THE SHORT TALK BULLLETIN
OF THE MASONIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION
OF
This STB was taken from a paper by Bro. Wade D. Bridges, P.M. of the Georgia Lodge of Research. In the entire paper the scripture readings for all three degrees was explained. This STB deals only with the Scripture lesson of the 3rd Degree. The paper was published in Vol. XIX, Transactions 2005, Georgia Lodge of Research.
-STB Editor
[Note: This Paper has been compiled from a set of three by W Bro. Wade D. Bridges, PM of GLR, who expressly asserts they are not his original work, but a compilation of, and commentary on, the work of others. Unless otherwise stated, Bible references are to the standard King James Version].
THE MASTER MASON DEGREE
Ecclesiastes 12: 1-7
1. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shaft say, I have no pleasure in them;
2. While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain;
3. In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened.
4. And the doors 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;
5. Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden and desire shall fail; because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets;
6. 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.
7. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
GENERAL
Most people will agree that one cannot simply read the Bible and expect to glean all its meanings and lessons. In no place in the Scriptures is this truth more evident than in the Book of Ecclesiastes, which is liberally sprinkled with metaphors. This is particularly evident in Ecclesiastes 12:1-7.
“Ecclesiastes” is defined as “one who assembles” or “one who collects wise sayings.” It is liberally translated as “The Preacher.” Neither the date this book was written nor the identity of its author or authors is certain. Until the 19th century, scholars thought it was authored by King Solomon, but that theory is not widely held by modem theologians. Some Jewish writers ascribe it to Isaiah, the great prophet and preacher; others ascribe it to Hezekiah, a son of David; while others think it was written by someone in the time of Zerubbabel.
Most orthodox Protestant scholars contend it was written by an unidentified writer, most likely in the third century B.C., who was following the tradition of much of ancient Jewish literature when he selects a famous personage as his mouthpiece. The tradition of Solomonic authorship almost guaranteed the book a place in the canon of Scripture.
The author of Ecclesiastes identifies himself as “the son of David, King of Jerusalem” (Ecc 1:1) but he never names himself in the Book. In Ecc 1:12, the writer states, “I, the Preacher was King over
PHYSICAL INTERPRETATION
The physical interpretation may best be considered line by line:
(1) REMEMBER NOW THY CREATOR IN THE DAYS OF THY YOUTH
Many young and middle aged people overlook their surroundings and God, but as old age comes to them they start to become concerned with how they have arrived at where they are and now try to get caught up.
(2) WHILE THE EVIL DAYS COME NOT
When your body and mind don’t work the way they did in youth.
(3) NOR THE YEARS DRAW NIGH
Your time and years are drawing to a close.
(4) WHEN THOU SHALT SAY, I HAVE NO PLEASURE IN THEM.
When you can’t do that which took no effort in youth to do, and now all you can do is sit and watch, or have someone else do it for you.
(5) WHILE THE SUN, OR THE LIGHT, OR THE MOON, OR THE STARS, BE NOT DARKENED
When death finally prevails and you are no longer part of the wonders of life and nature. Fading light depicts old age. For the old man, the world grows dark.
(6) NOR THE CLOUDS RETURN, AFTER THE RAIN
Rains created new growth and life, a fresh start. And the sun or the stars once again appear.
(7) IN THE DAYS WHEN THE KEEPERS OF THE HOUSE SHALL TREMBLE
The keepers or the house are the hands, the arms, and legs, the trembling comes with the feebleness of old age.
(8) AND THE STRONG MEN SHALL BOW THEMSELVES
When they become stooped over, or bowlegged, no longer able to stand erect.
(9) AND THE GRINDERS CEASE BECAUSE THEY ARE FEW
The grinders are the teeth, which were usually very few, (in old age), if you were fortunate enough to have any.
(10) AND THOSE THAT LOOKOUT OF THE WINDOWS BE DARKENED
The windows are the eyes. Failing sight is a trait common to old age.
(11) AND THE DOORS SHALL BE SHUT IN THE STREETS, WHEN THE SOUND OF THE GRINDING IS LOW
The doors are the lips, the streets are the mouth by which nourishment enters, and the sound of the grinding is the human voice. In old age when the teeth are lost, mumbling is a very common attribute.
(12) AND HE SHALL RISE UP AT THE VOICE OF THE BIRD
The bird is the crowing cock. In old age mankind is more restless in his slumbers, and early rising is a habit with many.
(13) AND ALL THE DAUGHTERS OF MUSIC SHALL BE BROUGHT LOW
The daughters of music is the ears. The voice loses its strength and hearing becomes less acute in the aged,
(14) ALSO, WHEN THEY SHALL BE AFRAID OF THAT WHICH IS HIGH
In the declining years, men fear to scale the heights which in their prime they ascended with ease.
(15) AND FEARS SHALL BE IN THE WAY
Timidity is a common fault of older people. They are filled with apprehension at the first sign of danger.
(16) AND THE ALMOND TREE SHALL FLOURISH
It refers to the white flower of that tree and the allegorical significance is to old age, when the hair of the head shall become white or gray.
(17) AND THE GRASSHOPPER SHALL BE A BURDEN
To the weakness of old age, even the weight of so small a thing as a grasshopper, is a burden, or a pest.
(18) AND DESIRE SHALL FAIL
The appetites and desires of youth cease in the declining years.
(19) BECAUSE MAN GOETH TO HIS LONG HOME
Literally to his grave. Or to that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns.
(20) AND THE MOURNERS GO ABOUT THE STREETS
This refers to the original custom of having official mourners, who make public lamentations for the dead.
(2l) OR EVER THE SILVER CORD BE LOOSED
The silver cord is that spiritual cord which connects man to his God the same way an umbilical cord connects the baby to its mother.
(22) OR THE GOLDEN BOWL BE BROKEN
The skull is called the golden bowl, from it’s yellow color.
(23) OR THE PITCHER BE BROKEN AT THE FOUNTAIN
The pitcher is the great vein which carries the blood to the ventricle of the heart, here called the fountain.
(24) OR THE WHEEL BROKEN AT THE CISTERN
The wheel represents the aorta or great artery which receives the blood from the ventricle of the heart or the cistern and distributes it through the body.
(25) THEN SHALL THE DUST RETURN TO THE EARTH AS IT WAS, AND THE SPIRIT SHALL RETURN UNTO GOD WHO GAVE IT
Upon decomposition the body will return to mother earth from where it first originated, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
SUMMARY
Read this scripture how we will, the majestic awe-inspiring poetry rings home the solemn warning with a shake of the head and a shiver up the spine … Remember now thy Creator: “NOW”, before the fearsome storms of life, or the decay of old age, are upon you; wait not until “fears are in the way” to cry for help to the Almighty. Delay not until toothless, sightless, white-haired age asks for help from on high, because there is no help left on earth!
Such is the intention of these ringing sentences, and such do they mean to Freemasons. No man thinks of his Master Mason’s degree but hears again in his heart at least the beginning and ending of this sermon in poetry. Remember now thy Creator, in the days of thy youth—then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. The solemn strokes on the bell which is Ecclesiastes and the soul-gripping drama of the legend of Hiram Abif are never to be known apart by him who met them together.
The whole is a reminder to start early to remember thy Creator (worship God), as you can’t catch up in later life, for while the dust returns to the earth, the spirit must return to God for his judgment at the end of our lives. The proper living of our lives and worship of our God must last our lifetime, in order to obtain eternal life with our God when this life is over.
Whatever stage of our life, it is imperative that we as men and Masons:
REMEMBER NOW THY CREATOR!
SYNOPSIS
The scripture readings of the three degrees are one of the most neglected areas of Masonic study. These passages occupy places of unusual prominence in the degrees, an indication that they are intended to be of special importance. The recitation of each passage has a major impact on the tone of each of the degrees. These words of each scripture are spoken only once in our ritual, unlike so many others, and are not mentioned in any subsequent explanation.
These papers have considered these readings and offer some explanation of their meaning as well as their historical and Biblical context. Be warned to beware of concluding that they are understood simply because one can read the words and recognize their meanings. This is especially true in the case of Masonic Ritual and of Biblical passages.
