Ezekiel 20:25
“Moreover also I gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances in which they should not live.”
What does Ezekiel 20:25 mean?
God is speaking through Ezekiel about a painful moment in Israel's history, describing how he permitted the people to follow laws that actually worked against their flourishing. This wasn't because God delights in harm, but rather a consequence of their stubborn rejection of his better ways, a kind of "giving them over" to the consequences of their own choices. It's a sobering reminder that when we persistently turn away from what's truly good for us, God sometimes allows us to experience the results of our rebellion. The broader context shows this as part of God's judgment, yet even here there's an invitation to remember that his character remains just and his desire for his people remains redemptive, not punitive for its own sake.