Pattern of God elevating people

Often the pattern of God elevating a person is He creates a need for the person’s wisdom, then He gives the person wisdom (or ability) superior to all others and adequate for the created need, then He causes the authority to recognize and appreciate the person’s wisdom (or ability). An example is Joseph. Other examples are Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel.

Joseph:

Genesis 41 (ESV)

1After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile,

8So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today.

10When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard,

11we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation.

12A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream.

13And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”

14Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh.

15And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

16Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile...

25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do...

28It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do.

29There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt,

30but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land,

33Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.

34Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years.

35And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it.

36That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”

37This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.

38And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?”

39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are.

40You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.”

Psalm 105:16–22 (ESV)

16When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread,

17he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

18His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron;

19until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him.

20The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free;

21he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions,

22to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom.

David:

1 Samuel 17:1–11 (ESV)

1Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.

2And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines.

3And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.

4And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

5He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.

6And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.

7The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him.

8He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.

9If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.”

10And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.”

11When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

1 Samuel 17:12–16 (ESV)

12Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years.

13The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

14David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul,

15but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

16For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.

1 Samuel 17:17 (ESV)

17And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers.

1 Samuel 17:23–24 (ESV)

23As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him.

24All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid.

1 Samuel 17:26 (ESV)

26And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

1 Samuel 17:31–37 (ESV)

31When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him.

32And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

33And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.”

34But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock,

35I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him.

36Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”

37And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”

1 Samuel 17:48–50 (ESV)

48When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.

49And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.

50So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David.

1 Samuel 18:5 (ESV)

5And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

Daniel 1:17–21 (ESV)

17As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

18At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

19And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king.

20And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.

21And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

Daniel 2:1, 25-28, 46-49 (ESV)

1In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him.

25Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.”

26The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?”

27Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked,

28but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:

46Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him.

47The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”

48Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.

49Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king’s court.