Final answer:
The main theme of Exodus 24-40 is idolatry, as it highlights the Israelites' creation of a golden calf for worship, directly contravening God's commandments received by Moses on Mount Sinai. The narrative stresses the importance of monotheistic worship and the prohibition against making graven images, which are central to the covenant between God and the Israelites.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main theme of Exodus 24-40 is idolatry. These chapters illustrate a critical moment in the Israelites' journey where, after being delivered from Egyptian slavery, they egregiously violate one of the core commandments by creating a golden calf to worship. When Moses descends from Mount Sinai with the tablets inscribed with God's laws, he is appalled to see the Israelites engaging in idol worship, which leads him to shatter the tablets in anger. This narrative underscores the prohibition against idolatry that is central to the Abrahamic tradition, as God declares exclusivity in worship and forbids the representation of divine in any graven image.
While Moses is on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments, including the commands 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me' and 'Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image', the people's creation of the golden calf stands in direct opposition to these laws. The story highlights the tension between the Israelites' covenant with Yahweh and their susceptibility to revert to the polytheistic practices of surrounding cultures. Moses's actions and the subsequent renewal of the covenant with a second set of tablets serve as a call for the Israelites to firmly commit to monotheistic worship and obey the laws given by Yahweh, thus shaping the religious identity of the emerging Jewish people.