Exodus 3:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

You will worship and bring offerings to God in this mountain, but as stated in Amos 5:25 and Acts 7:42, ‘Did you perhaps offer me sacrifices and offerings for forty years in the wilderness of the house of Israel?’ It is undeniable that the Israelites presented sacrifices to the Lord while in the wilderness at Mount Sinai, as indicated in Exodus 24:4-5. What does this signify? The statements made by the prophet and echoed by Stephen are not to be interpreted as references to the sacrifices themselves, but rather to the manner in which they were conducted; that is, they failed to present their offerings to God sincerely, lacking the essential components of faith and repentance. As a result, God deemed their offerings worthless, as seen in Exodus 1:13-14 and Psalm 67:3.

The Lord assures, “I will be with you,” and then provides a sign that pertains to the future, necessitating unwavering faith. He states, “You will serve God on this mountain; here is a sign for you that your mission will succeed, and there is no challenge that you will not surpass.”