Going To A Meeting

Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. -- Psalms 85:10

I was going to write a bit on both verses 10 and 11 from this psalm, but when I ran across the remarks made by eighteenth-century Methodist theologian Adam Clarke in his commentary, I decided to let him do the talking:    

Mercy and truth are met together.  It would be more simple to translate the original,-

Chesed veemeth niphgashu;

Tsedek veshalom nashaku,--

"Mercy and truth have met on the way

Righteousness and peace have embraced."

This is a remarkable text, and much has been said on it: but there is a beauty in it which, I think, has not been noticed.

Mercy and peace are on one side; truth and righteousness on the other. Truth requires righteousness; mercy calls for peace.

They meet together on the way; one going to make inquisition for sin, the other to plead for reconciliation. Having met, their differences on certain considerations, not here particularly mentioned, are adjusted; and their mutual claims are blended together in one common interest; on which peace and righteousness immediately embrace. Thus, righteousness is given to truth, and peace is given to mercy.

Now, Where did these meet?  In Christ Jesus.

When were they reconciled?  When he poured out his life on Calvary.

What a beautiful thought.