No God punishes people that he doesn't like. It's pretty much the basis of the old testament. Other tribes were punished because they weren't Jewish, towns with raining embers, turning people into salt pillars, flooding the world, killing innocent children (passover, don't fuckin tell me that innocent babies born to slave owners really deserved that) God is mean and vengeful. Until his image was rewritten sorta in the new testament. On top of punishing people he doesn't like, he puts people he does like through tests and tribulations as you put it. Like good ol devout Job. Who literally got pissed and shit on to prove a point that God will make even his loyal servants suffer if it's in his agenda.