The Problem with Graven Images

The golden calf incident is a story of massive failure. More than simply making an idol, Israel was compromising the grandeur and totality of God with their local surroundings and embracing a pluralistic mindset. We tend to do the same things quite often. Like them, it typically comes from an impatience with God. Rather than embracing God for all of who he is, we take preferred slices and form a god in our own image. This always leads to self-indulgence and destruction.