2 Chronicles 15:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The prophet reveals the sinful actions of the ten tribes. This means that one should not emulate the wrongdoing of their fellow brethren, for they do not worship the true God; instead, they follow false deities, lacking priests and teachers to instruct them in the ways of God's law.

The Prophet Azariah once spoke to the people of the Jewish Church, foreseeing their unfaithfulness in serving God, and delivered a warning: "Many days they shall be in Israel, ... without a teaching priest, and without the law: when they shall turn in sorrow unto the Lord God of Israel, and shall seek Him, and it shall be found unto them" (2 Chronicles 15:3-4). To be without a priest is thus a consequence brought upon the unfaithful by God, intended to lead them to repent and earnestly seek Him. However, some taught that remaining without a priest was acceptable and should persist until the end of time, thereby inviting upon themselves what scripture identifies as divine retribution.