The Lord God spoke through Moses to the people. But in Exodus 32:1–35 Moses is away. Who or what will be the intermediary between God and his people? The Israelites ask Aaron to make an idol, an image of (the) god(s) who will go before them. And Aaron makes an idol cast in the shape of a calf. He says, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:4). Or, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” Both translations are possible.
But why a golden calf and not something else? Did they worship the Egyptian god Apis before? Or does a golden calf represent strength and protection and prosperity?
A carved image represents the main aspects of a god. A carved image gives people the idea that a god is visible in their midst. This is what Israel wanted, and so thought they could accomplish it by the creating of a golden calf.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.