This chapter on the Golden Calf reveals how weak and evil people can be, turning on Yahweh that brought them out of bondage in Egypt, and was providing them with the Ten Commandments, a promised land and a temple and ecclesiatical laws. Being depraved from birth, not much free willed, and living under Lera's rule, it is quite predictable that they would betray Yahweh without much provocation and follow their naturalistic bent, and worship the Golden Calf.
The Old Testament harsh judgment of turning loose the Levites to slay 3,000 fellow, sinning Hebrews seems too brutal to me, but Yahweh was dealing with a simple people, with black or white allegiances to Yahweh or the golden calf, so perhaps such harsh punishment was necessary to save Israel.
How far have we moved beyond this? May God punish us when we betray, sin against and abandon the worship of God, but not punish us so brutally or permanently.
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