We are in chapter twenty of Exodus with our word for today which is actually a phrase. אֱלֹ֤הֵי כֶ֙סֶף֙ וֵאלֹהֵ֣י זָהָ֔ב gods of silver and gods of gold. It is used 4 times in the Old Testament. Let’s look at our uses. Exodus 20:23 You shall not make אֱלֹ֤הֵי כֶ֙סֶף֙ וֵאלֹהֵ֣י זָהָ֔בgods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. Did you notice the reference that God makes that these idols that people would make are not to be with me. In other words, they have no place next to me as God. In our next usage we see God instructing these idols to be destroyed. And he gives a reason for this. Deuteronomy 7:25 The פְּסִילֵ֥י אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the כֶּ֨סֶף וְזָהָ֤בsilver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the Lord your God. Did you see the explanation for burning these idols? Because God knows that they will trap us and take us away from Him. This is what makes them detestable to God because he loves us and doesn’t want anything to keep us away from him. Idols will always bring shame in the end as we have seen in looking at the other words for idols. The other two uses of our phrase are great examples of this very thing. Daniel 5:2-4 While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. As they drank the wine, they praised the לֵֽאלָהֵ֞י דַּהֲבָ֧א וְכַסְפָּ֛א gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. Right after this God himself shows up and Belshazzar has Daniel interpret what God is saying to him. Daniel 5:22-23 But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the וְלֵֽאלָהֵ֣י כַסְפָּֽא־וְ֠דַהֲבָא gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. Daniel has to remind him that God humbled his own father because of his pride and now Belshazzar is worshiping idols of silver and gold instead of the true God. And did you catch the contrast that gods of silver and gold can not see or hear or understand but the true God holds Belshazzar’s life in his hand. That is a great reason why to only worship the true God not idols made of all kinds of metals.  I’ll close with this great reminder of what happens when we worship anything and anyone other than the true reality God who alone deserves our praise. We trade the best of life having a close relationship with the true living God and give it up to become darkened and futile in our thinking. Romans 1:21-22, 25 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles… They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.