Ps. 85.10-11 (an abundant union)

Loyal-love and Faithfulness / have met together;
Righteousness and Well-being / have embraced
Faithfulness / will spring up / from the earth
and Righteousness / will look down / from heaven. 

With the Glory now ‘dwelling’ in the Land, the covenantal forces now not only emerge but congregate and embrace. There are many avenues to reflect on in these lines. Initially, there is a tantalizing observation about the number of forces (or, agents) described. If we include ‘Glory’ as the first in the series, then the total comes to seven, even though there are repetitions (Glory, Loyal-love, Faithfulness, Righteousness, Well-being, Faithfulness and Righteousness). If this observation is correct, then what we see envisioned here is a consummate perfection of the ‘activity (or drama) of the covenant’ as it inhabits the Land. As such, this could very much be seen as a new Eden, a new ‘sevened land of the covenant’. 

Which leads to a second observation. The overriding picture in these lines is of communion, of a ‘coming together’, an embrace and a gaze. Everything stands in relation. This fact is not without precedent in the psalm, however. The opening clearly establishes the theme when God “pulls back” and “turns away” from his own wrath. There, God stood, in a sense, against himself to be for his people. Here, his covenantal qualities have become agents that are utterly for each other, indeed intimate with each other. We have spoken previously about how anger makes a person almost necessarily over-against himself. Here, the reverse occurs, with an abundant union. 

Which leads to a third observation. What we are witnessing in these lines is the festivity of God. We have noted this in many other psalms. When justice is established it does not simply redeem the world by placing it back into health. Rather, it introduces the world into a sphere of profound prodigality and joy, an intense abundance. These lines display this in one of the most unique and effective manners as the very properties of God become agents themselves that display this sense of festive prodigality. The Land is brought up into God’s own deeply joyful reality. 

Which leads to a final observation. The concluding line spans heaven and earth. In fact, it appears that they are reaching out for each other in the same way that the previous verses either ‘meet together’ or ‘embrace’. The richness of these lines in particular, though, is the fact that the entire cosmos is portrayed as entering into and displaying this festive union. In other words, there is no portion that is not brought into, and becomes, the drama. Being has become utterly festive.