Exodus 33:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“I will not personally accompany you.” In Exodus 3, particularly noted in verse 3, we have discussed the significance of the angel who bears the name of the Lord; this angel, who proclaims the name of the Lord, is truly Jehovah. In contrast, the ‘My angel’ that the Lord intends to send with the people differs greatly, for the Lord declares, “I will not go up among you, for I might consume you.” The presence of God is indeed formidable for those unrepentant sinners who have defied the Creator. It is only through repentance that the people can be prepared for a renewed covenant, and only through God’s grace can the chasm created by sin between Him and the people be bridged. At the time when Moses conveyed this message to the people, the nation had, for a season, renounced its status as a covenant people and stood alongside the various Gentile nations of the earth.