Job 15:15 Study Bible: Look, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;

◄ Job 15:15 ►

If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes,

If God puts no trust
The phrase "If God puts no trust" suggests a profound theological assertion about the nature of divine trust and the inherent limitations of created beings. The Hebrew root for "trust" here is "בָּטַח" (batach), which conveys a sense of confidence or reliance. In the context of Job, this phrase underscores the idea that even the most exalted beings in creation are not entirely reliable or trustworthy in the eyes of an all-knowing God. This reflects a conservative Christian understanding of human and angelic fallibility, emphasizing that ultimate trust and faith should be placed solely in God, who is infallible and omniscient.

in His holy ones
The term "holy ones" refers to beings set apart by God, often interpreted as angels or celestial beings. The Hebrew word "קְדוֹשִׁים" (qedoshim) is used here, which denotes sanctity and separation for divine purposes. This phrase highlights the transcendence and purity expected of those who serve God directly. However, the assertion that God does not place trust even in these holy ones serves to remind believers of the vast chasm between the Creator and His creation, reinforcing the conservative Christian view of God's unparalleled holiness and the need for humility among His creatures.

and the heavens
The mention of "the heavens" brings to mind the vast, awe-inspiring expanse of the sky and the celestial realm. In Hebrew, "שָׁמַיִם" (shamayim) is often used to describe both the physical sky and the spiritual realm where God dwells. This duality serves as a reminder of the majesty and mystery of God's creation. In the context of Job, the heavens symbolize the highest order of creation, yet even they are subject to God's scrutiny and judgment, illustrating the conservative Christian belief in God's sovereignty over all creation.

are not pure
The phrase "are not pure" speaks to the inherent imperfection found even in the most exalted parts of creation. The Hebrew root "טָהֵר" (taher) means to be clean or pure, often used in ceremonial contexts. This suggests that, despite their grandeur, the heavens themselves fall short of God's perfect standard. This aligns with the conservative Christian doctrine of the fall, which posits that all creation has been tainted by sin and imperfection, necessitating divine redemption and restoration.

in His sight
The phrase "in His sight" emphasizes God's omniscience and His ability to perceive all things as they truly are. The Hebrew word "עֵינַיִם" (einayim) refers to eyes or sight, symbolizing God's penetrating vision that sees beyond outward appearances. This serves as a sobering reminder that nothing is hidden from God, and all creation is subject to His righteous judgment. For conservative Christians, this underscores the importance of living a life of integrity and accountability before a God who sees and knows all.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Eliphaz the Temanite
One of Job's three friends who comes to comfort him. In this chapter, Eliphaz is speaking, offering his perspective on Job's suffering and the nature of God's justice.

2. Job
The central figure of the Book of Job, a man who experiences immense suffering and seeks to understand the reasons behind it.

3. God
The Almighty, who is the ultimate judge and whose perspective on purity and trust is being discussed by Eliphaz.

4. Holy Ones
Likely referring to angels or celestial beings, indicating that even they are not entirely trustworthy or pure in God's sight.

5. Heavens
The celestial realm, which Eliphaz claims is not pure before God, emphasizing God's absolute holiness and the imperfection of all creation.

Teaching Points

God's Absolute Holiness
God's holiness is so profound that even the heavens and celestial beings fall short of His purity. This should lead us to a deeper reverence and awe for God's nature.

Human Limitations
If even the holy ones and the heavens are not pure in God's sight, how much more should we, as humans, recognize our own limitations and need for God's grace?

The Need for Humility
Eliphaz's words remind us to approach God with humility, acknowledging that our understanding and righteousness are limited compared to His.

Trust in God's Perspective
While Eliphaz's application may be flawed, the truth remains that God's perspective is perfect, and we should seek to align our understanding with His.

The Role of Suffering
This passage invites us to consider how suffering can be a tool for refining our understanding of God's holiness and our dependence on Him.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does Eliphaz's view of God's holiness challenge our understanding of purity and righteousness?

2. In what ways can recognizing the impurity of the heavens and holy ones impact our daily walk with God?

3. How can we cultivate a deeper sense of humility in light of God's absolute holiness?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to align our perspective with God's, especially during times of suffering?

5. How do other scriptures about God's holiness and human limitations help us understand the message of Job 15:15?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Isaiah 6:1-5
Isaiah's vision of God's holiness highlights the impurity of even the heavens and the need for purification, similar to Eliphaz's assertion.

Psalm 89:5-7
This passage speaks of the assembly of the holy ones and God's incomparable holiness, reinforcing the idea that even the heavenly beings are in awe of God's purity.

Revelation 15:4
This verse speaks to the holiness of God and how all nations will come to worship Him, acknowledging His righteous acts, which aligns with the theme of God's unmatched purity.

Sermons

Perversity and Impenitence Rebuked	E. Johnson	Job 15:1-19
God's Holiness and Man's Sin	W.F. Adeney	Job 15:14-16
Holiness Imperfect in the Best Men	Spurgeon, Charles Haddon	Job 15:14-16
Human Sinfuless	R. Green	Job 15:14-16
Original Sin	W. E. Light, M. A.	Job 15:14-16

People

Eliphaz, Job

Places

Topics

Behold, Clean, Credence, Faith, Heavens, Holy, Ones, Places, Pure, Puts, Putteth, Saints, Sight, Truly, Trust, Yea, Yes

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Job 15:15

4116 angels, opposed to God
8719 distrust

Job 15:14-15

6745 sanctification, nature and basis

Job 15:14-16

5004 human race, and sin
8322 perfection, human

Library

July 26 Evening
Give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.--PSA. 97:12. The heavens are not clean in his sight. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?--Yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. How much less man, that is a worm? Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness?--Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts. As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

Restraining Prayer: is it Sin?
"Thou restrainest prayer before God."--JOB xv. 4. "What profit should we have, if we pray unto Him?"--JOB xxi. 15. "God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you."--1 SAM. xii. 23. "Neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you."--JOSH. vii. 12. Any deep quickening of the spiritual life of the Church will always be accompanied by a deeper sense of sin. This will not begin with theology; that can only give expression to what God works …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession

Of Meditation Upon the Hidden Judgments of God, that we May not be Lifted up Because of Our Well-Doing
Thou sendest forth Thy judgments against me, O Lord, and shakest all my bones with fear and trembling, and my soul trembleth exceedingly. I stand astonished, and remember that the heavens are not clean in thy sight.(1) If Thou chargest Thine angels with folly, and didst spare them not, how shall it be unto me? Stars have fallen from heaven, and what shall I dare who am but dust? They whose works seemed to be praiseworthy, fell into the lowest depths, and they who did eat Angels' food, them have …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

All are Sinners.
Some time ago we overheard from a person who should have known better, remarks something like these: "I wonder how sinners are saved in the Lutheran Church?" "I do not hear of any being converted in the Lutheran Church," and such like. These words called to mind similar sentiments that we heard expressed long ago. More than once was the remark made in our hearing that in certain churches sinners were saved, because converted and sanctified, while it was at least doubtful whether any one could find …
G. H. Gerberding—The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church

Whether Six Daughters are Fittingly Assigned to Anger?
Objection 1: It would seem that six daughters are unfittingly assigned to anger, namely "quarreling, swelling of the mind, contumely, clamor, indignation and blasphemy." For blasphemy is reckoned by Isidore [*QQ. in Deut., qu. xvi] to be a daughter of pride. Therefore it should not be accounted a daughter of anger. Objection 2: Further, hatred is born of anger, as Augustine says in his rule (Ep. ccxi). Therefore it should be placed among the daughters of anger. Objection 3: Further, "a swollen mind" …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Meditations to Stir us up to Morning Prayer.
1. If, when thou art about to pray, Satan shall suggest that thy prayers are too long, and that therefore it were better either to omit prayers, or else to cut them shorter, meditate that prayer is thy spiritual sacrifice, wherewith God is well pleased (Heb. xiii. 15, 16;) and therefore it is so displeasing to the devil, and so irksome to the flesh. Bend therefore thy affections (will they, nill they) to so holy an exercise; assuring thyself, that it doth by so much the more please God, by how much …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Whether Pride is the Most Grievous of Sins?
Objection 1: It would seem that pride is not the most grievous of sins. For the more difficult a sin is to avoid, the less grievous it would seem to be. Now pride is most difficult to avoid; for Augustine says in his Rule (Ep. ccxi), "Other sins find their vent in the accomplishment of evil deeds, whereas pride lies in wait for good deeds to destroy them." Therefore pride is not the most grievous of sins. Objection 2: Further, "The greater evil is opposed to the greater good," as the Philosopher …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Moral Depravity.
VIII. Let us consider the proper method of accounting for the universal and total moral depravity of the unregenerate moral agents of our race. In the discussion of this subject, I will-- 1. Endeavor to show how it is not to be accounted for. In examining this part of the subject, it is necessary to have distinctly in view that which constitutes moral depravity. All the error that has existed upon this subject, has been founded in false assumptions in regard to the nature or essence of moral depravity. …
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

The Redeemer's Return is Necessitated by the Lamentation of all Creation.
The effects of the Fall have been far-reaching--"By one man sin entered the world"(Rom. 5:12). Not only was the entire human family involved but the whole "Kosmos" was affected. When Adam and Eve sinned, God not only pronounced sentence upon them and the Serpent but He cursed the ground as well--"And unto Adam He said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it, Cursed is the ground for thy sake; …
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

Whether There is Hope in the Damned
Whether there is Hope in the Damned We proceed to the third article thus: 1. It seems that there is hope in the damned. For the devil is damned, and the prince of the damned, according to Matt. 25:41: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Yet the devil has hope, according to Job 41:9: "Behold, the hope of him is in vain." It seems, therefore, that the damned have hope. 2. Again, just as faith can be formed and unformed, so can hope. Now there can …
Aquinas—Nature and Grace

Whether Hope is in the Damned?
Objection 1: It would seem that there is hope in the damned. For the devil is damned and prince of the damned, according to Mat. 25:41: "Depart . . . you cursed, into everlasting fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels." But the devil has hope, according to Job 40:28, "Behold his hope shall fail him." Therefore it seems that the damned have hope. Objection 2: Further, just as faith is either living or dead, so is hope. But lifeless faith can be in the devils and the damned, according …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Character of Its Teachings Evidences the Divine Authorship of the Bible
Take its teachings about God Himself. What does the Bible teach us about God? It declares that He is Eternal: "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou are God" (Ps. 90:2). It reveals the fact that He is Infinite: "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee" (I Kings 8:27). Vast as we know the universe to be, it has its bounds; but we must go beyond …
Arthur W. Pink—The Divine Inspiration of the Bible

Necessity of Contemplating the Judgment-Seat of God, in Order to be Seriously Convinced of the Doctrine of Gratuitous Justification.
1. Source of error on the subject of Justification. Sophists speak as if the question were to be discussed before some human tribunal. It relates to the majesty and justice of God. Hence nothing accepted without absolute perfection. Passages confirming this doctrine. If we descend to the righteousness of the Law, the curse immediately appears. 2. Source of hypocritical confidence. Illustrated by a simile. Exhortation. Testimony of Job, David, and Paul. 3. Confession of Augustine and Bernard. 4. Another …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Sinner Stripped of his Vain Pleas.
1, 2. The vanity of those pleas which sinners may secretly confide in, is so apparent that they will be ashamed at last to mention them before God.--3. Such as, that they descended from pious us parents.--4. That they had attended to the speculative part of religion.--5. That they had entertained sound notion..--6, 7. That they had expressed a zealous regard to religion, and attended the outward forms of worship with those they apprehended the purest churches.--8. That they had been free from gross …
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul

Original Sin
Q-16: DID ALL MANKIND FALL IN ADAM'S FIRST TRANSGRESSION? A: The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him, by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 'By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin,' &c. Rom 5:12. Adam being a representative person, while he stood, we stood; when he fell, we fell, We sinned in Adam; so it is in the text, In whom all have sinned.' Adam was the head …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Hebrew Sages and their Proverbs
[Sidenote: Role of the sages in Israel's life] In the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel (Jer. xviii. 18; Ezek. vii. 26) three distinct classes of religious teachers were recognized by the people: the prophets, the priests, and the wise men or sages. From their lips and pens have come practically all the writings of the Old Testament. Of these three classes the wise men or sages are far less prominent or well known. They wrote no history of Israel, they preached no public sermons, nor do they appear …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

Man's Inability to Keep the Moral Law
Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but does daily break them, in thought, word, and deed. In many things we offend all.' James 3: 2. Man in his primitive state of innocence, was endowed with ability to keep the whole moral law. He had rectitude of mind, sanctity of will, and perfection of power. He had the copy of God's law written on his heart; no sooner did God command but he obeyed. …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Comforts Belonging to Mourners
Having already presented to your view the dark side of the text, I shall now show you the light side, They shall be comforted'. Where observe: 1 Mourning goes before comfort as the lancing of a wound precedes the cure. The Antinomian talks of comfort, but cries down mourning for sin. He is like a foolish patient who, having a pill prescribed him, licks the sugar but throws away the pill. The libertine is all for joy and comfort. He licks the sugar but throws away the bitter pill of repentance. If …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

The Water of Life;
OR, A DISCOURSE SHOWING THE RICHNESS AND GLORY OF THE GRACE AND SPIRIT OF THE GOSPEL, AS SET FORTH IN SCRIPTURE BY THIS TERM, THE WATER OF LIFE. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.'--Revelation 22:17 London: Printed for Nathanael Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1688. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Often, and in every age, the children of God have dared to doubt the sufficiency of divine grace; whether it was vast enough to reach their condition--to cleanse …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

A Defence of the Doctrine of Justification, by Faith in Jesus Christ;
SHEWING, TRUE GOSPEL-HOLINESS FLOWS FROM THENCE; OR, MR. FOWLER'S PRETENDED DESIGN OF CHRISTIANITY, PROVED TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN TO TRAMPLE UNDER FOOT THE BLOOD OF THE SON OF GOD; AND THE IDOLIZING OF MAN'S OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS AS ALSO, HOW WHILE HE PRETENDS TO BE A MINISTER OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, HE OVERTHROWETH THE WHOLESOME DOCTRINE CONTAINED IN THE 10TH, 11TH, AND 13TH, OF THE THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES OF THE SAME, AND THAT HE FALLETH IN WITH THE QUAKER AND ROMANIST, AGAINST THEM. BY JOHN BUNYAN …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

"All Our Righteousnesses are as Filthy Rags, and we all do Fade as a Leaf, and Our Iniquities, Like the Wind, have Taken us Away. "
Isaiah lxiv. 6, 7.--"All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Not only are the direct breaches of the command uncleanness, and men originally and actually unclean, but even our holy actions, our commanded duties. Take a man's civility, religion, and all his universal inherent righteousness,--all are filthy rags. And here the church confesseth nothing but what God accuseth her of, Isa. lxvi. 8, and chap. i. ver. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Job
The book of Job is one of the great masterpieces of the world's literature, if not indeed the greatest. The author was a man of superb literary genius, and of rich, daring, and original mind. The problem with which he deals is one of inexhaustible interest, and his treatment of it is everywhere characterized by a psychological insight, an intellectual courage, and a fertility and brilliance of resource which are nothing less than astonishing. Opinion has been divided as to how the book should be …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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