The Coats that Changed His Course
Jacob had twelve sons who became the twelve patriarchs of Israel. In this message we will study the life of Joseph (as recorded in Genesis 37-41), who was the eleventh born son of Jacob. Whenever we think of Joseph, the one image that would come to our minds is that he received an amazing coat from his father Jacob. However, as we study the life of Joseph, we will be surprised to note there were other coats too that played a vital role in his life.
1. The Coat of Favor
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age. Also, he made him a tunic of many colors. Genesis 37:3 (NKJV)
The first coat that Joseph received was the coat of favor that his father Jacob gifted him. This was an exotic multi-colored coat that expressed Jacob’s boundless love for Joseph, who was the son born in his old age. It was also a fact that Jacob loved Joseph so much the more because he was the son of his wife Rachel, whom Jacob loved very much.
Sadly, this coat became the cause for envy among his elder brothers, who could not stand this favoritism that their father Jacob showed towards Joseph. Joseph told on his brothers when they did wrong which annoyed them further. When Joseph shared his two dreams with his brothers, wherein it seemed that he would rule over them, this added to their already existing hatred and jealousy.
On an opportune day, when Joseph came searching for his brothers to give them food in obedience to his father’s instruction, the elder brothers made use of the opportunity and sold him as a slave to some Ishmaelite merchants who were going to Egypt. They stripped Joseph of that same coat and used it to deceive their father Jacob. They dipped the coat in the blood of a goat they slaughtered and made their father believe that Joseph was mauled by a wild animal.
2. The Coat of Fabrication
When Joseph reached Egypt, he ended up as a slave in the house of Potiphar, who was one of the Pharaoh’s officials. Joseph was not alone, for God was with Joseph, and made him a successful man. In Genesis 39:2-6, we read that God prospered Joseph, and gave Him success in everything he did. He found favor in the eyes of Potiphar who put him in charge of his entire household. The blessings of the Lord rested on Potiphar’s house because of Joseph.
However, Joseph was also a handsome and well-built young man, and Potiphar’s wife got infatuated with him. As she constantly hounded him to have an affair with her, Joseph refused to do so. One day as Joseph attended to his duties, Potiphar’s wife held on to his cloak and begged him to come to bed with her. Here are Joseph’s words to her as recorded in Genesis 37:9, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
As Joseph fled from her presence he left behind his coat in her hands. This coat that was left in the hands of Potiphar’s wife was used by her shrewdly, to frame Joseph falsely to her husband as having an evil intent towards her. This was the coat of fabrication, which landed Joseph in prison for no fault of his.
3. The Coat of Fame
Even though Joseph ended up in prison, the Lord was with him, and he got promoted to be the head over all the other prisoners. In that prison, were two prisoners, one of whom was the Pharaoh’s Cup-bearer and the other his baker. One day Joseph observed that these two men were downcast over dreams they had dreamt the previous night and he helped interpret their dreams. In keeping with Joseph’s interpretation, the baker was executed by Pharaoh and the cup-bearer, restored to his position in the palace. Though Joseph had requested the cup-bearer to put in a word to Pharaoh on his behalf, he forgot all about Joseph for two long years.
It was only when Pharaoh had two disturbing dreams, that the cup-bearer remembered Joseph, who was called to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams for him. God revealed to Joseph that the two dreams of the seven good cows and the seven good heads of grain referred to the seven years of abundance, while the seven lean ugly cows and seven worthless heads of grain referred to the seven long years of severe famine ahead.
The explanation and the solution that Joseph offered Pharaoh so pleased him that he recognized that Joseph was wise, discerning and that the Spirit of God rested on Joseph. Joseph was now elevated to become second in command to Pharaoh. We read about this in Genesis 41:39-43. It was now time for Joseph to receive his third coat. This was the coat of fame or honor, made of fine linen from Pharaoh himself. As Joseph rode in splendor on the second chariot behind Pharaoh, all the people of Egypt paid respect and bowed their knee to him.
4. The Coat of Righteousness
There was, however, the fourth coat that Joseph wore all through his life. It was the coat of righteousness which covered him because the Lord was with Joseph. It was the presence of God in Joseph’s life that caused him to prosper, enabled him to resist the temptation to sin, raised him up to a high position, gave him grace to forgive his brothers, and helped him see everything from God’s divine perspective.
Jesus too wore these coats
If we were to compare these various coats that Joseph wore with the life of Jesus we will be astounded to see a great similarity.
Jesus too wore the coat of favor which He received from God the Father. As a child we read in Luke 2:52, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” (ESV). God the Father attested about His son Jesus at His baptism and later on at His transfiguration with these words as found in Matthew 3:17, and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (ESV).
Before Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God was taken to the cross, He too had to face the false charges that were brought against Him by the chief priests, elders, scribes, and the whole council. Jesus was brought to Pilate, who knowing in his heart that Jesus was not deserving of death, handed him over to the Jews just to appease them. When the soldiers led Jesus to the praetorium, this is what the soldiers did to Him, as recorded in Mark 15:17-18, “And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.” (NKJV) Jesus too had to wear the purple coat of false accusation, shame, disgrace, and insult as the sinless Son of God who was going to the cross for the sins of the whole world.
This was not the end. Jesus died, was buried, and rose again on the third day. He has ascended into heaven and has promised that He will come again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The next time He comes, the Lord will come clothed in splendor, with loud trumpets, with all the holy angels and robed in majesty. This is what we must expect when Jesus comes again in all His glory. We read in Philippians 2:9-11, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (NKJV)
Jesus was that great sinless high priest who gave Himself for us, so that we could be clothed with His righteousness. Paul says it beautifully in 2 Corinthians 5:21 this way, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” This is how the prophet Isaiah describes it in Isaiah 61:10, I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (NKJV)
Each one of us can recall a time in our lives when we too have worn these coats that Joseph wore. There may have been times when we wore the coat of favor, other times when we wore the coat of false accusation and still other times when we wore the coat of fame. However, the important question that we need to answer is, have we put on the coat of righteousness that Jesus offers us? No matter how good we think we are, before God, all our righteousness is as filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6). It is only the Lord Jesus who can make us righteous, for He alone can clothe us with His righteousness. If we have His robe of righteousness covering us, we can handle any situation, just like Joseph did and we will come out triumphant no matter what happens to us.
If you have never done so, you can put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, receive the salvation that He offers, be clothed with His righteousness and lead a life that is totally pleasing to Him. Let’s be clothed, and ready to receive the Lord Jesus when He comes again. God bless you.
By Esther Collins
