God uses three devices in order to prepare deliverers (and sons): rejection, temptation, and imprisonment. If the disciple passes the three tests he will move forward to become a witness, a king, a deliverer, and an eternal servant of God.

Our God is a God of preparation.

A terrible famine was to come upon the land. Israel, Egypt, and other nations of people would soon be facing enormous suffering. God, in His love, decided to provide a means of deliverance from the famine.

God prepared a man who would be a witness, a king, a deliverer, and God's servant.

Joseph was not, at the time of his dreams of power, an obvious candidate for elevation as a deliverer and ruler. He was seventeen—the second from the youngest among twelve boys. God should have chosen the older Reuben or Simeon, it would seem. By choosing a younger brother God caused resentment and confusion.

When God is preparing His deliverers He does not always proceed according to human understanding.

From the time the Lord's hand came upon him (Genesis 37:5) Joseph's life became a period of preparation. Although neither Joseph nor his family knew of the devastating famine just over the horizon, the episodes and incidents that befell Joseph were for a purpose: to prepare him to deliver his own Israelite family, the Egyptians, and other nations of the world from starvation.

As we have stated, God uses three devices in order to prepare deliverers (and sons): rejection and tribulation, enticement to sin, and imprisonment.

Joseph became acquainted with rejection and tribulation when his brothers threw him into the pit. There was no water in the pit and the country was hot. Joseph was in peril of his life. His seventeen-year-old tears and entreaties fell on deaf ears. Then Joseph was lifted out of the pit and sold to Midianite merchants, who in turn sold him as a slave to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard.

The initial rejection and suffering was Joseph's entrance into the "college" of rejection and tribulation. God enabled Joseph to survive these pains and pressures without becoming angry with God or people.

The industrious, faithful Joseph made quite a success of his employment in Potiphar's house. As a result, Potiphar's wife became infatuated with the handsome Hebrew. Joseph then was tested with moral enticement. He passed the test with a perfect score.

God's deliverer, the man called out from among his brothers because of the coming famine, had suffered rejection and tribulation, and also had been tested with moral enticement. Having passed through tribulation and temptation he was ready for imprisonment—the most difficult of the three ways in which all of God's deliverers are fashioned.

To be continued.