A mountain in the desert may seem a very unlikely place in which to encounter God and find the truth. The desert is indeed a threatening place. But for Israel it was the place where they were to experience a very deep intimacy with God. It was on Mount Sinai in the desert that God spoke to Moses.

A set of commandments may also seem a rather restricted and unimaginative way in which to express the great truths about life. "All these Commandments is our rendering: Scripture speaks rather of "All these words" A "Word of the Lord" is much wider than a commandment. For God's Word always contains both revelation and promise: It is always teaching and enlightening as much as commandment. It is always a revelation of God's loving and merciful justice.

God's first words to Moses reveal both the historical context and the basis of these words, these "commandments": God brought Israel out of Egypt. The Exodus is Israel's basic experience of hope. God's great act of love in liberating Israel demands a reverential and loving response from Israel: the Exodus creates the commandments.