Proverbs 15:3

Proverbs 15:3 "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."

Most of Solomon's proverbs are like coins offering the reader two different sides on any given issue or topic.  In his book of Proverbs, contrast is Solomon's preferred teaching style.  We understand light better when it is placed next to darkness.  We grasp wisdom better when it is compared to foolishness.  We value love more when contrasted with hatred.  At first glance, this proverb lacks that contrast.  There is no "but" separating each side of a coin.  We aren't offered the chance to contrast the all-seeing eyes of God with the limitations of man's eyes or even the restrictions of Satan's eyes.  This proverb appears to be a simple statement without the usual alternative thought but, in its simplicity, it still possesses a contrast.  That contrast is not found in characters or in morality but in the content of what the Character of the proverb is beholding.  Solomon wants us to see the great contrast in what God is observing and watching in our world as He is beholding both the good AND the bad.

Too often, especially in our modern day and society, we view surveillance by any authority as intrusive and at our expense.  Thanks to George Orwell's 1984 "Big Brother" coupled with our society's rebellious nature, we view surveillance as evil and oppressive.  In our minds, live observers or video surveillance strips us of our freedom and robs us of our privacy.  We're all totally convinced that no one has the right to watch us and most of us assume anyone watching us or peering into our "private" lives is trying to control us or worse, harm us.  To be fair, that assumption is not unfounded at all as there are countless examples of cruel and creepy people doing exactly that.  That being said, we only really like surveillance if we're in control of it.  We don't like companies putting up cameras on their property but we like putting up cameras on our property.  We don't like businesses recording us shopping or eating but we're fine with recording any business representative knocking on our door or working on our property.  We don't like the authorities putting up cameras on street corners and at intersections but we're quick to pull out our mobile phones and start recording when the authorities approach us.

Human nature, because it is bent towards evil, doesn't like being watched without its consent.  Even within a church where people are typically on their best behavior and where they put on their best moral show, people don't like cameras.  Over the years, high-quality Christians have opposed being watched or heard by either surveillance cameras or live-streaming cameras.  With seemingly nothing to hide in a church while on their best behavior, people still hate the idea of potentially being seen or heard at any time.  This natural discomfort with being watched is fear-based, some of which is healthy and some of which is unhealthy.  We primarily don't like being watched because we fear getting caught doing something we shouldn't do.  That is a very healthy fear and in the case of this proverb, Solomon makes it clear that God can see all of our evil.  This fear of getting caught eating the forbidden fruit or hurting an innocent soul or saying some evil thing is a healthy and holy fear that can make us holy.  

The unhealthy fear of being watched is the result of lacking an appreciation for the "good" being watched.  If we are doing good, there is then nothing to fear and everything to appreciate in being watched.  If we are going the speed limit and obeying traffic signals, surveillance shouldn't concern it - it should comfort us.  If we're not stealing or shoplifting, surveillance shouldn't bother us - it should assure us.  If we're not doing anything wrong, being watched online or even in church shouldn't unsettle us - it should actually settle us.  Knowing someone is watching both the evil AND the good protects us from false accusation or false conviction.  Watching both the evil AND the good ensures that justice will be done in the lives of both the evil AND the good.  Without surveillance of the good, the righteous lacks evidence to defend themselves in the event of unjust accusations.  Without surveillance of the good, a law-abiding citizen would be subject to injustice if accused and tried by unjust men.  In the Old Testament, three "WITNESSES" were required to convict a man or woman of capital murder.  God made this a requirement to protect the innocent from unjust men falsely accusing a man in order to have the authorities kill him.  Just witnesses are those who see both the evil AND the good and because they see both, justice is done for both the evil AND the good.

This proverb does have two sides of a spiritual coin.  On both sides, we benefit.  On one side, we need to recognize that God's eyes see EVERY EVIL thing we do, say or think.  That should motivate us NOT TO do, say or think evil.  On the other side, we need to recognize that God's eyes see EVERY GOOD thing we do, say or think.  That should motivate us TO do, say or think good.  His constant surveillance of our lives is meant to motivate us to resist evil AND choose good.  Knowing we can't hide any evil from His holy eyes is supposed to help us avoid evil while knowing His holy eyes won't miss any good is supposed to comfort us.  God will never judge us unjustly because He sees the evil AND the good.  Regardless of what people think of us or what they accuse us of, we can rest assured knowing God's eyes have seen the evil AND the good.  This proverb is not designed to only instill a healthy FEAR of God - it is also designed to instill a healthy TRUST in God.  

The all-seeing and ever-seeing eyes of God unsettle us when contemplating evil while settling us when choosing good.  Whether people see us choose good or not is irrelevant when we know God sees the good.  Whether people see us desire and intend good or not is irrelevant when we know God sees the good.  When we know God has seen our every deed, word and intent, it matters less what people see or think.  We may hide our evil from the eyes of men but we can't hide anything from the eyes of God - that should produce serious and healthy fear.  Our good may be hidden from the eyes of man but our good can never be hidden from the eyes of God - that should produce serious and healthy comfort.  On one side of the coin, what we'll call the Omnipresence of God, is the fear of getting caught doing evil while on the other side is the confidence of being rewarded for doing good.

Unlike man's eyes, God's are always present.  Unlike man's eyes, God's are always just.  God is not blind to anything.  He is not inclined to see the bad while overlooking the good nor is He inclined to see the good while overlooking the bad.  God’s eyes are everywhere seeing everything without respect of persons, places and moral preferences.  God's eyes are in the basement as well as in the attic and in both places, they behold the evil AND the good.  God's eyes are in the living room, the bedroom, the dining room, the schoolroom, the courtroom, the dorm room as well as in the hotel room and in all places, they behold the evil AND the good.  God's eyes are in every public place as well as in every private place and in all places, they behold the evil AND the good.  Wherever you go for the entirety of your life, God's eyes are already there and they're not just beholding the good or just the evil - they're beholding the evil AND the good. 

If we could grasp the ever-present and all-seeing eyes of God, we wouldn't care at all about Big Brother or any level of human surveillance.  Who cares what man sees or doesn't see when God sees everything all the time?