2 Chronicles 15:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They will come to understand the true nature of wickedness through their experiences of various calamities. In their distress, they will call upon the Lord for assistance and will receive it due to His unfathomable mercy.

The Prophet Azariah once warned the children of the Jewish Church about their unfaithfulness in serving God with these profound words: “Many days shall they be in Israel, ... without a teaching priest and without the law; when they turn in sorrow unto the Lord God of Israel and seek Him, He shall be found by them” (2 Chronicles 15:3-4). To be devoid of a priest is thus a divine discipline imposed on those who stray from His service, intended to lead them back to true faith and repentance. However, some have taught that living without a priest is acceptable and that this situation should persist until the end of time, thereby incurring what Scripture identifies as God’s punishment.