The biblical theme of spiritual adultury stands in all its bluntness for a deeply offensive sin - the unfaithfulness of God's covenant people in departing from Yahweh, their husband, and going after false gods.

Dr Ortlund begins by showing how the Genesis version of human marriage provides the logic and coherent network of meanings for the story of Israel's relationship with Yaweh. He traces the theme of marital unfaithfulness, first through the historical books of the Old Testament and then through the prophets, particularly Hosea, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Turning to the New Testament, he shows how the sad story of Israel's harlotry is transcended by the vision of ultimate reality in Christ and his church, the Bridegroom and the Bride.

This beautifully written book is marked by careful exegesis and deep sensitivity. It is a rare thing - a work of scholarship which calls the reader to love God with an ardour that suffuses all of life