Lecture on ‘The Plumbline’

Bible verse for the 2^nd Degree – Amos 7: 7-8

7 Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand.

8 The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold I am about to put a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel. I will spare them no longer.

In ancient times, builders used plumblines or strings with a lead weight at the end to check the straightness of vertical lines. A plumb line could also test settled mud-brick walls to see how far they had tilted. Any wall that tilted too far was to be destroyed and rebuilt.

In Amos’ vision, God was assessing Israel’s straightness and soundness. It will turn out that the vertical wall, which represented Israel, needed to be destroyed and rebuilt.

So how does this apply to us as Masons? As a working tool, the Plumb admonishes us to walk uprightly in our several stations before God and man. If you fail to do this, God will destroy you to be rebuilt.

Literally speaking, if you as a Mason fail to walk uprightly before God and man, knowledgeable and worthy brother masons will give reprimand for your words and/or actions but also provide wise counsel and good wholesome instruction in order to get you back to being upright, sound, and straight.