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Answer
Ezekiel 20:25 in the ESV states, “Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life.” Why would God give the Israelites “statutes that were not good”? Is God implying that some of the commands, laws, statutes, and regulations He provided to the Israelites in the Old Testament Law were not beneficial?
As with any passage, it is crucial to examine the context of Ezekiel 20:25. In Ezekiel 20, these declarations are reiterated: “I swore to them” (verses 5, 6, 15, 23), “made known to them” (verses 5, 9), “I am the Lord your God” (verses 5, 7, 12, 19), and “but they rebelled” (verses 8, 13, 16, 21). God clearly states that He is God and that He has revealed Himself to the Israelites. He did this by delivering them from the land of Egypt to a bountiful and fertile land He had prepared for them, sparing them from the punishment they deserved, and giving them laws and statutes. It is noteworthy that God emphasizes His faithfulness, His goodness (bringing forth life), and His accessibility for them to seek and comprehend. Additionally, God underscores their rebellion and the abominations of their ancestors.
God instructed the Israelites to rid themselves of the detestable things they gazed upon and to avoid defiling themselves with the idols of Egypt «then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God. », (Ezekiel 20:7). He provided them with rules that lead to life for the obedient (verse 11). God gave them the Sabbath as a symbol to acknowledge that God sanctifies them (verse 12). He commanded them not to follow the statutes of their forefathers or abide by their regulations. He also instructed them not to defile themselves with idols (verse 18) and to honor the Sabbath as holy (verse 20).
Israel transgressed all of God’s directives. They co
Committed abominations «Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? make them know the abominations of their fathers: », (Ezekiel 20:4). They rebelled against God and were unwilling to listen. They did not discard the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they abandon their idols (verse 8). They did not walk in His statutes but rejected His rules and desecrated the Sabbath (verses 13, 16, 24). Their hearts turned to the idols of other nations (verses 16, 24). They rebelled and did not abide by the rules that bring life (verses 21, 24). Their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols (verse 24).
Ezekiel 20:25 seems to contradict what was stated in previous verses. God repeatedly emphasizes that His rules bring life and that the Israelites did not live by those rules. So, what does He mean when He mentions giving them rules that were “not good” and by which they “could not have life”?
Several other translations interpret Ezekiel 20:25 differently:
“So I gave them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live” (NIV).
“I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life” (NLT).
“Therefore I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live” (NKJV).
The verse indicates that, because the Israelites violated God’s laws and committed abominations, such as sacrificing their sons «and I defiled them through their gifts, in that they made pass through the fire all that opens the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD. », (Ezekiel 20:26), God essentially said, “I’ll let you experience the full misery of what it is like to live under the laws of pagan gods.”
This “giving over” of the IsraelitesTo worthless decrees would be akin to what we see in Romans 1:24, 26, and 28: “God gave them over to the lusts of their hearts. . . . God gave them over to degrading passions. . . . God gave them over to a depraved mind” (NASB).
When we persistently rebel against God, disobeying His commands, engaging in idolatry, etc., He may at times permit us to face the repercussions of our sins. He allows us to witness how sin devastates our lives. He allows us to mirror the idols we are venerating.
In essence, when God states, “I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life,” He is asserting that, due to the Israelites distorting God’s statutes (such as the offering of the firstfruits), even to the extent of sacrificing their firstborn children, God handed them over to the regulations and statutes of their forefathers and the idolatrous nations surrounding them. Those regulations, which led to death, stood in contrast to God’s life-affirming rules and served as a form of judgment in themselves.
Why did God act in this manner? “So that they would know that I am the LORD” «and I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD. », (Ezekiel 20:26) and so that “afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols” (verse 39). God desires our wholehearted devotion. He wants us to acknowledge that He is the one deserving of worship, as He is the only true God who can grant us life.
