latin word prostituere, which broken down is pro- in front and tuere- to stand. So now we know why that words is used in reference to false gods. God wants nothing to stand in front of Him. He is number one, the Alpha and Omega. John 15:5b says, “apart from me you can do nothing.” After years of enjoying the privilege of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit I would paraphrase that to say, “apart from Him I am nothing.” Why would I want to have anything to do with prostitutes of any kind? We are exhorted to have no gods before our God. What stands in front of God for you? Move it! Do everything you can to get that obstacle out of your way. There is no substitute for the One True God.

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