Five Coats... The Journey From Defeat To Victory

FIVE COATS… I CAN NEVER UNDERSTAND THE JOURNEY?

LIFE IS MEAN! LIFE IS REALLY MEAN! LIFE IS A SERIES OF LOSING TO WIN. WHY? WHY? THEY TOOK MY COAT!

GOD NEVER EXPLAINS WHAT HE IS DOING! THIS STRIPPING AWAY FROM ME? STRIP AWAY MY COAT…

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

I HAVE FIVE PIECES OF MATERIAL… (TWO YARDS EACH.) 1. A MULTI-COLOR FOR THE COAT OF MANY COLORS… 2. THE COAT OF MANY COLORS DIPPED IN RED (BLOOD.) 3. Brown burlap to represent SLAVERY. 4. BLACK AND WHITE STRIPED SHIRT OF A PRISONER… 5. A BRIGHT PURPLE COAT AND A BIG RING… THE PROMOTION…

5 WEEKS OR FIVE YEARS? IN THE FAR EAST THERE IS THE CHINESE BAMBOO TREE?

The farmer has to plant a seed in soft ground, water and nurture the ground every day for five years. The farmer can’t see anything. The neighbors might say: WHAT ARE YOU DOING? How long have you been working the ground? Every day for 5 years? The Chinese bamboo tree has to be watered and worked every day. There is no green visible breaking through the ground… if you stop watering and working the seed will die in the ground. AFTER 5 LONG YEARS WORKING THE GROUND THE CHINESE BAMBOO TREE BREAKS THROUGH THE GROUND… IN FIVE WEEKS THE BAMBOO TREE GROWS 90 FEET TALL Did the tree grow 90 feet tall in 5 weeks? BE HONEST, THE GROWTH TOOK 5 YEARS… How easy is it to lose your JOY and PEACE IN 5 YEARS OF SEEING NOTHING?

YOU HAVE TO KEEP WATERING BY PATIENCE AND FAITH…I CAN’T SEE ANY GROWTH. FAITH AND PATIENCE DRIVES US TO ACTION!

THE HOTTER THE BATTLE THE SWEETER THE OUTCOME. The struggle is about what you become in the process. The journey of life is more important than just the dream.

MAYBE A BAD ATTITUDE GIVES BIRTH IN JOSEPH TO SOME BIG TROUBLE BECAUSE HE HAS A TATTLETAIL SPIRIT… HERE COMES THE DREAMER… IS GOOD… BUT A TATTLETAIL SPIRIT CAN OPEN NEGATIVE PROBLEMS… BAD ATTITUDES CAN NOT STOP GOD…

Genesis 37:2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

Joseph had 10 half-brothers. Joseph brought his father bad reports on his half-brothers. We may walk in a DYSFUNCTIONAL WORLD… BUT GOD STILL MOVES… EVEN WHEN HE DOES NOT EXPLAIN WHAT HE IS DOING…

I WANT YOU TO SEE THAT I HAVE THIS ELABORATELY EMBROIDERED COAT… JACOB GAVE JOSEPH A COAT OF MANY COLORS… THE COAT OF MANY COLORS WAS MUCH MORE THAN JUST A GARMENT… THE MANY COLORS PROBABLY SPOKE AS TO WHERE THE BIRTHRIGHT WOULD BE GOING…

Genesis 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.

This is not a regular garment. It is a ONE-OF-A-KIND GARMENT. This garment tells a story. Jacob was married to LEAH and had 10 sons… To understand the story we must know JACOB really loved RACHEL, his second wife. JACOB WORKED 14 YEARS FOR RACHEL. Joseph was Rachel’s first son.

ON JOSEPH’S 17TH BIRTHDAY HE RECEIVED A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY PRESENT… This coat spoke of Jacob’s love for RACHEL. The coat symbolized LOVE, ASSURANCE and CONFIDENCE.

I HAVE A DREAM… I HAVE TWO DREAMS… BUT MY DREAMS NEVER REVEALED THERE IS A STRIPPING PROCESS.

Genesis 37:7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

Genesis 37:8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. 9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

BE CAREFUL HOW YOU HANDLE GOD’S BLESSINGS… BEING A BIG MOUTH BRAGGART… JACOB HAD TO REBUKE HIS SON…

10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

WHILE THE ENEMY’S PLAN IS TO KILL JOSEPH OR AT LEAST MAKE JOSEPH BITTER AND HURT --- GOD’S PLAN WILL TAKE THIS STRIPPING AND RELEASE THE VICTORY PLAN…

Genesis 37:20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.