Adultery is horrific at any time. To return is to recover that intimacy with God which is nothing less than our greatest good and our fullest humanity. To return is to uphold the promise we have made to him on countless occasions throughout our lives. To return is turn from publicly humiliating God to publicly praising him for his incomprehensible patience. The second image of returning that the prophets cherished is that of pagan idol-worshippers returning to the worship of the true and living God.
Idols are literally nothing.
A lie is nothing, for a lie is a statement without substance. Yet lies destroy people every day. Delusions are nothing, for a delusion is without foundation. Most tellingly, perhaps, is the fact that we are inevitably conformed to what we worship. The third image of repentance, return, found in the prophets is the image of rebel subjects returning to their rightful ruler.