You have to remember that these are the people who by their own oral tradition calculated exactly down to the hour when Moses would return from Mount Sinai, and they made a mistake in their math so they were a day off. When Moses didn't come back at the exact hour they calculated, they immediately made the Golden Calf. People who within that same year had witnessed the plagues of Egypt and had God part the Red Sea for them.
Discussion
i don't know why but i read golden calf as the golden corral
They believe they are chosen and special, not because of their relationship with God, but because of inherent spiritual qualities within themselves. It's really sad. Modern ones haven't witnessed miracles but even really God-fearing ones whom we would call "good" are aware of the ones who literally pray to Moloch in their same synagogue and they do nothing about it, they encourage it even.