ROCK OF AGES

ROCK OF AGES

Song 2:14 “O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
In the secret places of the cliff,
Let me see your face,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet,
And your face is lovely.”

Some of the greatest hymns ever written came out of the revival in the 1700’s. One such song was written by Augustus Toplady. This song, like many others from this era carry something of God on them because they were composed out of an encounter with The Lord. This song, Rock of Ages is filled with great theology as well as the anointing of the Spirit. Check out the first verse of this song.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.

In these few, short, powerful lines there are some powerful thoughts. It speaks of the wounds of Christ, about being hidden in Him, the power of the water and the blood, the double cure of salvation and healing, and deliverance from the wrath to come. Wow! Such a short verse, what powerful revelations. The second verse continues, loaded with God’s Word.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

This verse talks about the central theme of the gospel, salvation comes not by human works but by grace alone through faith alone. Only Christ offers salvation to the ungodly by grace. Verse three also is loaded with divine truth.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
The third verse talks about our helplessness in saving ourselves. We come to Him with empty hands, He saves us, washes us and clothes us. The final verse sums it all up, our life is not about this physical world.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

Death and life is what this life is all about. Toplady tells us about being ready for our last breath. Are you ready for your last breath? It may be closer than any of us realize. Then he tells us about what heaven is really about. Its about the One Who is seated on the throne, He is what makes heaven, heaven. Toplady obviously had glimpsed the glory of the other side, that’s why his song is still being sung almost three hundred years later. As we run our race in this crazy world we can find comfort from the words of this song, “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee”. Hidden in Christ, that’s how we live our lives.