The Cyber Hymnal ‎#2565

2565. How Awful Is Thy Chastening Rod

1. How awful is Thy chastening rod!
May Thy own children say:
The great, the wise, the dreadful God!
How holy is His way!
I’ll meditate His works of old,
The King that reigns above;
I’ll hear His ancient wonders told,
And learn to trust His love.

2. Long did the house of Joseph lie
With Egypt’s yoke oppressed;
Long He delayed to hear their cry,
Nor gave His people rest.
The sons of good old Jacob seemed
Abandoned to their foes;
But His almighty arm redeemed
The nation that He chose.

3. Israel, His people and His sheep,
Must follow where He calls;
He bade them venture through the deep,
And made the waves their walls.
The waters saw Thee, mighty God!
The waters saw Thee come;
Backward they fled, and frighted stood,
To make Thine armies room.

4. Strange was Thy journey through the sea
Thy footsteps, Lord, unknown;
Terrors attend the wondrous way
That brings Thy mercies down.
Thy voice, with terror in the sound,
Through clouds and darkness broke;
All Heav’n in lightning shone around,
And earth with thunder shook.

5. Thine arrows through the skies were hurled;
How glorious is the Lord!
Surprise and trembling seized the world,
And His own saints adored.
He gave them water from the rock,
And safe, by Moses’ hand,
Through a dry desert led His flock
Home to the promised land.

Text Information

• First Line: How awful is Thy chastening rod
• Title: How Awful Is Thy Chastening Rod
• Author: Isaac Watts (1719)
• Meter: CMD
• Language: English
• Source: The Psalms of David, 1719
• Copyright: Public Domain

Tune Information

• Name: ALIDA
• Composer: Anonymous
• Meter: CMD
• Incipit: 51132 16617 65551
• Key: C Major
• Source: Early American tune
• Copyright: Public Domain