Jeremiah 3 sees God’s condemnation of Israel and Judah for spiritual adultery through idolatry. “You have lived as a prostitute with many lovers… you have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness… you have the brazen look of a prostitute and don’t even blush with shame.” So God sent a call to repentance offering mercy: “Return faithless people declares the Lord! For I am your husband… How gladly would I treat you like sons… but like a woman unfaithful to her husband you have been unfaithful to me… they have perverted their ways and forgotten the Lord… Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.” Then the people acknowledged their sin and said: “Surely in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel… from our youth shameful gods have consumed us… we have sinned against the Lord.”
