What did Israel do with the golden calf worship?
Israel turned the golden calf worship into naked, immoral idolatry, placing it on the same level as all other pagan idolatry. Because of this, the people were naked to their shame, and 23,000 were put to death through the plague.
Les explains that it was not merely casual worship with dancing. The people were naked and immoral. They had taken the golden calf worship and put it down to the same level as all other idolatry. He notes that abject pagan idolatry always involves rank immorality because it is satanically controlled. Moses saw that the people were naked, for Aaron had made them naked to their shame among their enemies. As a result, 23,000 were put to death through the plague. Paul later uses this event to warn the Corinthians and us, showing we are no different.