They created idols out of arrogance, according to their specifications, in order to please themselves. God never asked man to make images to worship. In fact, He strictly forbade it. All idols are made by our choice. A problem arises when we create the idol and then establish the standards by which he should act.
Sports are a perfect example.
In Philadelphia we have one of the greatest hitters to ever play the game of baseball. Mike Schmidt averages a homerun every fourteen times at bat. He has been made an idol by thousands of children and adults. However, when he comes up to bat in a pressure situation and strikes out, the fans boo, because he did not live up to their expectations. He never promised to hit in the clutch every time.