After the people of Israel experience the fearful and awesome appearance of God on Mount Sinai, they beg Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die." So, while the people remain at a distance at the foot of the mountain, Moses climbs into the thick darkness where God is, and there God reveals his Law to him. (A more detailed description of God's Law to Moses is recorded in chapters 21--31.) Then the focus suddenly shifts from God's words to Moses on Mount Sinai to the people at the foot of the mountain below. Moses has been gone for some time, and the people have begun to feel as though they've been abandoned. So they beg Aaron, "Make us gods who will go before us."

How could the Israelites, who just days before had bowed in awe and fear before the living God, now build an altar to an idol? One factor, of course, is that Moses has been away for a long time. There have been some people who were unhappy with Moses' leadership right from the start, and now they seize the opportunity to organize the opposition against "this fellow Moses."

Another factor may have been the people's desire to worship a visible, tangible god. For their whole lives they have witnessed the worship of the idol gods of Egypt, and now they long to have some visible representation of a god to lead them forward. Perhaps they simply intended the golden calf to be a visible symbol of the Lord, who brought them out of Egypt. Likely they felt more comfortable and reassured with this impressive visual symbol. Notice, however, that the idol's presence changed the character of their worship. After they offered their sacrifices and ate their fellowship meal they began to "indulge in revelry"—thoughtlessly mimicking the orgiastic worship they had witnessed in Egypt.

None of this escapes the notice of the Lord . In anger God pronounces the Israelites a "stiff-necked people" and announces that he will destroy them and start all over with Moses. Now we see how closely Moses has identified himself with the people God has called him to deliver. He prays for the Lord to save the people, throwing God's own promises back at God: "Remember the covenant promise you made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Then, in the face of Moses' bold prayer, God relents.

After securing God's pledge of continued faithfulness to Israel, Moses goes back down the mountain to confront the people with their actions. Filled with righteous indignation, Moses raises high the two tablets of the Law and breaks them to pieces at the foot of the mountain—an act symbolizing how the Israelites have already shattered God's Law.

Moses then confronts Aaron, who was supposed to be in charge while Moses was gone. Aaron makes the laughably feeble excuse that he was just going along with everyone's wishes; he claims to have thrown the gold into the fire, after which, lo and behold, "out came this calf." With the Levites rallying around, Moses orders that the calf be ground to powder and mixed with their drinking water to show the people the impotence of their manufactured god. Then he lets loose the Levites against the rebels.

Finally, after judgment has been meted out, Moses tells the people that he will return to the Lord: "Perhaps I can make atonement for your sins." He confesses to God that the people have committed a great sin by making themselves gods of gold. Remembering that God has offered to start over with him after destroying the Israelites, Moses now offers himself to be destroyed in their place.

Again God relents, forgiving the people as a group and promising to continue to lead them forward. But God promises to punish those individuals who have sinned against him and not repented.