When the Children of Israel came across a people worshipping idols, they asked Moses to make idols for them which they can worship together with Allah, completely forgetting the miracles of Allah they had just witnessed when He saved them from Pharaoh and his soldiers.
They wanted a tangible god to believe in, and the idols they saw were something they could see and touch. Their reaction indicates their weak belief in the unseen although they saw the Divine Signs that made them feel that Allah the Almighty was with them, and He was their Supporter.
(We brought the Children of Israel across the sea and they came upon a people devoted to idols. They demanded, “O Moses! Make for us a god like their gods.” He replied, “Indeed, you are a people acting ignorantly!) (Al-A’raf 7:138)
وجدوا قوما يعبدون أصناما. من دون الله فطلبوا من موسى عليه السلام أن يجعل لهم أصناما آلهة يعبدونها مع الله. وقد نسوا كل ما أعطاهم الله من النعم من نجاتهم من فرعون و لم يصب أحدهم بأذى و أهلك الله عدوهم و جنوده في وقت واحد و في نهار واحد.
كانوا يريدون إلهًا يرونه بأعينهم ويلمسونه بأيديهم، لأن إيمانهم بالغيبيات في غاية الضعف، مع أنهم رأوا الآيات العظيمة التي تدل أن الله معهم وناصرهم ومؤيدهم
( وَجَاوَزْنَا بِبَنِيۤ إِسْرَآئِيلَ ٱلْبَحْرَ فَأَتَوْاْ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَىٰ أَصْنَامٍ لَّهُمْ قَالُواْ يٰمُوسَىٰ ٱجْعَلْ لَّنَآ إِلَـٰهاً كَمَا لَهُمْ آلِهَةٌ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ 7: 138