Today we have the entire Bible as the guidebook for a healthy Christian lifestyle. But before humanity had the Bible, God gave His people, Israel, the Ten Commandments as a summary of biblical guidelines for daily living (Exodus 20).

A brief look at the Ten Commandments helps us understand why Jesus, the prophets who wrote the Bible, and many modern scholars have been led to affirm that the Ten Commandments are an indispensable basis for right living.

The Ten Commandments naturally fall into two divisions. The first four define our relationship to God, and the last six define our relationship to other people. They are found in Exodus 20:3-17.

The first two commandments outline our relationship to God and to His worship.

I. “You shall have no other gods before me.”

II. “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them. . . . ” The 3rd and 4th commandments sketch our relationship to God’s name and to His holy day.

III. “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”

IV. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. . . . ”