I think you most likely know that I love the ScripturesThe more I read them, the more I get from them,- and the deeper I go, the richer my experience• however, the journey is not always pleasant, and◦ some parts of the Bible are not as easy to digest as others◦ Hosea is not one of my favorite books• still, there are verses in it that are among my favorites◦ other than those few, working my way through Hosea,is like crawling through a long, dark tunnel◦ but the Bible doesn’t have to please me; I only need to let it speak to me- in chapter 4, Hosea continues to hammer theme of spiritual adultery• it’s like he can’t let go of it–perhaps God won’t allow him to let it go◦ or maybe his own painful experience haunts him• so far, it’s been the central metaphor of his prophecies◦ he will move on to other more pleasant analogies, but not yet