Leviticus 26:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Holy One, who dwells among simple and righteous individuals, when He observes the humility of the one approaching Him, He readily reveals the fruits of His wisdom. However, when He detects a soul tainted by sin, He refrains from imparting His grace and refrains from instruction. Listen to what He declares through Moses: "If ye come to me straightway, I will come to you straightway; 'If even after this ye be not reformed, and come against Me, I will come against you in fury.’” He speaks this not because the Divine Being alters His justice, but because that which arises from truth does not reach the unrighteous swiftly.

Through these statements, the Lord removes any justification for the wicked to assert that His warnings are unwarranted or unfair. The Lord declares that they must hold themselves accountable for the dire circumstances they face. If you choose to forsake Me and My ways, then justice requires that I also withdraw from you and respond sternly. The chosen teaching is presented on the Feast of the New Year, celebrated on the 1st of September, as it aligns with the themes of this occasion. It calls for God's blessing on our endeavors and our personal and communal lives in the approaching summer. However, the teaching also indicates the conditions necessary to receive such blessings.