‘This is he who was in the congregation (church) in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received living oracles to give to us. To whom our fathers would not be obedient, but thrust him from them, and turned back in their hearts to Egypt,'
‘This is he --'. That is, Moses. He was with them and with God (the angel) in the wilderness where he received the ‘living oracles' from God at Mount Sinai, the mount of true revelation. There could be no higher testimonial to Moses than that. And they were intended to be for the blessing of Israel. But the people had thrust Moses away and had not been obedient to the Angel and His message, just as Jesus had come bringing living oracles and they had refused to listen to Him.
‘Living oracles.' Words which give life. They were indeed to be Israel's very life (Deuteronomy 30:19-20; Deuteronomy 32:46-47). By walking in obedience to the law, and fulfilling its ordinances, they would enjoy length of life and be able to live their earthly lives to their fullest extent, enjoying the presence of God with them all the way.
‘The congregation (church - ekklesia) in the wilderness.' The phrase was well known from the Old Testament signifying Israel as a whole, but Luke's readers would relate it to the idea of the church.
‘Turned back in their hearts to Egypt.' But their response to receiving the living oracles of God was to turn from them because their hearts were possessed by Egypt.