Discover the unchanging promise of God in Hebrews 6:13-20 and find hope and security in Christ, our steadfast anchor. Reflect on God’s faithfulness today.
Scripture: Hebrews 6:13-20 (ESV)
“For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”
One of my favourite songs is “Cornerstone”. It has that wonderful refrain: “When darkness comes to hide his face, I rest on His unchanging grace, In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.” This is perhaps one of the most “not-understood” modern worship songs we sing. Maybe it’s because veil sounds like vale, as in valley. So maybe we think the anchor holds when we walk through life’s dark valleys??? But actually, this line is a reference to the fact that when life is difficult, when there are troubles, when things get hard, seeing Christ is less easy. It is like his face has been covered by a veil, it is obscured in some way. What the song is saying is that our anchor – Jesus – holds firm even when we can’t see how he is working. Even when we can’t see what his purposes are, we are safe because we are anchored in him. This is also an allusion to the veil that separated the Israelites from God’s presence in the Tabernacle and in the temple. Only the High Priest could enter beyond the veil to be in God’s presence. Anyone else who entered would be consumed. But Jesus, is our anchor even beyond the veil – even in God’s presence. Our anchor holds.
Hebrews 6:13-20 conjures a similar image. Our anchor is nothing less than the hope we in an unchangeable God, through the unchangeable sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. This is really just a continuation of the covenant promises God made to Abraham. God, having no one greater than Himself, by whom he could swear, swore by Himself. God’s promise to Abraham was secure, because it was guaranteed by God’s own unchanging nature. Abraham’s story is one of patience and faith. He waited and trusted in God’s promise, even when it seemed impossible.
So too the promises we have from God. It’s just that we often lack patience and trust. We live in a world where promises are frequently broken, and trust is hard to come by. This makes it difficult for us to rely fully on God’s promises. But God’s promise is different. It’s anchored in His very nature—unchangeable and truthful. He cannot lie. This means that we can hold on to the hope Jesus gives us regardless of the stormy gales life throws at us. No stormy gale can snatch us from His hand. Jesus entered the most holy place in the temple in front of us. He went “behind the veil”. And as we are anchored in him, we can enter behind the veil too.
But our anchor will hold within the veil.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for being our steadfast anchor. Help us to trust in your unchanging promises and hold fast to the hope we have in Jesus. Strengthen our faith and patience as we navigate life’s challenges. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Spiritual Challenge: Today, reflect on a promise God has made in the Bible and hold on to it throughout your day. Let it anchor your thoughts and actions, reminding you of His faithfulness.