Idol Construction

Illusion in the form of magic is so interesting. It is equal part showmanship, psychology, and mechanics. There are a number of well-known and rehearsed illusions, one of my favorites being the quick-change. Exodus 32 provides us with a theological picture of a quick change, but for the worse: the people who were exuberant in their confession of obedience in chapter 24 have suddenly gone rogue in 32. Why the sudden shift? What has happened? And can it happen to us?