Proverbs 15:11 Commentary and Bible Study

‘All things are naked and opened to the eyes of him with whom we have to do’, says the writer of Hebrews. The deepest of mysteries are known to him and the most inaccessible places are an open book in his hand. He is the God from whom no man can hide, and he sees the eternal future as well as the eternal past. Those who make him their enemy are defeated before they start. All their plotting and schemes are known to him before ever a thought passes through their minds or a word is on their tongue. Nothing is any threat to him, and nothing can cause his plan to deviate one iota from his original plan. Hell and destruction now hold the souls of those departed from this life. The nature and location of these places are entirely hidden from us. Lawson says, ‘Many vain disputes have been carried on by men about the place and state of the departed.’ This only goes to show how well hidden these things are; even better hidden than the secret thoughts of men on earth. But God knows: ‘If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there’ (Psalm 139:8). He knows every thought, every remorse that the departed suffer; he knows the hopelessness of those in hell. He assigns to each one their punishment which is the sentence of his perfect justice on the sins of men and angels. He knows how he will punish for ever and ever and he creates the despair which will imprison the lost. Though he put up long with them during their time on earth, their deeds will be rewarded sufficiently and what they gained on earth will not begin to compensate for what they endure in hell. But the emphasis of the proverb is on the Lord’s knowledge of what takes place there and this is compared to his knowledge of another mysterious place – the hearts of men and women. To know that we are always under the scrutiny of the Lord has an enormously powerful influence on the conduct of believers. Is this eye-service? Not the sort of eye-service that is frowned upon by Scripture in connection with half-hearted service to an employer. That is called eye-service because it is dishonest and quickly lapses into idleness when the master is absent. But God is never absent and his people are always under his gaze. Nor do they wish to be away from it because their innermost desire is to be conformed to his likeness. They welcome his eye upon them because it assists their new nature in exerting itself against the old. It is a reminder to them that his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and all else shall fall before it. Why do unbelievers think they can hide their purposes from the Lord and pretend to do one thing while doing another? Why do they think they can deceive God about their real intention? The delay in his justice misleads them, and convinces them that they have got away with sin unscathed. But God’s leash is long and his anger does not diminish over time.