Bible Study on the Book of Proverbs and Doctrine (Please Read the First Post)

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Now, I'd like us to discuss the book of Proverbs as it relates to the doctrine as a part of a larger work which can one day be added to the library of the Temple. My hope is to go chapter by chapter, but we shall see how this progresses. We will start with chapter 1.

The Beginning of Knowledge
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

2 To know wisdom and instruction,
To perceive the words of understanding,
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
4 To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
5 A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Directly relates to Focus , Knowledge and Wisdom , by focussing on the instructions instead of focussing on oneself or selflessness , also the Jedi is of Service , we value the simple things in life and persue a path of selflessness , the Self however is an important part of the Jedi path , the words of the wise and riddles dont make sense to me , in the Jedi doctrines there is little room for riddles although there is much room for interpretation. The fear of the Lord can be seen as the being held accountable for ones actions , as Jedi are to be held accountable for deviant behaviour. A wise person will never stop learning , studying the Doctrine will increase understanding and can be compared with understanding a proverb and enigma. Fools indeed despise wisdom and instruction and fail at trying to be Jedi.


Shun Evil Counsel
My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let us lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,[a]
And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;
13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions,
We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—
15 My son, do not walk in the way with them,
Keep your foot from their path;
16 For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely, in vain the net is spread
In the sight of any bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.

This relates to the simple and devout lifestyle a Jedi should have? And what is meant by evil? Who determines that evil ? These are just a few questions that arise when i read this , mainly because said sins are culturally defined and different in every culture. Off course we can fall back on the 10 commandments , a simple bunch of living rules , or the Jedi Circle , or the 21 Maxims. This part of the Proverbs does not add much to my way of thinking of the Jedi way. But everyone can interpret it differently and maybe see more practical use for it, as i so fail to

The Call of Wisdom
20 Wisdom calls aloud outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
21 She cries out in the chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
23 Turn at my rebuke;
Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.”

There is a lot of "If you dont do as i say then..." You dont need to listen to the Lord to be secure and without fear of evil in my opinion , i think getting to know yourself and your limitations will do a lot more for you as a Jedi than blindly follow any deity into obiedience. Too often i see religious people clinging to the doctrines and not even knowing what these doctrines actually mean. I see Fear of God more as a way to be held accountable for your actions , i do not speak of fear however because being held accountable is something a Jedi should look forward to. In all the Jedi's simplicity and being of service he should not worry about fear, what is done is done , there is no need to suffer eternally for your lack of knowledge , but a nudge to do better and broaden your view never hurt anyone. I always like to say i love G'd although he can be a Jerk , threatening people and stull But having said that ...I really like this part
For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
Here it clearly states that the fool is his own worst enemy , now there is a thing i can get behind

I am not sure this is what you meant Rosalyn when you said study , but this is my take on the material

Wow, Marta, I didn't even realize you read the Bible! Seems we have something to discuss soon

Proverbs is the one and only book of the Bible that I read completely. I've tried others, but this one really stuck out as a general guide for everyone on Earth, no matter what religion you follow.

My favorite verse is this one:

Chapter 17, Verse 27 & 28:

The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues.

It's exactly as Lao Tzu also said:

Those who know do not speak.
Those who speak, do not know.