“Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.”
My Notes
What Does Psalms 106:22 Mean?
The psalmist recalls God's acts in Egypt with two categories: "wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea." The land of Ham is Egypt — Ham being Noah's son whose descendant Mizraim settled in Egypt. The wondrous works are the plagues; the terrible things are the Red Sea crossing and the drowning of Pharaoh's army.
The pairing of "wondrous" (pala — extraordinary, beyond comprehension) and "terrible" (yare — fear-inducing, awe-inspiring) captures two faces of the same events. To Israel, the plagues and the sea-crossing were wondrous — acts of liberation. To Egypt, they were terrible — acts of devastating judgment. Same events, opposite experiences.
This dual perspective runs through the entire Exodus narrative. God's salvation of Israel is simultaneously God's judgment on Egypt. The water that made a path for Israel was the water that drowned Egypt's army. The same act saves and destroys.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Have you experienced something that was both wondrous and terrible depending on perspective?
- 2.How does where you stand change how you experience God's action?
- 3.What in your life currently feels 'terrible' but might be 'wondrous' from God's perspective?
- 4.How do you hold both faces of God's activity — saving and judging — without choosing one over the other?
Devotional
Wondrous and terrible. Both words describe the same events. The same plagues that liberated Israel devastated Egypt. The same sea that made a path for freedom was the sea that closed on Pharaoh's army. The same God. The same acts. Opposite experiences.
This dual nature of God's intervention is one of Scripture's most important truths. God's saving action always has another side. The rain that waters one field floods another. The door that opens for you closes for someone else. The same act of divine power is wondrous to the recipient and terrible to the opponent.
Where you stand determines which face of God's action you see. If you're Israel walking through the sea, it's the most wondrous thing in history. If you're Egypt's chariot driver, it's the most terrible. Both are true. Both are the same God doing the same thing.
This matters because the wondrous things God is doing in your life may look terrible to someone else. And the terrible things happening to you may be wondrous from a perspective you can't currently see. The same event, the same divine action, contains both qualities simultaneously.
Are you on the Israel side or the Egypt side of God's current activity in your life? And is it possible that what feels terrible to you is, from another angle, wondrous?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Wondrous works in the land of Ham,.... The same with Egypt; Mizraim, from whence Egypt had its name, being the son of…
They forgat God their Saviour ... - The God who had saved, or delivered them, out of Egypt. The sentiment here is the…
This is an abridgment of the history of Israel's provocations in the wilderness, and of the wrath of God against them…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture