God's faithfulness is astonishing. The covenant that God had just made with His people Israel has been broken. But despite this, God does not cancel it, but confirms it. Israel is given time to enter into this covenant and learn to live in it. The Gospel reading says the same thing: whatever kind of "weeds" we may be, we are given time, until the end of this age, or until our physical death, to change, turn to God, enter into covenant with Him, and receive what was promised, for He is faithful.

After the story of the golden calf, two events take place, one after the other and apparently with a very short interval: God sends the people to the land promised earlier to Abraham, and Moses sets up the first Tabernacle. The first one, before the one that will later be built so slowly and so solemnly.

And this is understandable: now, after the story with the calf, the Tabernacle was absolutely necessary. More precisely, Yahwistic worship was necessary, and the Tabernacle simply became its foundation. Because it had become clear that without worship, without something visible, tangible, and concrete, the people do not perceive God. Presence alone is not enough; even an altar alone is not enough. A sanctuary is needed.

Otherwise there will be no end of new golden calves. Worship, after all, always comes from spiritual weakness. From spiritual insufficiency, at least when it comes to religions usually called religions of Revelation. Initially all such religions are connected with Yahwism and go back to it; the history of systematic, continuous Revelation that humanity remembers begins, after all, with Abraham. Everything earlier consists of moments, episodes, dotted lines, but with Abraham there is a continuous line. Revelation is at the center here, and everything else is around it.

Even sacrifice is only a way of communion with God, but at least it is indeed absolutely necessary: a person has to meet with God somehow and somewhere. A more or less splendid tent, and all the more a Temple, is another matter: one could have managed without them, but then many would doubt altogether that God was in their midst, as they doubted in Moses' absence.

So worship is needed, and God condescends to human weakness, allowing it and even suggesting how best to arrange everything. Meanwhile He Himself tells the people to set out toward the goal, toward the promised land. Are the people ready for this journey? Of course not: after the story with the calf there could be no question of that. More than that, God directly tells Moses that He will not go with the people, otherwise very soon no one will remain alive, because the people are not ready for God's presence.

The only way out is the same worship, a separate sanctuary into which a few can enter, while the rest will have only the courtyard. Not the best option, but what can be done if the people are not ready for more. They will have to go toward the goal and prepare on the way, gaining experience as they go. That is still better than standing in place and "entertaining themselves" with golden calves.