Back to: Protected: The Master Mason Lesson
THE LEGEND OF HIRAM
Hiram Abif, the skilled artificer, was the son of a widow of the Tribe of Naphtali. The earlier accounts of Hiram are recorded in the 1st Book of Kings, Chapter 7, Verses 13 and 14. His coming to work on the great Temple at Jerusalem is mentioned in a letter written to King Solomon by Hiram, the King of Tyre, and recorded in II Chronicles, Chapter 2, Verses 13 and 14.
In the drama of the Third Degree, we witness the tragedy of evil. Here is a good and wise man, working for others and giving others work, then through the evil intentions of a few, he experiences the greatest tragedy, hatred and death at the hands of another human. How was this met by the Craft? First they imposed the supreme penalty on those who had demonstrated this evil will of destruction, that none others would dare follow in those steps. Evil is the greatest enemy of man, and to it no quarter shall be given. Second, was to discipline and pardon those who had acted not from evil, but who had been misguided through weakness of character. Third was to recover from the tragedy and take up the burdens left behind. Working to undo and to right the sufferings of the good is one of the prime duties of man in life for otherwise the world will be destroyed by all the evils that occur around us.
Consider then the lesson of the Drama, difficult to understand and difficult to believe if one has not been truly initiated into the realities of spiritual life. Because the victim was a good man, with a goodness firmly rooted in his unwavering faith in God, that which destroyed him on one level of existence, could not destroy him in another. The spirit in him rose above the reach of evil, and be virtue of that he was raised from the dead level to the living perpendicular. To rise to the height of spiritual life is to rise above the reach of evil and tragedy. To have the spirit rest in God, to have a sincere and unwavering faith in truth and goodness, is the inner secret of a Master Mason.
Since the Drama of Hiram Abif is Masonic ritual, it is therefore immaterial whether it is historical fact. Yes, there was a Hiram Abif in History, but our teachings go far beyond what history tells of him. They are symbolic of the human soul, and of the evil and tragedy we all must face in life. Hiram Abif is a symbol of the soul. The work he supervised is symbolic of the work we do as we direct and organize our lives from birth to death. The enemies he faced are symbolic of the lusts and passions that attack our own character. His doom becomes ours if we allow ourselves to be buried under the rubbish and weaknesses of life. His raising symbolizes how any man can rise from self defeat to self mastery through the power of the Supreme Architect, Whose help we all need to raise us from the grave of defeat.
The reason that you were made to participate in the Drama is that this was the drama of your soul, not that of another. This was helping to prepare you to become a Master Mason by teaching you the secret of a Master Mason in which you learn that the soul may rise above its internal enemies if a man is a Mason in reality, as well as in name.
The word Abif means “his father” or “my father”, and the name is translated to “Hiram, my father.” He was regarded as the father of all his workmen on the Temple. By using Hiram Abif in the Drama, we are also taught the additional magnificent lesson of fidelity. By his refusing to betray those secrets in his trust, even in the face of certain death, demonstrated that his standards did not allow a compromise with the threat of evil.
THE THREE GRAND MASTERS
The three mentioned often in our rituals concerning the building of the Temple are: Solomon, King of Israel; Hiram, King of Tyre; and Hiram Abif. In early times, it was thought that Deity was regarded as three persons working together to get things done.
The secrets known only to these Three Grand Masters typify Divine Truth, which was known only to Deity, and was not to be communicated to man until he had completed his own spiritual temple. Once these secrets were attained, a Mason could reap the rewards of a well-spent life, and travel to that well-known country toward which all of us are traveling.
By knowing the meaning of these names and references to their offices, you will better understand what the ritual means. All of us are forever reaching outward and upward, looking for further knowledge of God and our relationship with Him, which is Divine Truth.
THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON
This magnificent structure was located on Mount Moriah, at Jerusalem. It was near the place where Abraham was about to offer up his 11 son Isaac. The site was purchased by David, King of Israel, for it was here that the hand of the Destroying Angel was stayed after David had repented. The incident is recorded in II Samuel, Chapter 24, Verses 15 through 25 and I Chronicles, Chapter 21, Verses 14 through 30.
The building of the Temple was begun in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, which is generally accepted as 973 B.C. and finished seven years later, around 967 B.C. It was about 480 years after the people of Israel came out of Egypt as a band of refugees. The people lost their sense of spiritual direction and destiny, so their Temple was destroyed in the year 586 B.C., by Nebuchadnezzar.
THE SYMBOLISM OF THE TEMPLE
The chief purpose of Solomon’s Temple was to provide a dwelling place for God in the midst of His people Israel. People thought that God dwelled with man in those days, and this should be a fundamental human thought today.
Some people of that day claim this was the most perfect building ever erected by man. Whether it was or not was open to conjecture, but perfection was certainly the goal of both David and Solomon.
The symbol of the Temple for each of us is founded upon the idea that man himself is a living Temple where God resides. Freemasonry tries to undertake the task of helping each of its members to build a more stately mansion within themselves where God can reside.
Each of us should be aware of the fact that we are a symbolic Temple and that we should work toward the same type of perfection in our own Temple as that sought for in the Temple at Jerusalem. Our individual temples are mental, physical and spiritual, and our work on these temples should not be inferior.
SOLOMON, KING OF ISRAEL
Solomon was the son of David and Bathsheba. He was born about 997B.C. and became king at the age of 20, reigned 40 years and died in the Year 937 BC. During Solomon’s reign, Israel had its greatest power, prosperity and recognition. The name Solomon means peaceful and his reign was one of peace.
HIRAM, KING OF TYRE
Hiram was a friend of King David and became both ally and friend of King Solomon. According to the Biblical accounts, he assisted Solomon by supplying certain materials for the construction of the Temple and, in return, received a gift from Solomon of ten cities.
HIRAM ABIF
Hiram Abif was the son of a man of Tyre, and his mother was one of the daughters of the Tribe of Dan. He was sent by King Hiram to assist King Solomon in building the Temple. He was a very well-known person, which is attested to in the Second Book of Chronicles, which tells us of his skill in the arts and crafts during that period.
TO TRAVEL IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES
The ultimate goal of our ancient Operative Brothers was to become Masters so they might possess secrets and knowledge which would enable them to practice the arts of the builder no matter where they traveled, even in foreign countries.
“Foreign countries”, as used in Freemasonry, is a symbolic place and is not meant to refer to a certain geographical location. Freemasonry itself is a foreign country to every new member. If he is to travel in it, if he is to earn Master’s wages, he must learn its language, understand its customs, and study its history. He must become a part of it to fully appreciate and enjoy its privileges and pleasures.
We, as Speculative Masons, still desire to travel in foreign countries, and some of us feel the urge strongly enough to study Masonry diligently so we may receive proper instructions and be permitted to travel and receive Master’s Wages.
By studying the writings of Freemasonry, you will find pleasant traveling. These areas include history, philosophy, and many other areas leading to countless treasures which each of you must discover for yourself.
Mackey’s Encyclopedia has this quote, “But the true meaning of the foreign country into which the Master Mason travels in search of wages is far different. The symbolism of this life terminates with the Master’ Degree. The completion of that Degree is the lesson of death and the resurrection to a future life, where the True Word, or Divine Truth, not given in this, is to be received as the reward of a life worthily spent in its search. Heaven, the future life, the higher state of existence after death, is the foreign country in which the Master Mason is to enter, and therefore he is to receive his wages in the reception of that Truth which can be imparted only in that better land.”
THE WAGES OF A MASTER MASON
Our ancient Operative Brethren performed manual labor and received wages which would contribute to their physical welfare. These nominal wages were Corn, Wine and Oil.
The intangibles of love, friendship, respect, opportunity, happy labor, and association are the wages of a Master who earns them. Not all do earn them, and that is why the Senior Warden in the opening of the Lodge declares, ”to pay the Craft their wages, if aught be due…”