Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
The Ten Commandments given to the people through Moses is part of the two-way Covenant God made. They are the summarized essence of a Godly lifestyle. Obeying them is the right and proper response to the Gospel Promise of verse 2: ”I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the house of bondage.” Because I did this for you, you will do this for me….
Get the order right: because God is good, I am good, not because I am good, God is good to me. But the Bible is a history of failure, our failure, to keep and do and be faithful, until the One Man, who is also God, came into the world and did it right for us. This Gospel is the power of God to us to respond in faith and obedience.
The Hebrew tense of ”thou shalt” is purposely ambiguous, yielding both a future (“you will”) and an imperative (“you must”). The beautiful life results from the future declaration: this is how you will now live as a natural response to My Love. When you put me first and only in your heart and life, then keeping the following commands flows and life is blessed.