After the Israelites set up the golden cow and break covenant with God, they are in need of reconciliation with God. God threatens to not move ahead with them to the Promised Land, which would be disastrous for the people. Moses steps in as a mediator and offers himself as a substitutionary sacrifice on behalf of the people. While God does not accept Moses' offer, God relents from bringing disaster upon the people for their idolatry. By sheer grace, God renews covenant with his people. In all this, we see a foreshadowing of Jesus, our Greater Mediator, who offered himself up as a substitutionary sacrifice to secure reconciliation between us and God.