Psalm 85:10 describes how God’s essential attributes—love and faithfulness, righteousness and peace—work together in perfect harmony rather than in conflict, revealing that God never has to choose between justice and mercy because both flow from His character simultaneously.

---

 

“Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.”

Psalm 85:10 presents one of Scripture’s most beautiful images. Four of God’s core attributes come together not in tension or compromise, but in perfect unity. This single verse challenges how we often think about God’s character—as if He must choose between being just or being merciful, between demanding holiness or offering grace.

The psalm itself was written during or after Israel’s exile, a time when the nation desperately needed to understand how God could be both faithful to His promises and righteous in His judgment. They needed to know that His love hadn’t disappeared just because His discipline was severe.

What makes this verse so powerful is what it reveals about who God is at His core. These four attributes don’t just coexist—they embrace. They kiss. And understanding how they work together changes how we see everything God does.

 

The Context of Psalm 85

Before we dive into verse 10, we need to understand where this psalm fits. The psalm opens with remembrance—God had restored Israel before, bringing them back from exile. Verses 1-3 celebrate God’s past faithfulness and forgiveness.

But then verses 4-7 shift to urgent prayer. The psalmist pleads with God to restore them again, to revive them, to turn from His anger. There’s a recognition that they need God’s intervention once more.

Verses 8-9 express confidence that God will speak peace to His people and bring salvation. And then we arrive at verse 10, which sits right in the middle of this movement from plea to promise.

The verse answers a question the psalm has been asking: How can God be angry at sin and yet show mercy? How can He demand righteousness and yet give peace? Verse 10 reveals the answer.

 

Breaking Down the Four Attributes

Love and Faithfulness

The Hebrew word translated “love” here is chesed—one of the richest words in the Old Testament. It means loyal love, covenant love, steadfast kindness. It’s the word used throughout Scripture to describe God’s commitment to His people that never wavers regardless of circumstances.

“Faithfulness” is emet in Hebrew, meaning truth, reliability, trustworthiness. It’s the quality that makes God’s promises certain. When God says something, it happens. When He commits to something, He follows through.

These two meet together. God’s love isn’t just emotional warmth—it’s reliable. His faithfulness isn’t cold duty—it’s motivated by love. You never have to wonder if God’s love will run out or if His promises might fail. They’re bound together.

 

Righteousness and Peace

“Righteousness” is tsedeq—God’s perfect standard, His justice, His moral perfection. It’s what makes Him unable to tolerate sin or pretend wrong doesn’t matter. Righteousness demands that things be made right.

“Peace” is shalom—not just the absence of conflict but complete wholeness, harmony, well-being. It’s everything being as it should be, relationships restored, needs met, hearts at rest.

These two kiss each other. God’s righteousness doesn’t destroy peace—it creates the foundation for it. Real peace only comes when righteousness is satisfied. And God’s peace doesn’t ignore righteousness—it fulfills it.

 

Why This Verse Matters

We often think God’s attributes compete with each other. We imagine Him facing tough choices: Should I show mercy or justice here? Should I be loving or righteous?

Psalm 85:10 destroys that thinking. God’s attributes don’t conflict because they all flow from who He is. He doesn’t have to balance them or choose between them. They work together naturally, perfectly.

Think about human relationships for a moment. If you love someone but never tell them the truth, your love becomes hollow and unhelpful. If you’re truthful with someone but have no love for them, your truth becomes harsh and destructive. Real love requires truth. Real truth requires love.

The same principle applies to God’s character, but infinitely more so. His love is always truthful. His truth is always loving. His righteousness is always peaceful. His peace is always righteous.

 

Where We See This in Jesus

The ultimate expression of Psalm 85:10 is the cross.

At the cross, God’s love met His faithfulness. He loved us enough to provide salvation. He stayed faithful to His promise to redeem humanity even when it cost Him everything.

At the cross, God’s righteousness kissed His peace. Sin had to be dealt with—righteousness demanded it. But through Christ’s sacrifice, peace with God became possible. Righteousness was satisfied, and peace was secured.

Paul wrote in Romans 3:26 that God demonstrated His justice while being the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. How? Because at the cross, all four attributes came together in one act.

The cross shows us that God never compromises. He doesn’t lower His standards to show mercy. He doesn’t sacrifice love to maintain justice. Instead, He satisfies all His attributes fully through Christ.

 

What This Means for Us

We Don’t Have to Fear God’s Love Running Out

Because love and faithfulness meet together in God’s character, His love toward you is guaranteed. It’s not based on your performance or your feelings. It’s grounded in who He is. The same God who loved you at your worst loves you now. The same God who will love you tomorrow loved you yesterday. His love is faithful.

 

We Don’t Have to Fear God’s Justice Without Mercy

Because righteousness and peace kiss in God’s character, you don’t have to live in fear that God’s justice will crush you. If you’re in Christ, His righteousness has already been satisfied on your behalf. The peace He offers isn’t permission to ignore sin—it’s the result of sin being dealt with completely.

 

We Can Trust God’s Character Completely

When you read Scripture and see God acting in ways that seem hard to understand, remember Psalm 85:10. His love never stops being faithful. His righteousness never stops creating peace. You might not see how all four attributes are working together in your situation, but you can trust that they are.

God doesn’t have a split personality. He doesn’t have a “mean side” and a “nice side.” Everything He does flows from all of who He is, all the time.

 

Living in Light of Psalm 85:10

If God’s attributes work in perfect harmony, ours should too—or at least we should let Him shape us toward that goal.

We can pursue truth without sacrificing love. We can extend grace without abandoning righteousness. We can seek peace without compromising on what’s right. We can be faithful to our convictions while remaining kind to those who disagree.

This is hard work. Unlike God, we often feel the tension between these values. But the more we let God transform us, the more we’ll reflect His character—where love, faithfulness, righteousness, and peace aren’t competing priorities but natural partners.

 

The Promise in This Verse

Psalm 85 is ultimately about restoration. The psalmist wants God to restore Israel as He had before. Verse 10 explains how that restoration is possible.

God can restore us because His love is faithful enough to keep pursuing us. He can restore us because His righteousness has been satisfied through Christ. He can restore us because His peace is available to those who come to Him. He can restore us because all His attributes work together for our good.

Whatever you’ve done, however far you’ve wandered, God’s character hasn’t changed. Love and faithfulness still meet. Righteousness and peace still kiss. The same God who wrote Psalm 85:10 is the same God who waits for you to return to Him today.

 

Conclusion

Psalm 85:10 gives us a glimpse into God’s heart that changes everything. His attributes don’t compete—they complement. His love doesn’t weaken His justice. His justice doesn’t diminish His mercy. His righteousness doesn’t threaten His peace. His peace doesn’t compromise His holiness.

When you understand this, you stop trying to figure out which version of God you’re going to get. You realize there’s only one God, and all of who He is works together for His glory and your good.

The next time you struggle to reconcile God’s love with His standards, or His mercy with His justice, come back to this verse. Let it remind you that in God’s character, there’s no conflict—only perfect harmony. Love and faithfulness meet. Righteousness and peace kiss. And you can rest in the God who is fully all of these things, all the time.