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The words of God were spoken directly to the prophets, apostles and disciples and through them repeated to many others, e.g. the Israelites leaving Egypt, the church. And God speaks His words directly to us through His Holy Scripture by the indwelling Spirit bringing His words alive within us ("ears to hear"). And we know the difference between the words of God and the words of men. The words of God are spirit and life the words of men are neither spirit nor life.

Amen.

And so it is crucial that we not worship the "conduit" but rather, that we worship God

I've heard that suggestion before and I honestly don't know of anyone who would do that. It doesn't even make sense, from a Protestant point of view.

I think it is more of a defensive response made by Roman Catholics feeling the heat of accusations that they imbue earthly objects like the Lord's Supper and wooden statues and relics and even Mary with a type of divinity reserved for the Godhead alone.

No Protestant prays to the Bible or asks the Bible for intercession. If a Bible is destroyed there's always another copy on some shelf somewhere. The Bible is God's chosen means of instructing His family in order to reveal Himself and His salvation to them. That's why the Bible is so important. IT DOESN'T CHANGE. What was true 2,000 years ago is true today. And our confidence in knowing this truth doesn't rest on men or magisteriums or councils or churches made with human hands.

Our confidence comes by comparing Scripture with Scripture as we are led by the Holy Spirit to know the things of God.

"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." -- Galatians 4:6

Truly, God has used many "things" in making His will known, e.g. the burning bush, Balaam's ass, Gideon's fleece. And when He wants us to consider such things holy, He says so, e.g. the Ark, the Temple, the Holy Mountain

Yet life is different since the resurrection. The golden calf only condemns us. We have a better proof...

"Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent" -- Acts 17:29-30

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" -- Hebrews 1:1-3

Thank you so much for sharing your testimony and insights, dear sister in Christ, and thank you especially for those beautiful Scriptures!

The golden calf only condemns us.

The golden calf was not a "conduit" of God’s words. He didn’t choose it, the Israelis did with Aaron's approval and strangely Aaron thought that he could feast to the Lord in front of it. That was a big mistake, the calf was an abomination.

And when Aaron saw [it], he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow [is] a feast to the LORD. – Exodus 32:5

Every Christian is a “conduit” subsequent to Pentecost:

Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. - I Corinthians 2:6-16

To God be the glory!