This was a series of messages on the coat of many colors – Power point is available through E-Mail retssi@bellsouth.net
Several Illustrations, points, and the main idea for this series of sermons dealing with the coat of many colors was from James May’s sermon, “A Coat Of Many Colors.” Also Several Illustrations and points came from Preacher’s Outline And Sermon Bible. Many other sources were used to help compile this series!
A Coat of Many Colors #9 Purple
Genesis 37:1-3 (KJV) 1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 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. 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.
What, have we learned so far about this coat of many colors?
The First was Amber which represented God’s Presence and Glory.
The Second color Black which could have represented two ideas, days of darkness & future of the Famine
Dark Blue which signified Worship!
Sky Blue or Light Blue = Heaven. .
Green = Spiritual Growth.
Crimson or Red = Blood or Sin
White = Purity, Holiness and righteousness!
Yellow = light
Today we will be looking at the color Purple!
Purple combines the calm stability of blue and the fierce energy of red. The color purple is often associated with royalty, nobility, luxury, power, and ambition. Purple also represents meanings of wealth, extravagance, creativity, wisdom, dignity, grandeur, devotion, peace, pride, mystery, independence, and magic.
Purple wasn’t just an indicator of wealth. It was a symbol of political power. The more important you were as a Roman senator, the more purple decoration you had on your tunic and your toga. The emperor, and only the emperor, would wear a toga made entirely of purple cloth. Purple was also the color of the Roman elite.
Maybe Jacob put some purple in the coat to remind Joseph of his possible future not truly realizing the outcome.
It is amazing though how God can take our bad decisions and good intentions and use them to His favor.
I. From Promotion to Demotion - Clearly Not His Time.
A. Jacob made several very unwise decisions within his family.
1. Jacob made Joseph the superior, the manager, the supervisor, the overseer of his other sons. Note that he was feeding or "tending the flocks" with his brothers.
Genesis 37:2 (KJV) 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.
Scripture says that he was the person tending the flocks.
This indicates that he was the master shepherd or the overseer, that the other sons were helping him and working under his supervision.
This was unwise, for Joseph was younger than the other sons: he was only seventeen years old, and all the other sons were older than Joseph, some even several years older. Hard feelings among the sons were bound to result, hard feelings that stirred strife and bitterness.
2. Jacob had Joseph bringing reports to him on the other sons' behavior.
Most shepherds and overseers have the authority to handle job problems themselves, but apparently Joseph was not able to handle the problems.
Why? Probably because he was the youngest son.
Being only seventeen years old would indicate that he was not able to manage his older brothers who were full-grown men.
The brothers were rough, ungodly young men. They had bitterly disappointed their father and he just could not trust them.
This was probably the reason Jacob had promoted Joseph to be the overseer of his flocks. His older sons were too unpredictable and untrustworthy.
You know, they were subject to getting into all kinds of trouble.
They were not responsible type.
This, of course, meant that Jacob had no choice: he had to elevate Joseph to oversee his livestock operation, and he had to have him report on his other sons' behavior.
And note: this is what Joseph did. He brought a bad report to his father about his brothers.
What the report was is unknown, but the fact that he reported the matter was bound to add to the hard feelings between Joseph and his brothers, add more strife and bitterness.
3. Jacob unwisely gave Joseph the coat or robe of the superior, the overseer. We know this was the role of the overseer for two reasons.
First, The Hebrew phrase can mean "a long-sleeved coat or robe" (kethoneth passim). This was the robe that had long sleeves and reached down to the ankles. A person could not, of course, work in such a robe. It was the robe of the superior, the overseer, the manager.
Second, the robe upset the brothers. A regular robe would not have bothered them even if it had been a special gift, not as much as Scripture says the brothers were bothered.
This robe must have been the robe of the overseer, and note: it was also richly colored. In light of the responsibility that went along with the robe, remember this:
Reuben, the oldest son, had committed incest. He had gone to bed with Bilhah, one of Jacob's wives. He had proven unworthy to be the leader of the family (Genesis 35:22).
The other sons' atrocity and cruelty at Shechem had also shown that they were not worthy of leadership (Genesis 34:1-31).
Again, Jacob had no choice: he had to turn to Joseph. He cannot be faulted for this. Every parent needs a responsible child who can step in to help with family duties.
But Jacob made a very unwise decision in giving his son the coat of the superior.
Joseph was too young to be publicly declared as the overseer of the sons.
He was too young to be given the coat, a symbol that he could flaunt around his brothers and, in fact, actually did flaunt (Genesis 37:18, 23).
Note this also: the coat was probably worn by the son who was to receive the birthright, the blessing of the father that gave two thirds of the inheritance to him.
B. Now Let us Look at Joseph and his Unwise Decisions.
Joseph himself now added fuel to the flame of hatred that his brothers felt for him.
Look with me in Genesis 37:6-8
1. Joseph showed a cocky, arrogant, and prideful attitude toward his brothers.
He had a remarkable dream: he and his brothers were out in a field binding sheaves of grain. Suddenly his sheaf stood up and the sheaves of his brothers gathered around his sheaf and bowed down to it (Genesis 37:7).
The meaning was obvious: Joseph was saying that the day was coming when he was going to rule over his brothers.
Now note: Was this dream given by God? Scripture does not say. We have no way to know.
But even if it was, God gave it to encourage and strengthen Joseph, not for him to go around sharing it. Sharing such a dream was bound to seem cocky, boastful, arrogant, and prideful and stir a reaction.
Joseph was old enough to know this. He was as any of us would be if we had brothers and sisters who hated us: wise enough to know better than to tell them that we will someday rule over them and that they will bow to us and serve us.
Any seventeen year old child would know that such a thing would be most unwise.
Why then did Joseph do this, share his dream?
There could be only one reasonable answer, just what far too many children who are favorites enjoy doing:
He enjoyed aggravating his brothers and got a teenager's pleasure out of digging them over his authority and privileged position with their father. (This is even common among adults.)
The brothers bitterly reacted against Joseph, hating him even more (Genesis 37:8). They blurted out: there was no chance he would ever rule over them.
2. What Joseph did now was most unwise.
His behavior shows how deeply he boasted in himself, how deeply he was filled with a haughty pride.
Joseph had another dream: this time the sun (his father), the moon (his mother), and the stars (his brothers and sisters) were all bowing down and serving him (Genesis 37:9).
Joseph should have known by this point not to share this dream with his brothers. But he was apparently out to dig at them again!
So, Joseph again unwisely shared his dream with his brothers, and at this time, also shared it with his father (Genesis 37:10).
Apparently Joseph appeared so smug—so pleased, so arrogant—in telling the dream that his father strongly rebuked him. The Hebrew here means "to scream at" (ga'ar means anschreien) (H.C. Leupold. Genesis, Vol.2, p.960).
Jacob could clearly see the haughty pride and attitude in his son, and he wanted to stop it for Joseph's own good.
The result could only be expected: the brothers were jealous and envied him. Their hatred just grew and grew.
The two dreams couldn't help but irritate the family and make things worse for him. After all, how could Joseph ever become a ruler; and why would his brothers bow down to him?
To them the whole thing was preposterous.
But I want you to notice this when Joseph reported the second dream, even though his father became upset and rebuked him; notice now privately, Jacob pondered the dreams.
After all, Jacob had received messages from God in dreams (Gen. 28:12ff; 31:1-13); so perhaps it was the Lord who was speaking to Joseph.
Do dreams ever come true?
God has a way of humbling us and our greatest dreams will come true when we get close to God and give our hearts to Him.
As we seek God and ask Him to lead us and help us, there are some lessons that we must learn.
Humility is not the absence of ability.
Humility is the absence of pride.
Humility is the belief in God over self.
Here we see the creation of that humility in Joseph as he is taken and sold into slavery. Now He was a slave. He had been ripped from his home and his friends Dragged across the desert to a land that he’d never known. Surrounded by a strange people who spoke in a language he couldn’t understand.
Even if he could have gotten away from his slave owner, he probably couldn’t have found his way home!
At 17, he’d lost everything that he’d loved and considered important.
And now he lives at the whim of his master.
He’s the lowest form of life in the nation of Egypt.
He has nothing… he owns nothing… he IS nothing.
Just like all the other slaves of that day he has no rights, no status, no value.
BUT, Joseph did have one thing that other slaves in Egypt didn’t.
He had a God who cared for him.
II. From Demotion To Promotion – In Gods Timing
1. God led Pharaoh to summon Joseph
Genesis 41:14-16 (KJV) 14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. 16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
Clearly now we see a humble mature Joseph!
Since the Egyptian people didn't wear beards in that day, as did the Hebrews, Joseph had to shave himself, change his clothes, and prepare to meet Pharaoh.
For the third time in thirteen years, he gave up his garment, but this time he would gain the garment of a ruler.
We commend Joseph for his humility and desire to honor the true and living God (v. 16; see also 40:8).
He listened to Pharaoh describe his two dreams and then gave him the interpretation. It was a serious matter, for God had shown the ruler of Egypt what He planned to do for the next fourteen years, and Pharaoh was conscious of this fact.
Now that he knew God's plan, Pharaoh was obligated to do what God wanted him to do.
Knowing this, Joseph went beyond giving an interpretation to making suggestions to Pharaoh, and that took a great deal of faith and courage.
But the Lord was using Joseph, and Pharaoh accepted his suggestions.
First, Pharaoh must appoint an intelligent and wise man to oversee the land and its harvests.
Second, he must give this man several commissioners who would be over different parts of the land and take one-fifth of each harvest for Pharaoh for the next seven years.
Third, all this food must be put in storage to use when the years of famine arrived.
2. God moved Pharaoh to choose Joseph (vv. 37-39).
Genesis 41:38-44 (KJV) 38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. 44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
Proverbs 21:1 (KJV) 1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
Joseph's demeanor, his skill at interpreting dreams, and his wisdom in finding a solution to the problem of the famine all impressed Pharaoh and convinced him that Joseph was the man for the job.
Thirteen years before, his brothers had stripped him of his special robe, but now Pharaoh gave him a robe of far greater significance.
The signet ring and the gold chain were symbols of Joseph's authority as second in command in Egypt (see also Dan. 5:7, 16, 29).
Note the series of statements prefaced with "and Pharaoh said." According to Genesis 41:38,
Pharaoh spoke to the officials; and in verses 39-41,
He spoke to Joseph and declared his position and authority. In verse 44,
Pharaoh made the official proclamation to Joseph and all his officers, and the matter was settled.
Pharaoh gave Joseph a new name, the meaning of which isn't clear, but Pharaoh continued to call him Joseph (v. 55).
Joseph was also given his own chariot with men going before him commanding the people to bow down to him just as they did to Pharaoh.
If these unbelieving Egyptians bowed down to him, surely one day Joseph's own family would bow down, just as God had announced in his dreams.
And they did!!!
Joseph didn't forget his family or the events that occurred, but he did forget the pain and suffering that they caused. He realized that God meant it for good (50:20).
Therefore, looking at the past from that perspective, he attained victory over his bad memories and bitterness.
He could have carried a grudge in his heart because of the way his brothers had treated him, but grudges are like weeds in a lovely garden or germs in a healthy body: they just don't belong there.
