Why does Paul bring up the golden calf event when writing to the Corinthians?
Paul brings up the golden calf event to show what man is really made of: human nature has not changed one iota, whether thousands of years ago or now. He uses it to shake the Corinthians out of their temptations toward idolatry and immorality, and it applies to us too.
Les teaches that the golden calf incident was not just casual worship with dancing; the people were naked and immoral, having taken golden calf worship down to the level of all other idolatry. He explains that abject pagan idolatry and mythology always include rank immorality because it is satanically controlled. Moses saw that the people were naked to their shame, and 23,000 were put to death through the plague. Paul uses this event to shake the Corinthians out of their temptations and to warn us as well, since we are no different from the Corinthian believers and man has not changed one iota.
But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
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