July 27, 2025 - 1 Peter 3:12 - "The Eyes of the LORD Over the Righteous"

1 Peter 3:12

"For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil."

Eyes and ears are attributed to the LORD metaphorically. God is Spirit and yet the Scriptures attribute to Him human elements that we might better understand Who He is and how He acts as God. Of course, it is true that in Christ, God’s Eternal Son, these are the eyes and ears with which He appeared in the flesh. He is the visible image of the invisible God, "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:" (Colossians 1:15).

God’s eyes speak of His perfect knowledge and perception—not merely of how things appear, but of how they truly are. His ears represent His attentiveness to the cries of His children, here called “the righteous.” Yet, Scripture declares, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). Therefore, these must be those whom God sees and hears as righteous—those justified by the finished work of the LORD Jesus Christ. Christ alone established a righteousness that satisfied the just demands of God the Father. Upon the completion of His work on the cross, God once and for all imputed that righteousness to the spiritual account of every one of His elect (Romans 5:1). God judges them righteous, not for anything good or just in themselves, but solely by the imputation of that perfect righteousness which Christ fulfilled through His obedience unto death (Romans 5:9). Because the Father loves the Son, He is well pleased with His work of righteousness on behalf of those sinners He came to save—and has indeed saved—by His shed blood unto death. Having magnified the law and made it honorable by Him, God now beholds with holy pleasure and delight those to whom He has imputed that righteousness that He perfectly earned and established. His eyes are ever upon them—those clothed in the perfect righteousness of His Son—with all-knowing love, care, and protection.

“...His ears are open to their prayers”: or "prayer" in the Hebrew text, that is ‘to their cry.’ As a Father, ever tender to His children, they have God’s ear and He always answers according to His will, in His time and wisdom. He shall avenge His elect who cry unto Him day and night, "And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them" (Luke 18:7)?

“...but the face of the LORD is against them that do evil”: God is not ignorant of those outside of Christ, but His face is against them, being condemned already by His justice. This clearly shows that God’s love is particular and exclusive to His elect."...the face of the LORD," is not His kind, pleasant, and loving countenance but His anger. For He beholds His elect with delight because of Christ’s work for them and in them. But all others have nothing but His just condemnation, forever.

What a comfort it is to know that “the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers.” The LORD does not merely glance at His people—He watches over them with covenantal love and unwavering care. He hears their prayers, not because of their eloquence or sincerity, but because they are made righteous in His sight through the perfect obedience and effectual Sacrifice of Christ. This is the only basis of their acceptance before God. Yet, we are also soberly reminded that “the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” All who oppose Christ and reject God's righteousness imputed at the cross, abide under His just and holy displeasure (John 3:36).

May we rest in the favor of God that is ours in Christ Jesus, Who alone is our Righteousness and Peace. And let our hearts be stirred in true Spirit-given prayer, for the LORD of heaven is both watching and listening to His own, ever ready to answer according to His will in mercy and grace.