God's purpose in the suffering of the righteous is not to punish but to save.

To save him from contemplated deeds of sin, to save him from pride,

to save him ultimately from the death of destruction.

Has God concealed all of his ways to us,

or has he revealed something of his purposes in our suffering.

In this episode of Light and Truth,

John Piper looks to Job 32,

1 through Chapter 37,

verse 24 to protect us from interpreting our trials in unhelpful ways.

This sermon was originally preached at Bethlehem Baptist Church on July 21st, 1985.

There emerges on the scene

at the end of chapter 31, a young man named Elihu.

He begins his speech in chapter 32 and it goes to the end of chapter 37, six chapters. And here we learn something

about suffering that is new, I believe.

According to Elihu, the suffering of the righteous is not a token of God's enmity toward them, it's a token of his love. It is not a punishment

of their wickedness, it's a refinement of their righteousness. It is not a preparation for destruction, it's a

protection from ultimate destruction. The three friends have been wrong. Job has been wrong. The three friends had

said suffering is proof of sin.

Elahue says it is not a proof of sin. Eli, who says it is not a proof of sin.

Job is wrong.

He said, my suffering is a proof of God's arbitrariness because I'm innocent he's just there's no way to explain anything in the world

It's all unintelligible arbitrary capriciousness in fact he goes so far as to say

...