Can we conclude from Ezekiel, chapter 20, verse 25 (Authorized Version), that God gave Israel laws which were not good?

When we review from God’s Word what He tells us about His laws – we can know this statement in verse 25 of Ezekiel 20 cannot be complete as presented.

In Psalm 19:7-10 we read: “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.” Romans 7:12 tells us “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.”

What then, could this verse in Ezekiel be revealing to us? Much can be learned by reading the preceding 24 verses of this 20th chapter of Ezekiel. Israel, of course, had been in captivity under the rule of the Egyptians for some 400 years, and had totally lost any knowledge of God and of His Ways. God had determined to reveal Himself once again to these descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel).

In verse 11 of this chapter we see, that God gave them His statutes and judgments: “…which if a man does, he shall live by them.” Continue – verses 12-13:

“Moreover, I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them. Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they despised My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; and they greatly defiled My Sabbaths.”

Thus, God lifted His hand against them (verses 23-24): “Also I lifted My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries, because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.”

Somewhat clearer than the Authorized Version, the New King James Bible gives a little more understanding relative to verse 25: Therefore, God “…GAVE THEM UP to statutes that were not good.” The Living Bible states it this way: “I let them adopt customs and laws which were worthless. Through the keeping of them they could not attain (eternal) life.”

These were laws and statutes they had determined for themselves to live by. Yet, in so doing, they could not please God!

What were these laws – these statutes – these judgments that the people took to themselves? They are the laws Paul spoke of in the second chapter of the letter to the Colossians. He described these laws as “philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and NOT according to Christ” (verse 8). Paul identified these human “regulations” (verse 20) as “commandments and doctrines of men” (verse 22).

In Psalm 81:11-12 God reveals exactly what He did in this matter with Israel. “But My people would not heed My voice, And Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels.”

Notice, also, Acts 7:41-42: “And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven (false worship), as it is written in the book of the Prophets…”

Yes, God allowed them to go their own way. It was their choice – as it is with God’s people, today! Proverbs 14:12 tells us: “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”

Moses explained to Israel in Deuteronomy 4:5-8 that God’s righteous laws were for their wisdom and understanding in the sight of all the nations. This was a blessing to them from the Almighty!

Notice verse 8 of Deuteronomy 4 (Authorized Version): “And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?” And in Deuteronomy 6:24-25 (Authorized Version): “And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is today. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all the commandments before our God, as He hath commanded.”

We, as God’s people, today, would do well to follow these righteous instructions from our God! For more information, please read our free booklets, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…” and, “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”

Life of David

On Saturday, December 4, 2004, Norbert Link will give the sermon, continuing the series on the life of David.

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Preaching the Gospel & Feeding the Flock

A new StandingWatch program was recorded last week and placed on the Web, titled, “Attitude!”

In the following Update, reference is made to “unique visitors,” “number of visits,” “pages” and “hits.” “Unique Visitors” are the total number of visits by a unique internet address. The “number of visits” is the total number of visits by all visitors over a given period of time. If I visit your site and then come back four more times, you should see one “unique visit” and five “visits” from me. “Pages” are the total number of pages viewed by visitors. These do not include images, java script or CSS and the like — just HTML and CGI type files. “Hits” refers to every file requested by the visitor. This includes pages and images together.

There are now 63 million registered Internet domain names. In October, we ranked in the top 7% viewed at 4,189,626. In September and October, the CEG Webpage received 49,349 and 51,621 hits, respectively.

The Sabbath is consistently the highest bandwidth use day. This would be attributed to people downloading sermons. These are presumably people outside of our fellowship, as we are listening to streaming audio off of a separate server.



-------------+-------------+--------+----------+-----------

             |  Number     |        |          |

Day          |  of visits  |  Pages |  Hits    |  Bandwidth	   

-------------+-------------+--------+----------+-----------

01 Sep 2004  |  69         |  322   |  636     |  11.24 MB	   

02 Sep 2004  |  70         |  318   |  1266    |  29.12 MB	   

03 Sep 2004  |  106        |  748   |  4646    |  44.64 MB	   

04 Sep 2004  |  120        |  513   |  1940    |  105.58 MB	   

05 Sep 2004  |  56         |  193   |  670     |  7.00 MB	   

06 Sep 2004  |  65         |  203   |  826     |  92.01 MB	   

07 Sep 2004  |  81         |  227   |  855     |  23.73 MB	   

08 Sep 2004  |  76         |  185   |  558     |  32.46 MB	   

09 Sep 2004  |  72         |  225   |  1167    |  63.80 MB	   

10 Sep 2004  |  108        |  745   |  4755    |  54.35 MB	   

11 Sep 2004  |  117        |  424   |  2352    |  43.38 MB	   

12 Sep 2004  |  83         |  300   |  870     |  31.60 MB	   

13 Sep 2004  |  84         |  443   |  1104    |  104.04 MB	   

14 Sep 2004  |  80         |  332   |  844     |  47.91 MB	   

15 Sep 2004  |  89         |  246   |  1028    |  19.84 MB	   

16 Sep 2004  |  160        |  539   |  1802    |  53.83 MB	   

17 Sep 2004  |  98         |  709   |  4340    |  36.51 MB	   

18 Sep 2004  |  123        |  735   |  2235    |  1.82 GB	   

19 Sep 2004  |  93         |  236   |  997     |  37.95 MB	   

20 Sep 2004  |  79         |  305   |  975     |  34.54 MB	   

21 Sep 2004  |  78         |  260   |  729     |  28.10 MB	   

22 Sep 2004  |  79         |  244   |  595     |  23.61 MB	   

23 Sep 2004  |  78         |  1111  |  1989    |  17.12 MB	   

24 Sep 2004  |  112        |  814   |  5524    |  54.46 MB	   

25 Sep 2004  |  149        |  550   |  2086    |  115.78 MB	   

26 Sep 2004  |  78         |  273   |  1170    |  12.55 MB	   

27 Sep 2004  |  80         |  298   |  1034    |  17.16 MB	   

28 Sep 2004  |  93         |  403   |  982     |  67.17 MB	   

29 Sep 2004  |  78         |  194   |  657     |  9.73 MB	   

30 Sep 2004  |  95         |  248   |  717     |  15.94 MB

-------------+-------------+--------+----------+-----------	   

Average      |  91.63      |  411.4 |  1644.97 |  103.28 MB	   

Total        |  2749       |  12343 |  49349   |  3.03 GB

Hebrews 5:8 tells us that Christ "learned obedience by the things which He suffered." Didn't Christ live a sinless life? Wasn't He therefore always obedient? If so, how did Jesus Christ LEARN obedience by the things which He suffered?

Jesus Christ, when He was here on earth as a human being, lived indeed a sinless life. He never sinned by breaking any of God’s Commandments (compare 1 John 3:4, Authorized Version). Rather, He kept perfectly all of God’s Laws. He said in John 15:10: “I have kept My Father’s commandments.”

The Biblical record is conclusive that Christ never sinned. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Christ “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” He was “separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26); and even when He suffered, He “committed no sin” (1 Peter 2:21-22). Christ challenged His listeners to convict Him of sin (John 8:46), knowing that they would be unable to do so. He also testified of Himself that “no unrighteousness” was in Him (John 7:18).

Before Christ became a man, He had lived for all eternity as a glorified God being, in the Spirit, together with the Father (John 17:5). But when He became human, having laid aside His divine attributes (Philippians 2:5-7), He experienced for the first time what it was like to live with human nature — in this “sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3). He had to learn IN THE FLESH how to overcome sin and stay obedient to God; how to fight victoriously against the temptations of the flesh; and how to stay obedient in suffering, “to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).

While in this sinful flesh, living with human nature, Christ learned obedience by condemning sin in His flesh (compare, again, Romans 8:3). He learned obedience to God’s will, in the face of terrible sufferings and pain, by submitting His own will to that of the Father, and by accepting and embracing the Father’s will in His life (Matthew 26:38-39).

Christ never sinned. He was always obedient to God’s Law. But as a human, He had to learn, by experience, how difficult it can be to always obey, and that sin can only be resisted successfuly through the power of God’s Holy Spirit living within us. Christ emphasized many times that He could do nothing of Himself (John 5:19); that the Father dwelling in Christ, through the Holy Spirit, was doing the works which Christ performed (John 14:10); and that Christ was not seeking His own will, but only the will of the Father (John 5:30; 6:38). Although Christ never sinned, He still had to learn obedience to God’s Law, as a human being, by the things which He suffered.

We find this insightful explanation in the NASB Study Bible which sheds light on verse 8 of Hebrews 5: “Though He was the eternal Son of God, it was necessary for Him as the incarnate Son to learn obedience–not that He was ever disobedient, but that He was called on to obey to an extent He had never before experienced. The temptations He faced were real and the battle for victory was difficult, but where Adam failed…, Jesus resisted and prevailed.”

The Broadman Bible Commentary states, in regard to Hebrews 5:8-9: “This sonship did not immunize him from the necessity of learning as every genuinely human being must learn. The deepest lessons of life are learned through anguish. The learning of Jesus was not an exception to this. Being made perfect means, not that he was not at every given moment perfect, but rather, that his moral perfection ultimately depended upon his response to each challenge presented to him. This was especially true as this challenge intensified, as his cross drew nearer and became… a grim, present reality.”

“The New Bible Commentary: Revised” adds the following thoughts: “Also by the experience of such a discipline, He, Son of God though He was, learnt the full meaning and cost of human obedience, and was thereby perfected in His human character, and in His fitness to be the cause to men of salvation eternal in quality. Men can enjoy the full benefit of his saving work only if they, too, are baptized into the same spirit, and become those who at any cost make active obedience to Christ their continual practice.”

The Nelson Study Bible explains the fact that “Jesus learned obedience,” in this way: “Jesus experienced all of what a person goes through on this earth. He knows how difficult it is to obey God completely, just as He understands the attractions of temptation ([Hebrews] 2:18). Yet He persisted in obedience, leading a sinless life (I John 3:5).”

Notice, too, how other translations render Hebrews 5:8. Moffat says: “he learned by all he suffered how to obey.” William Beck writes: “He found out from what He suffered what it means to obey.”

One of the clearest interpretations of Hebrews 5:8-9 can be found in the rendering of the Living Bible, as follows: “And even though Jesus was God’s Son, he had to learn from experience what it was like to obey, when obeying meant suffering. It was after he had proved himself perfect in this experience that Jesus became the giver of eternal salvation to all those who obey him.”

Jesus lived a perfect life without sin. Still, as a human being, He had to experience what it is like to live in this flesh, subject to temptations and sufferings, and stay obedient to God. He indeed learned obedience by the things which He suffered. We must learn obedience in the same way. For more information, please listen to our new sermon, “To Obey Is Better.”

Your Relationship with God

On Saturday, November 27, 2004, J. Edwin Pope will be giving the sermon, titled, “Your Relationship with God,” Part 3.

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

You teach that only ministers are to appoint members to the ministry. However, doesn't Acts 14:23 show that the entire congregation ordained ministers?

Actually, Acts 14:23 teaches the exact opposite. Looking at the context, we find that the ones who “appointed elders in every church” (verse 23) were “the apostles Barnabas and Paul” (verse 14; compare, too, Acts 15:2).

As we have pointed out before, for instance, in the Q&A of Update #147 (June 11, 2004), God used ordained ministers to appoint others to the ministry (Titus 1:5). Titus was a minister. He is also referred to as a brother. After all, a true minister is a servant and a spiritual brother. This is why Paul could call Titus a brother, but this does not mean that Titus was not also ordained to the ministry. The Bible shows that ministers or elders are ordained or appointed by other ministers or elders. The laying on of hands through the ministry is very important in this regard (1 Timothy 5:22).

Some feel that the Church does not need any ministers, or that every Church member is a minister. This is simply not true. James tells us that sick persons are to call for the elders of the Church to anoint them with oil and pray over them. This is not talking about unordained brethren. In this regard, please read our free booklet, “Sickness and Healing — What the Bible Tells Us.” Also, baptism and the laying on of hands are to be done through the ministry — otherwise, no promise of the receipt of the Holy Spirit is given. Only when Peter and other ministers placed their hands on baptized people, did they receive the Holy Spirit. For more information, read our free booklet, “Baptism — a Requirement for Salvation.”

We read in Ephesians 4:11 that Christ has given the ministry to the Church, “for the equipping of the saints” (verse 12). Verse 11 speaks about certain ranks, offices and functions within the ministry, including apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Paul referred to himself on several occasions as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher (1 Timothy 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:11).

God has set in place a ministry (ordained elders), through which He administers the Church. The Church is clearly not run as a democracy. This is not to say, however, that the ministry is to run the Church in a dictatorial or autocratic fashion — rather, as shepherds concerned for the welfare of the sheep, the ministry is to always have the good of the flock in mind. The ministry is well advised to consult with the membership before decisions affecting the members are made, including decisions pertaining to ordination. This does not mean, however, that the ministry is conducting its affairs by vote, but it is always good to obtain and receive a multitude of counsel.

The concept that an entire congregation “ordains” or “appoints” someone to the ministry is not biblical. We don’t read anywhere that Church decisions were reached through a majority vote of the membership. Note how it was done in Acts 15. The Church “agreed” with the decision of the ministry, but by that time, the decision was already made, and when the decision was made, non-ordained members were not even present.

It is claimed by some that the word” ordained” or “appointed,” as it is used in Acts 14:23, allegedly conveys the meaning of “voting.” The Concordant Literal New Testament renders this verse: “Now, selecting elders for them according to the ecclesia, praying with fastings, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

However, this is NOT an accurate rendition of the literal Greek. “The Englishman’s Greek New Testament…An Interlinear Literal Translation,” renders Acts 14:23, word-for-word, as follows: “And having chosen FOR THEM elders IN every assembly, having prayed with fastings they committed them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.”

Again, we see that Paul and Barnabas “chose” FOR THE CHURCH elders IN every congregation or assembly. The word for “ordained,” “appointed” or “chosen,” as it is translated from the original Greek in Acts 14:23, is defined by “Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible,” as “to elect by stretching out the hand.” Note again that it is Paul and Barnabas who do the “electing” — not the entire congregation. There remains no room for contending that the assembly voted on the matter. The Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words by W.E. Vine (under “appoint”) explains that the Greek word does not have the meaning here of voting, as the same Greek word is also used for God in Acts 10:40-41, as follows: “Him [Jesus Christ] God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses CHOSEN before by God.” Vine explains that the Greek word in Acts 14:23, translated as “ordained,” “appointed” or “chosen,” refers to the “appointment of elders by apostolic missionaries in the various churches which they revisited.”

God is not the author of confusion, but of order. He has designated that the ministry is to ordain or appoint qualified members to the ministry. This is the clear teaching of the Bible, which we must uphold and practice.

Circumstantial Evidence

by

Many of the most “brilliant” minds of our time do not believe that God exists or that we can really know that He exists. Most of their doubt comes from the fact that they have not seen, heard or touched Him. In other words they have no empirical evidence; that which is proved or derived from observation or experiment.

Yet, what is ignored is the preponderance of circumstantial evidence or indirect proof of God’s existence. Perhaps when we hear the term circumstantial evidence we have a tendency to not give it credibility because of the way in which it is bandied about on television and in other mediums.

If we were to go to sleep tonight and wake up the next morning to find that the whole city or county had a foot of snow covering it, we would think that we had direct proof that it snowed. But this isn’t the case. Even though there was no snow when we went to sleep and a foot when we woke up, this would still be circumstantial evidence. We didn’t see it snow so we couldn’t testify to the fact that it did, BUT it would be entirely ludicrous to assume otherwise.

In the same way this is a case for the existence of God.

Around us is all the proof that we will ever need that God does indeed exist. In Romans 1:20 it states, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”

God says there is no legitimate reason that any one can give when Christ returns for being an atheist, because of the overwhelming evidence that was there all along. The more technically sophisticated man becomes, the more we are able to see just that, in the most minute, as well as the most grand of scale. With each advancement we make we can see more and more that there is a great design too incredible to have happened by chance.

If anyone saw a watch they would assume that someone produced the watch. When they look at its design and careful organization they would have to conclude that it required a designer. Even though they did not see it produced, its mere existence proves this.

As we look at the entire universe in its magnificence, the only conclusion that we can come to is that this creation and its design points to God who designed and created it. There truly are too many illustrations and occurrences of the fact that God exists to enumerate and expand on them here. However, if we have an eye to see, His handiwork, His circumstantial evidence will declare that He does exist without a doubt.

To Obey Is Better

On Saturday, November 20, 2004, Dave Harris will be giving the sermon, titled, “To Obey Is Better.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time) Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Preaching the Gospel & Feeding the Flock

A new StandingWatch program was recorded last week, titled, “Christ’s Return and You.” The program discusses our individual physical and spiritual responsibilities in preparation for Christ’s return.

It is planned to record another StandingWatch program this Friday.

Ad Campaign in the UK

The recent UK advertising campaign offered two booklets, “Europe in Prophecy,” which received 1,450 responses, and “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World,” which received 1,427 responses. In addition, other booklets have been requested and so far, a further 135 have been sent out with more requests expected in the next few weeks. Requests for additional literature are still being received by telephone, post and e-mail.

Just a few comments from this latest advertising campaign:

“I would like to peruse your ‘America and Britain in Prophecy’ booklet, having found much that has troubled since schooldays, and is covered in ‘Europe in Prophecy’ which I have just read. Since schooldays are some 75 years ago, you may understand the state that applies.”

“Thank you for sending me a copy of the booklet ‘Europe in Prophecy.’ From the list on the back page, I am intrigued; would it be possible to send me ‘The Theory of Evolution’, ‘Is God a Trinity?’, ‘Baptism – A Requirement for Salvation?’ and ‘Angels, Demons and the Spirit World.’ Thank you very much. I appreciate all and everything I have and can learn from you.”

“Thank you very much for recent booklet ‘Europe in Prophecy.’ I found this very good and very informative. All I can do is thank you for this information as I find it very sad when I see the turmoil, war and hurt that is commonplace world wide at this moment in time. Once again, thank you for your publication.”

“After reading ‘Europe in Prophecy’ I am now intrigued to read your other publications. I would be delighted if you could send me a copy of each of those below.” (The writer then requests a further 14 booklets which will be sent to him over the next several weeks).

“Thank you very much for the two booklets which you have sent me, which I found informative and thought provoking. You also sent a list of what is available and so will you allow me to impose on your kindness and request further booklets.”

“Thank you for the booklet entitled ‘Europe in Prophecy’ – it’s quite fascinating to say the least. I must confess that I hadn’t heard of the Global Church of God, that is until I received the booklet. Perhaps I should throw a little light on my simple beliefs. I do not accept in any form or shape the Devil or Satan. I do not accept the Trinity or ascension into heaven. I have been baptised into the saving name of Christ my Saviour and await the judgement morning when I will alone answer for my sins. This is my simple faith as I walk towards Jehovah’s Vineyard in the sincere hope that I will be granted an abiding place in that glorious Kingdom. This I write in the hope of our Master’s quick return.”

“I have read your book ‘Europe in Prophecy’ and it is very interesting but there are a few things that I don’t agree with. I would like to read the book ‘Angels, Demons and the Spirit World’ as I belong to the Spiritualist church.”

©2025 Church of the Eternal God
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.