7 Things I Learned From the Book of Job

1. Satan has no power without God's permission. If he wants to come against us, he must go before God and ask.
1. "'Does Job fear God for nothing?' Satan replied. 'Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.' The Lord said to Satan, 'Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself, do not lay a finger.'" (Job 1:9-12).
2. Then, Satan comes before the Lord a second time to ask permission to cast bodily afflictions on Job. The Lord replies "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life" (Job 2).
2. Keep faith even when things aren't going well.
3. Trust that God has a plan.
4. Friends don't always have good advice; listen to your own inner voice.
5. Satan isn't always to blame for bad things.
1. Though people blame Satan for bad things, sometimes God allows them for lessons.
1. Job's suffering
2. Jonah in the belly of the whale
3. Plagues on Egypt
6. God's wrath is powerful.
1. Punishment of Job's friends
1. "After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Tamanite, 'I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has'" (Job 42: 7-8).
2. Sodom & Gomorrah
3. Egypt's Pharaoh
4. Flood in the time of Noah
7. God's mercy is abundant
1. Job's friends' chance to regain favor
1. In Job 42:8, it seems that God leaves Job's friends' punishment up to Job in a way. To me, it sounds like God says he will determine their punishment upon Job's prayer. Of course, God knows that Job will pray for their forgiveness, but I wonder if it was a briefly terrifying moment for Job's friends, who had so wronged him by speaking harshly and falsely to him.
2. Ninevah's chance to repent and find forgiveness