Idolatry comes in many forms. An idol is, of course, anything we put before God. This can be a statue on a shelf but is more likely our job, our hobbies, our house, our cars, or our stuff.
Our Old Testament lesson comes from the prophet Hosea who reminds us that God's love is everlasting. Despite the fact that God had delivered the Israelites from bondage in Egypt and given them a new home in Canaan, the Jews had descended deeper and deeper into idolatry. In spite of their idolatry and their refusal to repent, God could not stop loving his people.