MERCY AND TRUTH

“MERCY and TRUTH have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed” – Psalm 85:10

The Bible presents a brilliant blend of MERCY and TRUTH: “MERCY and TRUTH have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed” (Psa.85:10). In response to prayer, the psalmist saw four attributes of God allying to bless the once afflicted nation. The imagery is of mercy and truth going in different directions, and with opposite intent, but they meet, and are brought into harmony. It is the same with righteousness and peace; there seemed no common course of action open to them than to be opposed; but, suddenly, they embrace, and all discord ceases between them. Mercy aligns with Truth to fulfil God’s faithful promise, and to show Jehovah to be neither a tyrant nor a deceiver. “Righteousness and peace have kissed” (v.10b): He, whose just severity imposes discipline, also sends peace to bind up the wound. As His people forsake their sins and follow after righteousness, they find peace.

Beyond the immediate, contextual meaning of these verses however, the real sense is Christ Jesus. Such union of opposites can only be seen in Christ! In Him, these divine attributes meet and embrace for the salvation of fallen humanity. Mercy, truth, righteousness, and peace are four divine attributes which parted at the fall of Adam, but met again in Christ. They stand out glaringly in the incarnation, like four steps of the throne of Christ or four accompanying allies in His entourage: on the right hand, is mercy presenting the olive; on the left, truth holding the pure white lily; before Him walks justice bearing the balance; and peace follows Him, with a bouquet full of flowers, scattering the flowers around. Mercy was ever inclined to save man; Peace could not be humanity’s enemy; Truth demanded the performance of God's judgement – “the soul that sins shall die,” but Righteousness determined what was due to everyone. The Lord is true in all His ways, and righteous in all His works.

A touching illustration of the meeting of these divine virtues is portrayed in the parable of the prodigal son, and how the father seeing his son afar off in his misery, had compassion on him, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him! Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Only in Christ are the demands of all claimants satisfied and their union restored. Mercy, truth, righteousness and peace show how God's word can be true, His work just, and the sinner, notwithstanding, finds mercy, and obtains peace. Think of it this way: 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 pair going to make inquisition for sin, the other to plead for reconciliation. In Christ, their differences are resolved and their mutual claims blended together in a common interest.  The reconciliation occurred when Christ poured out His life on Calvary: peace and righteousness immediately embraced; righteousness was given to truth, and peace given to mercy.

God is the perfect balance of all good character traits, and He possesses the perfect blend of Mercy and Truth. However, these virtues are not for Him alone. It is His plan and desire for His children to become vessels of mercy, and at the same time, epitome of truth. His Word says: “Let not MERCY and TRUTH forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and men” (Pro.3:3-4). In essence: “Let Mercy and Truth always abide with you; never forsake them – not either, but both.” Truth must be spoken – be right and just; but Mercy must go hand-in-hand with truth. Truth without mercy can be coarse, hard, and cold – often legalistic. Mercy without truth will be sentimental and wishy-washy, and without a firm stand. Mercy devoid of truth is timid and slippery. It must ever be mercy and truth. Mercy and Truth meet together in Christ: “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies” (Psa.25:10).