Ezekiel 20:25

Statutes that were not good. These are not the “statutes, ... which if a man do, he shall even live in them” (v. 11). They are not any part of the Mosaic law. This is evident from the reference to the consecration of children to Molech in v. 26. The statutes the people had adopted, which were not good, came from the heathen round about them. But how can it be said that God gave these to them? In Bible figure, many acts are attributed to God, not with the idea that He actually performs them, but from the point of view that in His omnipotence and omniscience He does not prevent them. An understanding of this principle helps to explain many apparently contradictory statements, which, like the one here under consideration, seem to contradict flatly the Bible teaching that God’s character is pure and holy (see Isa. 63:17; 2 Thess. 2:11, 12).

Attempts have been made to apply this text to the multitude of ceremonies and ordinances of the Mosaic law, which, if Israel had been obedient and had loved to keep God’s commandments, would not have been required (see 5T 666, 667). But the provisions of the Mosaic code can hardly be designated “statutes that were not good,” for the former were already in existence when Ezekiel made this pronouncement. Furthermore, the ceremonial law was given by Christ Himself, and was worthy of its divine author. Paul himself declares this law glorious. The clearer light that we now possess should not lead us to despise that which was earlier given in types and symbols (see PP 367, 368).

It has also been suggested that the “statutes” described as “not good” refer to the permissive decrees of Heaven by which various heathen nations successively oppressed God’s people (see on Dan. 4:17). Such had been the case in the repeated Assyrian invasions of Judah (Isa. 8:7; 10:5, 6; cf. Isa. 5:25, 26; 9:11, 12; Amos 6:14), and was now being repeated under Nebuchadnezzar (Isa. 47:5, 6; cf. Isa. 42:24, 25; 60:10, 15; Jer. 1:11-16; 4:18; 5:15-19).