What does it mean that the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous (1 Peter 3:12)?

"For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous." This means, not only perfect discernment of every motives but watchful care in preservation. It is true that in principle every believer is seen as righteous in Christ, but Peter is insisting that he should be this in practice, if he is to experience God's approving eye upon him; and the same as regards God's ears being open to his prayers, which involves, not only hearings but hearing with approval, and answering. For a contrary character will reap contrary results. God's face will show no approval of evil, and our siding with it in any degree will incur His serious displeasure. These verses are quoted from Psalm 34:12-16; and God's government is no less serious today than when David first wrote this.

Again in verse 15 of this Psalm do we get the fact stated that, "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous." This time it is not for guidance as in Ps. 32. Nor is it for deliverance, as in Ps. 33. It is in government, in order that He may listen to their cry, and overrule affairs on their behalf. But it is "the righteous," be it noted, for whom He acts in this way.

"The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous (v. 15), that is, approvingly and encouragingly, for the eyes speak of the Spirit of God, guarding and guiding His saints. "His eyes are open to their cry." He never fails to hear the honest entreaties 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 that evil is abhorrent to it. Those who choose evil will have their very remembrance "cut off from the earth." This has special reference to the earthly blessings that are the portion of believers on earth in the millennium.

"The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers." Sweet word! Peter feels the necessity of prayer and dependence, and if your walk be right, he says, the Lord is attentive to your prayers. "But," you say, "He does not answer." Well, perhaps He may be having a controversy with you," for the face of the Lord is against them that 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, i.e., you have the presence" of the Lord as the result of a walk that is suited to God. Then you are not a bit afraid of Satan's power, or of Satan's wiles. The only way in which we can get along is by enjoying God.

So the Lord says, if there is the broken heart and the contrite spirit acknowledging the authority of My Word, then I will look to you with divine approval. "The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry" (Ps. 34: 15).

So the Lord says, if there is the broken heart and the contrite spirit acknowledging the authority of My Word, then I will look to you with divine approval. “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry” (Ps. 34:15).

What needed lessons are thereby conveyed! Human affection would have prompted to instant succour; but allowing death to come in first, brought, in raising Lazarus, as nothing else could do, not only glory to God, but also to Christ Himself; for if this sickness was for the glory of God, it was also "that the Son of God should be glorified thereby." How then it should still our hearts in the presence of God when He seems to delay to answer our cries! Urgent need or pressing danger is generally importunate and impatient. "Has not God said," we repeat at such times, "that He will hear our prayers?" How then is it that we have cried in vain? Ah, no! we never cry to Him in vain; "for the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers." (1 Peter 3:12.) If the Lord wait, He waits only for His own glory, and our fuller blessing.

Here I think we come to the actual talk of the lips, and what the effect is on ourselves, as well as on others. The Lord sees, and hears all. "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil." 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 ye be followers of that which is good? Observe the good things here. Good days, follow that which is good, good conscience, and good conversation. My beloved, if you are doing good, following good, and feeding on good, you will see good days, and you will have a good conscience, and all the world will have to admit that yours is good conversation. More than that, God will yet so work that "they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ."

Used symbolically for the omnipresence of God. "The eyes of the Lord are in every place," Prov. 15:3; "the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous." Ps. 34:15; 1 Peter 3:12: cf. 2 Chr. 16:9; Zech. 4:10. His eyes are also upon the wicked, and His eyes will not spare, neither will He have compassion in the day of judgement. Ezek. 5:11. The eye is also used symbolically for the organ that transmits the light to the soul. If the eye is single — there being but one object (the glory of God) before the soul — the whole body is full of light; but if the eye be evil, having divers objects (as when an eye sees double), the whole body is full of darkness. And if the light (true light it may be) be darkness, how great is that darkness! A Christian in this condition may do the very things he had strongly condemned in others. Matt. 6:22-23; Luke 11:34-36.

An apparent exception to this may be urged in that the rich man in hades is said to lift up his eyes. But the statement is symbolical and intended to express the thought that the soul is conscious after death and able to take cognisance of its surroundings. The Bible is full of such symbolism. For instance, God is a Spirit and therefore incorporeal. Yet we read of His “back parts,” His face, His eyes, His nostrils, His feet, His hands, etc., etc., all intended to convey definite thoughts in symbolic language. For instance, “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (Ps. 34:15-16).