Continuing in Ezekiel, our reading plan, which has us reading only one chapter/day, has once again showed me a verse I’ve never seen before. God is speaking:

Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life, (Ezekiel 20.25, ESV)

As I say, I’ve never seen that verse. What does it mean? In what sense did God give them “statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life”? Here’s a suggestion. When you come across such a verse, check it out in other translations. We’re blessed with a plethora of them.

The Living Bible has a nice clarification:

I let them adopt customs and laws which were worthless. Through the keeping of them they could not attain life. (Ezekiel 20.25, LB)

This paragraph from the NLT also makes sense:

Nevertheless, I withdrew my judgment against them to protect the honor of my name before the nations that had seen my power in bringing them out of Egypt. But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would scatter them among all the nations because they did not obey my regulations. They scorned my decrees by violating my Sabbath days and longing for the idols of their ancestors. I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life. (Ezekiel 20.22-25, NLT)

I “gave them over to worthless decrees…”

Compare Romans 1:

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting. (Romans 1.28, NKJV)

What are some “worthless customs and laws” that we might be tempted to follow? Here are a few:

• He who dies with the most toys wins.
• If you really want to enjoy watching sports, put a little skin in the game – by gambling.
• If your marriage isn’t going well, just go get another spouse.

The list goes on. Our challenge remains: stick with God’s Word!

To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. (Isaiah 8.20, NKJV)