The Solid Rock

Yesterday in our worship time we sang a new rendition of a very old hymn.  The new version is called “Cornerstone” and is a beautiful praise and worship hymn made popular by Hillsong in 2012.  However, it is taken from an old hymn entitled “The Solid Rock” which was actually written by Edward Mote in 1863. 

 

As I was singing along yesterday, I was particularly drawn to the words of the second verse which read, “When darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace; In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.”  Powerful, powerful words!  It is so true that there are times in every life when the darkness of our circumstances prevents us from being able to see the face of God clearly.  In those times we often ask, “Where are you O God?”  As the song reminds us, we can rest in the unchanging grace of God who has been so faithful in the past; so that with confidence we can cast our anchor out and hold steady in the midst of our dark and stormy circumstances.  Beautiful.

 

Yet there was one word that threw me.  What is the veil in this verse?  “My anchor holds within the veil.”  My assumption was that it refers to the veil of darkness that “seems to hide His face.”  However, it all became much clearer when I looked up the original words written by Mote in 1863.  My guess is that the editors along the way thought that the usage of certain words created confusion for the modern worshipers so they changed a few words in order to clarify meaning.  Personally I like the originals better.  What about you?

 

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.