Psalms 34:15–16

Verse 15 of this Psalm again states the fact that "The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous." This time it is not for guidance, as in Psalm 32. Nor is it for deliverance, as in Psalm 33. It is government, so that He may listen to their cry and overrule affairs on their behalf. But note that He acts this way for "the righteous."

It is true that God is not mocked. What a man sows he will reap, because God's government has attached certain consequences to certain conduct. But He also watches over His children and governs them directly. He may let them fall sick, or die; He may deliver them from it, when they confess or when others pray for them.

The Bible is full of such symbolism. For instance, God is a Spirit and so has no body. Yet we read of His back, His face, His eyes, His nostrils, His feet, His hands, and so on. All of these are meant to convey definite thoughts in symbolic language.

"The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous" (v. 15). That is, He looks on them with approval and encouragement, for the eyes speak of the Spirit of God, guarding and guiding His saints. "His ears are toward their cry." He never fails to hear the honest pleas that call for His help.

God's eye over the righteous means more than perfect discernment of every motive. It also means watchful care that keeps them safe. In principle every believer is righteous in Christ. But Peter insists that he should be this in practice too, if he is to know God's approving eye upon him. The same holds for God's ears being open to his prayers. That involves not only hearing, but hearing with approval and answering.

"But," you say, "He does not answer." Well, He may be having a controversy with you, for "the face of the LORD is against those who do evil," and that is as true of a child of God as of someone unconverted. If the soul is doing right, what is the result? You have the eyes of the Lord upon you, and the ears of the Lord open to you. That is, you have the presence of the Lord, because your walk suits God.

How it should quiet our hearts before God when He seems to delay His answer to our cries! Urgent need or pressing danger keeps pressing and grows impatient. "Has not God said," we repeat at such times, "that He will hear our prayers?" Then why have we cried in vain? Ah, no! We never cry to Him in vain. If the Lord waits, He waits only for His own glory and our fuller blessing.

It stops in the middle of a sentence. Why? Because the words that follow are "to cut off the memory of them from the earth." Those words apply in a literal way to God's people on earth, the Jews. They could never apply to those who are saved from the wrath to come. Instead of inheriting the earth, they look for "an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven."

"The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous" (v. 15). That look is one of approval and encouragement. The eyes speak of the Spirit of God, guarding and guiding His saints. "His ears toward their cry." He never fails to hear the honest pleas that call for His help. But on the other hand, "the face of the LORD is against those who do evil" (v. 16). We have known "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6), and in that face is pure truth, so evil is hateful to it. Those who choose evil will have their very memory "cut off from the earth." This has special reference to the earthly blessings that belong to believers on earth in the millennium.

The Lord also knows all about the evil, for the face of the Lord is against those who do evil (v. 16). In the end of God's ways the memory of the evildoer will be cut off. The righteous, on the other hand, will be delivered out of all his troubles.

The face of the Lord is as much against His own children, if they are doing evil, as it is against the children of the devil. Here he applies it in the practical walk of the Christian. And who is he that will harm you, if you are followers of what is good? Notice the good things here. Good days, follow what is good, good conscience, and good conversation.

"But," you say, "He does not answer." Well, perhaps He may be having a controversy with you. "The face of the Lord is against those who do evil," and that is as true of a child of God as of an unconverted person. If the soul is doing right, what is the result? You have the eyes of the Lord upon you, and the ears of the Lord open to you. That is, a walk that suits God brings you the presence of the Lord.

Verses 11–16 take up the character of this fear of the Lord. Peter alone quotes most of this passage. Peter leaves out the end of verse 16, since it does not apply now. The general fact of government for the Christian still does apply, and we should remember this. God is not mocked: what a man sows he will reap. In His government God has attached certain consequences to certain conduct. He also watches over His children and governs them directly.

But God's government now is not the public government that puts down all evil. It works in the case of the righteous, who live under and through the power of evil. When Christ appears, there will be this suppression of evil.

Psalm 34 records that "the face of the LORD is against those who do evil." But we have to go on to Psalm 35 to find this side of things treated in detail. That psalm works out at length how God will finally bring the ungodly and the persecutors to shame and to judgment... Such will be God's governmental dealings with them in this life. There is of course the dark pit of hell before them in the life to come, but that is not the theme of the psalm.

It is the full assurance of the LORD's government in favour of the humble in heart. This enables them to bless Him at all times, not only when they are blessed — blessing Him only then is not faith. In their trouble God hears them, keeps them, and redeems them.