Ezekiel 20:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

I spoke to their offspring in the wilderness, instructing them not to adhere to the decrees or statutes of their ancestors, nor to follow their rituals or be tainted by their idols. I am the Lord your God. You are to observe My commandments, uphold My statutes, and abide by them, ensuring that My Sabbaths remain sacred. This will serve as a covenantal sign between Me and you, affirming that I am the Lord your God. Following the demise of the ancestors who perished in the wilderness, He granted commandments to the children, extending mercy to the fathers through their offspring. He expressed His sorrow at the thought of annihilating them completely, yet preserved the fathers through their children.

Their offspring, having turned away from the teachings of their ancestors, I imparted my guidance in the wilderness, encouraging them to separate themselves from their fathers' ways, to recognize my authority, to adhere to my commandments, to uphold the justifications provided, to demonstrate their unique way of living by observing the Sabbaths, and through the direction of the law to draw nearer to the Lawgiver; yet they continued to neglect these laws. And God, having revealed these truths to them, further proclaimed: