One of the cornerstones of our faith is our unwavering respect and submission to the Holy Scriptures. When the Scriptures are preached, we listen with a heart and mind that says, “God is speaking to me.” The Scriptures themselves tell us that we gain nothing if we merely listen and do not act (James 1:22-25). This article focuses on us, the preachers, who deliver messages by citing the Holy Scriptures. My aim is to examine what it means to be heard and what the nature of the Holy Scriptures conveys to us as preachers.

The Heart of the Preacher

What kind of feeling does it create to be listened to as God’s messengers (Galatians 4:14)? Does it lead to pride or arrogance? Does it encourage us to exploit those who trust us for our own benefit? Absolutely not! The belief among believers that the Holy Scriptures are the voice of God should create an additional burden of responsibility for us preachers. We must understand that being heard, especially as the voice of God, is a tremendous responsibility. We need to approach the opportunity to speak words that impact others’ lives with reverence and caution. One manifestation of our caution stems from striving not to misinterpret the Scriptures or twist them for our own advantage.

We must always remind ourselves that the purpose of our preaching is to feed, care for, and protect the flock. If we remember this, we won’t speak hastily simply because something comes to mind or because we feel like it. As we preach God’s Word, we also need to recognize that the Bible is presented in various literary genres. A failure to understand that the way we interpret the Gospels is completely different from the way we interpret wisdom literature will lead us to misunderstand their true message. This can result in us hastily condemning those we shouldn’t or praising those who don’t deserve it.

A Proverb as an Example

To illustrate how the literary genre of the Holy Scriptures should guide our teaching, let’s look at the Book of Proverbs, one of the books categorized as wisdom literature. The twenty chapters (10-29) we find in the Book of Proverbs differ not only from other Holy Scriptures but also from other chapters within the same book. These chapters (10-29) differ from the initial nine chapters (1-9), where a father advises his son to walk in wisdom and avoid foolishness, and from the concluding chapters (30-31).

These twenty chapters are known as Solomon’s proverbs. Although these pieces of advice are attributed to Solomon, they are considered ancient wisdom because they predate his time. The advice itself is short and lacks extensive explanation. If we don’t read them carefully, we can make many mistakes. To prevent this, let’s consider some of their characteristics.

Some of the pieces of advice we find in these twenty chapters are merely descriptions; they don’t necessarily endorse everything they describe as correct. This means they should not be taken as solitary principles for understanding our lives. If we look closely, they tell us about societal observations rather than the absolute rightness or wrongness of an issue.

For example, let’s take Proverbs 14:20: “The poor are disliked even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.” Should we, based on this verse, become friends with the rich and enemies of the poor? Absolutely not! If we read this verse and conclude that the divine secret to being loved is to be wealthy, we would indeed be mistaken. We might even begin to see poverty as a sign of God’s absence and wealth as a sign of His presence.

Proverbs 14:20 tells us how people, observing economic status, view one another. But what about divine wisdom? It differs greatly from the social perspective. “Whoever stops their ears at the cry of the poor will also cry themselves and not be answered” (Proverbs 21:13). It also advises, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay them for their deed” (Proverbs 19:17). From these passages, we understand that the nature of our relationship with the poor is crucial to our relationship with God. We also know that to despise the poor and yet expect honor from God is something we should never even consider.

How do we know the passage is a social description? Not just because it doesn’t explicitly say “God says.” We also compare it with other direct commands and principles of God. From other passages, we know that loving or hating someone based on their wealth is detestable in God’s sight. This is why, even in the Old Testament, it was stated that favoritism based on wealth is wrong (Leviticus 19:15, Exodus 23:3, Deuteronomy 1:17). This is also why we find the Corinthian church being rebuked for showing partiality based on wealth (1 Corinthians 11:17-22). Therefore, it is never appropriate to present this passage to the congregation under a tempting title like “The Divine Secrets of Being Loved and Hated.”

Similarly, some statements presented as principles and guidelines in the twenty chapters should be understood as wise sayings rather than reflections of the comprehensive aspect of a matter. The most prominent illustration of this is finding principles that can be called contradictory within the same book. As an example, we can compare Proverbs 6:6-11 and Proverbs 15:16. When we read Proverbs 6:6-11 in isolation, we find poverty associated with laziness and lack of wisdom. Can we, from this passage, conclude that every instance of poverty is the result of laziness and lack of wisdom? Can we condemn being poor as blameworthy in God’s sight? Can we likewise view wealth as a sign of diligence and wisdom? Should the poor be blamed, and the rich praised? Absolutely not! If we judge or believe this, we are greatly mistaken; we have lost our balance. The only thing we can say from this passage is that some poverty may be linked to laziness. If we go further and say that all poverty is the result of laziness, then we are mistaken.

If all poverty were the result of laziness, Proverbs 15:16 would not have told us, “Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.” In this passage, people with little, but who fear God, are presented as better than those with great accumulated wealth. If we listen to the full counsel of the book, we also understand that the lack of social justice is the cause of much of our poverty. Proverbs 13:23 illustrates this. This passage states, “The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice,” clearly indicating that the source of some poverty is a lack of justice. This truth is something we witness daily in our interactions.

So What?

When we preach, especially when we take a single verse from wisdom literature to make a definitive conclusion on a matter, let’s not rush. Let’s slow down so that our desire to motivate and inspire the congregation doesn’t obscure our broader perspective; let’s not forget that God cares about the person who might be harmed by our preaching. While it’s commendable to shift our focus from theoretical doctrines to everyday topics, let’s be careful when teaching about issues like wealth and poverty, marriage and children, and relationships with parents. Let’s not forget that there are scholars among us whom life has taught better and who can provide appropriate analyses on these matters. Let’s not mistake our boldness for knowledge.

Let’s not make our preaching opportunity a tool to justify our own lives; let the thought that we are not the measures of success never leave our minds. As preachers, our goal should not be to simply pick a verse from the Holy Scriptures that touches our heart and aligns with our life experience and then rush to a conclusion. Let’s realize that preaching that doesn’t originate from a sober life can tear down as much as it builds up.

Recognizing that each passage in wisdom literature is a perspective of life, let’s take the time to find out what else is said about the matter. When we study a passage, let’s also ask the question, why? Why do the rich have many friends? Are their friends truly genuine friends? Let’s also consider whether God sees as people see. For this to happen, let’s examine the relationship of the chosen passage with other Holy Scriptures.

As New Testament believers, let’s always ask the specific question: What does the New Testament teaching say on the matter? In the eyes of the Lord Jesus, who is the example of all, how much wisdom is the world’s self-proclaimed wisdom? Let’s also remember that there were many times when the Lord’s “foolishness” was wiser than human wisdom.

Let’s not preach on a major topic, especially a social issue that affects many, as if there is only one verse on the matter; let’s not rush people into unnecessary condemnation or praise. This kind of preaching, rather than building up, only condemns. It will only expose our lack of understanding. Let’s fulfill the opportunity given to us to preach with great reverence and fear.

[1]  Given that the article was originally written in Amharic and then translated into English using AI, it’s important to be mindful of potential nuances that might have been lost in translation.