I was responding specifically to your earlier remark, when you said:
In the example, Aaron evidently did not see any problem letting the people have their golden calf idol as long as they were feasting to the Lord in front of it.
In other words, surely it would be ok with the Lord to indulge the people's pagan customs or desires as long as they were giving Him respect also - pagan stuff but "holy" intent.
Big mistake on Aaron's part. In fact, God wanted to kill them all and make a new nation out of Moses.
And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which [are] in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring [them] unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which [were] in their ears, and brought [them] unto Aaron. And he received [them] at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These [be] thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
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 32:1-5
Trying to use a golden calf to worship the Lord is NOT using gold for a holy purpose, no matter how many times you write it. That is using gold for an unholy purpose.
The quotes I gave you from Exodus 25 plainly show you what some holy uses of gold would be. Please read those again so that you will see what I mean.
Goodnight.