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And those who would like to inquire within The following
article is reprinted in an issue of the Fraternal review from the
Southern California, research Lodge, but it is originally from
a short talk, Bulletin May 2012 published monthly by the Masonic
Service Association and I highly recommend you check out their
website and their podcast. I think we're okay sharing these
articles because we don't get any money.
We don't pay, we don't request any money.
We don't get paid for any of this.
We just do it to share information on.
Masonry, this article is scripture passages in degree
work by Thomas, L winter. Right, wash for brother.
Winter is a past master of eclipse.
Lodge Number 2, 59 in the Grand Lodge of New Jersey, he is a
past District ritual instructor and a member of the education
committee and the committee on ritual for the Grand Lodge of
New Jersey. This paper fully title scripture
passages in the three symbolic degrees their meanings as they
relate to Freemasonry was originally presented in 11 at
New Jersey's, Masonic literary organization, the Society of st.
John, and that's from the editor of the reprint, the Entered
Apprentice degree. Psalm 133, behold, how good, and
how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity.
It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon
the beard. Even Aaron's beard that went
down to the skirts of his garments as the Dew of Herman.
And as the do that descended upon the mountains of Zion, For
their the Lord commanded the blessing.
Even life forevermore it is good and pleasant for Brethren to
dwell or me together in unity. This verse states, that his
brothers we are joyful and at ease when we are meeting
together Brethren, who are thus joined together, receive the
benefits of the goodness. And pleasantness that Unity
produces. That is why we should yearn for
this Unity because it is right, good and fitting and because it
is lovely attractive and appealing Verse two and three
offered two examples of unity. Aaron was Moses older brother
and spokesman ham was consecrated Israel's High
priests the precious ointment or sacred oil used in the
consecration. Ceremony was infused with many
spices and aromatics. This giving off a very pleasant
Aroma and was only used in this one ceremony that of anointing
the high priest. A small amount of this precious
oil was enough to drip from his forehead, through his beard and
enter the cloth of his robe. Over Powering Earthly Aromas
down to the bottom or skirt of His Garment.
If one were to smell that Aroma again, it would bring back
memories of a pleasant happy ceremony.
The do of Herman would never have reached the mountains of
Zion at Jerusalem as it is too far away.
Thus, we must view, do as The Giver of Life in an arid region.
Symbolically by comparing Unity to do.
This togetherness was declared to be conducive to growth and
prosperity. Do is one of the sources of
nourishment for strong and healthy plants as such Unity
promotes strong. Healthy growth and prosperity.
Therefore the Lord commanded that.
It is vital the brother And live in peace and happiness with each
other, by extending the fellowship of a lodge.
We sense that Masonic Brotherhood will never end.
Fellow craft, agree, Amos 7 chapter verses 7 and 8.
Thus he shewed me and behold the Lord, stood upon a wall made by
a Plumb line, and with a Plumb line in his hand, and the Lord
said unto me, Amos what seest thou and I said a Plumb line.
And then said, the Lord behold, I will set the Plumb line in the
midst of My People Israel. I will not again pass by them
anymore. Now I'm going to make a quick
editorial here. This is not, what is used in the
fellow craft degree in California.
So this must be a New Jersey. In construction, the Plumb line
tests, whether what was erected is perpendicular to the square,
that is, if it is straight up and down or up, right?
It provides a standard against which one can measure what he
is. Built metaphorically, when God
draws near with the Plumb line. He's looking for those people
who are living and abiding in his grace and his law as
Freemasons. We treat the Plumb line as the
emblem of Truth and right God was very disappointed with the
Israelites. He and he alone delivered.
The nation of Israel from Egyptian Slavery to Freedom.
Freedom through his many miracles, he continued to prove
his love for his chosen. People yet the Israelites
continue to be stubborn and disobedient on numerous
occasions. God tried to bring his people
back into fellowship with him. But the Israelites always fell
back into their bad behavior. God chose to give Israel one
more chance as the prophet. Amos described God standing on a
wall, made with a Plumb line, this wall represented the
founding of the just and upright nation of Israel.
However, the Plumb line and his hand represents God's strict
view of the Judgment. He will use when judging his
people's inequities further by stating that he is setting the
Plumb line in the midst of his people.
He is stating that he will be judging their actions, not from
afar, but in their midst, there will be no mistake.
And God will be with them viewing.
Their behavior determining their righteousness.
Plums, squares and levels are all used in building, temporal
edifices and must be accurate for the building to stay erect
as Mason's. We are taught to use them
symbolically to keep our morale. Building erect, the plum is
specifically used to judge our own moral work, and the work of
others as Mason's. We must judge our own work by
our own Plumb line. Not using another's Plum.
If our moral edifice has raised by our own Plumb square and
level. In other words, our own moral
standards, then the Supreme Grand Master of the Universe
Universe will favorably. Judge us.
Now, I'm getting going to break away from the article and share
the passage. That is read in the fellow calf.
Turkey in California. Though, I speak with the tongues
of men and of angels and have not charity, I am become as
sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all
Mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all Faith so that
I could remove mountains and have not charity.
I am nothing and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor.
And though I give my body to be burned and have not charity, it
profiteth me, nothing charity suffereth long and is kind
charity envieth, not charity vaunteth not itself, is not
puffed up, doth not behave itself.
Unseemly seeketh, not her own is not Not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in
the truth, beareth all things, believeth, all things, hopeth
all things, endureth all things and now abideth faith, hope
charity, these three. But the greatest of these is
charity. And now back to your regularly
scheduled article. So now we're going to go through
the Master Masons degree, Ecclesiastes, 12 verses 1
through 7. Remember now thy Creator in the
days of thy youth while the evil days come, not nor the years
draw nigh. When thou shalt say, I have no
pleasure in them while the Sun or the light, or the moon or the
Stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return, after the rain,
In the day, when the keepers of the house, shall tremble, in the
strong, men shall bow themselves, and the Grinders
ceased because there are few and those that look out of the
windows, be darkened and the door is shall be shut in the
streets. When the sound of the grinding
is low and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird and all
the daughters of music shall be brought low.
Also, when they shall be afraid of that, which is high and fear
shall be in the way and the Almond Tree shall flourish in
the grasshopper, shall be a burden and desire shall fail?
Because man go with, to his long home and the mourners go.
Out the streets or ever, the silver cord be loosed or the
Golden Bowl, be broken or the pitcher be broken at the
fountain or the wheel broken at the cistern.
Then shall the dust return to the Earth as it was and the
spirit shall return unto God who gave it?
One can safely assume that the author of Ecclesiastes is
Solomon as the writer identifies himself, as the son of David
King of Jerusalem. This verse takes more steady
than the others as its meaning for Mason's does not come
easily. Remember now thy Creator in the
days of thy youth while the evil days come not nor the years draw
nigh. When thou shalt say, I have no
pleasure in them, this alludes to the fact that as we grow
older each of us fondly remembers the Glorious Days of
Our Youth. When all things were possible
with the hindsight of age and experience advice is given to
youth to gather the Harvest. While they are young, as we age,
we change and are not able to enjoy things with the same
lightness of heart tasks, that were easy in our youth take
longer. Or are impossible to do.
While the Sun or the light, or the moon or the Stars, be not
darkened, nor the clouds return, after the rain, refers to the
beginnings of the aging process. Failing eyesight is one of the
first signs of aging. Also, as we get older the cloud
and Rain reference alludes to a longer period of rest and
recuperation after activity. In the day, when the keepers of
the house shall tremble refers to the hands arms and legs that
trouble with age and the strong men shall bow themselves, as we
age our spine contracts and as a result, we tend to stoop and are
no longer able to stand tall and the Grinders ceased because they
are few refers to tooth loss, common in old age.
And those that look out of the windows, be darkened, is another
reference to failing eyesight and the door is shall be shut in
the streets. When the sound of the grinding
is low refers to Hearing loss, the elderly no longer can hear
the noisiness of life and he shall rise up at the voice of
the bird means that a long period of sleep is no longer
necessary and Rising early becomes the norm and all the
daughters of music shall be. Brought low age.
Brings on changes to the vocal cords, making them thicker, the
elderly voice is no longer melodious sounding more
guttural. Also, when they shall be afraid
of that, which is high and youth, we easily scaled Heights
that nage we are afraid to attempt and fears shall be in
the way. Elderly are often more timid and
apprehension is a common trait and the Almond Tree, shall
flourish the almond trees, blossoms are white flowers,
which refers to our hair becoming white or gray as we age
and the grasshopper shall be a burden in our youth Hope Springs
Eternal farmers. During the time of Solomon were
fearful of a plague of grasshoppers, the effort to
rebuild after a catastrophe is not that easy with the elderly
as we age, muscle tone is often lost and lifting, even a small
amount becomes an effort. And desire shall fail in our
youth, we often dream and have an expectation that some dreams
will come true. As we age, we realize that our
time is rapidly, coming to a close, because man go with, to
his long home, refers to the grave and the mourners go about
the streets. Ancient people often had
official mourners who made public proclamations about The
deceased or ever the silver cord.
Be loosed refers to the spinal cord in age.
The muscles of the back can no longer support the body or the
Golden Bowl. Be broken.
The Golden Bowl refers to the human skull the broken.
Reference alludes to diminished mental capacity, senility and
Alzheimer's disease is common. In the agent.
The pitcher be broken at the fountain.
We're having the desire to urinate, but not be able to do
so or the wheel broken at the cistern, the wheel reversed to
the heart and the cistern. Refers to the blood in the body
if the wheel or the heart is broken than the sister under the
blood to give her life can no longer circulate, then shall the
dust return to the Earth as it was and the spirit shall return.
Unto God, who gave it? The internment scripture passage
that Mason's used in the funeral oration is Earth to Earth ashes
to ashes dust to dust as the body decomposes.
Our Earthly remains returned to the Earth and our spirit is
return to God who gave it. As the candidate for the Master
Mason degree here is Ecclesiastes 12.
He might conclude that this part of Master Mason degrees, very
sad, this piece of scripture, describes how the physical body
ages and fails, hopefully, these accurate descriptions will make
the candidate carefully. Consider the choices he has made
thus far all the passage accurately describes the
deterioration of our physical Temple as we travel through
life's Joys and tears. We must remember that our ending
is the same as are beginning. The Lord created us.
Give us his Commandments of law. And it is to him that we return,
which is the final Triumph, the one, which treasure in life,
that cannot be taken away. Masonry encourages you to live
your life properly Brotherhood and the unity of provides make
living worthwhile, living a moral life, not only creates a
happy life but also is pleasing to our great Creator.
We are able to view old age, is no longer being the evil days
but reminds us of the Harvest, the love, the friendships, the
experiences in the fond memories, the true Cornucopia of
receiving Plenty, when our toils of Earth, shall have ceased and
all are chasing, Sorrows have been done away, may he raise us
to the Enjoyment of faithless light and Immortal Life in that
Heavenly Kingdom were Faith and Hope shall end and love and joy
Prevail forever. So mote, it be Now, this isn't
part of the article but I have heard other interpretations of
this. This passage I think what I'll
do is I'll try to find some of those and probably do a whole
other podcast. Just comparing the various
interpretations of Ecclesiastes 12, which is repeated in the
Master Masons degree. So stick around for that and
until then as always, thank you for listening.
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