It was wrong because Aaron attached the name of the Lord to a feast that was actually worship of a golden idol.
After making the molted calf, Aaron built an altar before it and proclaimed, 'To morrow is a feast to the LORD.' But Les Feldick says that was not a feast to Jehovah at all—it was a pagan feast copied from the Egyptian golden-calf worship. Attaching the Lord's name did not make the idolatrous celebration acceptable, and the behavior around it was marked by abject immorality.
Exodus 32:4 — The people identify the golden calf as the god that brought them out of Egypt, setting up the false worship.
Exodus 32:5 — Aaron builds an altar before the calf and proclaims a feast to the LORD, directly mixing idol worship with the Lord's name.
Exodus 32:6 — The feast involved offerings, eating, drinking, and playing, all connected to the idol.
Exodus 32 records that while Moses delayed on the mountain, the people gathered to Aaron and demanded, 'Up, make us gods, which shall go before us.' Aaron took their gold, fashioned it with a graving tool, and made a molten calf. The people then said, 'These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.' Aaron built an altar before the calf and made a proclamation: 'To morrow is a feast to the LORD.' The next morning they offered burnt offerings, brought peace offerings, and sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. The text shows the contradiction: the same celebration was described as worship directed to the calf and as a feast to the LORD.
Les Feldick teaches that Aaron, as the leader in Moses' absence, went right along with the people. He made the calf, built an altar before it, and then proclaimed, 'Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.' But Les says that was not a feast to Jehovah; it was a pagan feast copied after one of the gods of Egypt. Aaron's use of the Lord's name did not change the fact that the worship was centered on a pagan idol, and everything they did was not worship of Jehovah but worship of this pagan idolatrous god.
Les Feldick points out that Aaron built an altar before the golden calf and made a proclamation, 'Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.' Les asks, 'Was that a feast to Jehovah? Why, no.' He explains that it was a pagan feast copied right after one of the gods of Egypt. The name of the Lord was attached to the celebration, but the worship itself remained directed to the pagan idol.
Scripture records that the people rose early, offered burnt offerings, brought peace offerings, sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. Les adds that this was not innocent play. He describes it as lewd, lascivious dancing—people were naked and behaving immorally in the name of religion. He says idolatry always involves abject immorality.
Les explains that God judged the golden calf incident—a few thousand died—but that sin was easy for God to forgive. Later, at Kadesh Barnea, the controversy was unbelief: they could not take the land that God said they could. Les says God's complaint was not their immorality around the golden calf but their unwillingness to take Him at His word.
Les says the reason they worshiped and danced at the golden calf was unbelief. Had they believed in the God Moses was dealing with on the mountain, they would not have asked for an idol. Had they believed in the holy and righteous God, they would not have had lascivious dancing. Les summarizes, 'Faith takes care of everything.'
Egyptian Mindset Behind the Request
Les shows that Israel was used to Egypt's idea that everything was a god, which helps explain why they asked Aaron for gods to go before them.
Aaron's Feast Was a Pagan Feast, Not to the Lord
Les explains that Aaron built an altar to the golden calf and declared a feast to the Lord, but it was actually a pagan feast copied from Egypt—not worship of Jehovah.
God Judged the Golden Calf Sin, but Kadesh Barnea Was Different
Les says thousands died for the idolatry, but the later wrath at Kadesh Barnea was about unbelief, not the golden calf.
Later Controversy Was Unbelief, Not the Calf
Les contrasts the remembered sin at Sinai with what God actually held against Israel at Kadesh Barnea: their refusal to take the land.
Idolatry Always Brings Immorality
Les teaches that idolatry is never just bowing to an idol; it is accompanied by abject immorality in the name of religion.
Unbelief Was the Root
Les points to unbelief as the reason they asked for an idol and danced immorally; faith in God would have stopped both.
The Dancing Was Lewd and Naked
Les fills in what the golden calf celebration looked like: naked, seductive dancing, not innocent worship.
The Feast Was Pagan Idol Worship, Not Worship of Jehovah
Les says everything they did—offerings, eating, drinking, and playing—was centered on the pagan idolatrous god, not the Lord.
Exodus 32:1: And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
Israel's demand for gods begins the whole problem.
Exodus 32:4: And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
The people identify the calf as the god that brought them out of Egypt.
Exodus 32:5: And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.
Aaron calls the pagan celebration a feast to the LORD.
Exodus 32:6: And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
The feast involved sacrifices, eating, drinking, and playing.
No. Les says it was not a feast to Jehovah; it was a pagan feast copied from Egypt's golden-calf worship. Aaron used the Lord's name, but the object and practice remained idolatrous.
They rose early, offered burnt offerings, brought peace offerings, sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Les adds that the play was lewd, lascivious, naked dancing, and he notes it wasn't a Hollywood invention.
Les teaches that the golden calf immorality was easy for God to forgive; thousands died for it, but later God's complaint was that Israel would not take the land He promised because they would not take Him at His word.
Les highlights that Aaron, as the leader in Moses' absence, went right along with the people—he made the calf, built an altar, and even proclaimed a feast to the Lord. Les calls it unbelievable that a man like Aaron would say such a thing.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Golden Calf Still Matters — 1 Corinthians 10:5-13 Explained