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.
HOW JOSEPH MUST HAVE FELT WHEN HIS HALF-BROTHERS STRIPPED AWAY THE COAT OF PROMISE AND ASSURANCE?
*STRIP: often strip seems unfair, dishonest taking, to take away something, to remove all coverings, to leave bare, take off all the makeup.
Genesis 37:23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;
DO WE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DAY DREAMER AND A DREAMER? WE NEED DREAMERS IN OUR CHURCHES AND OUR FAMILIES… THEY SAY THIS AS NEGATIVE… BUT THIS COULD BE LIFE SAVING.
Genesis 37:19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
10 BROTHES ASK: DAD IS THIS THE COAT OF MANY COLORS? GUESS IT IS OVER? THE DREAM IS DEAD?
Genesis 37:31 And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
32 And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. 33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.
THE COAT OF A SLAVE… I have 2 yards of BURLAP THAT I DRAPE OVER MY SHOULDERS… the slaves coat… HE WAS SOLD TO SLAVE TRAIN…
Genesis 37:36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.
THE COAT OF A PRISONER: black and white striped coat… falsely accused… I can’t do this to my Master!
Genesis 39:20 And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
YOU MAY HAVE STRIPPED MY COAT… BUT YOU NEVER KILLED THE DREAMER…FOR GOD IS STILL WITH JOSEPH… ACCEPT THIS? IT MAY SEEM IT IS OVER BUT THE BEST IS YET TO COME. (GOD IS WITH JOE!)
• Genesis 39:2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
• Genesis 39: 3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
• Genesis 39:5 (a) And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake;
• Genesis 39:5 (b)and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.
• Genesis 39:21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
THIS HAD TO HAPPEN… WHY DID THEY DO THIS TO ME? THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT HAD TO HAPPEN? WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN TO ME? WHY DID THEY LEAVE ME? WHY DID THEY THROW ME INTO THE PIT? WHY DID THEY SELL ME? WHY WAS I MISUNDERSTOOD… SOMETIMES GOD HAS TO ALLOW US TO GET STRIPPED OF THE COAT OF MANY COLORS TO RECEIVE THE GOLD RING AND THE COAT OF AUTHORITY… GOD ALLOWED TO HAPPEN…
GOD’S PLAN ALLOWS THE WORLD TO TAKE AWAY YOUR COAT OF MANY COLORS TO GET US INTO THE PALACE? THIS STRIPPED COAT COMMITS ME TO THE GOD PURPOSE? THIS HAD TO HAPPEN TO MAKE US TO GET UP TO THE FAITH LEVEL.
God allows some things to happen because you would have followed your own way. You may have become stagnant. THIS HAD TO HAPPEN TO MAKE YOU MOVE… GOD ALLOWED THIS TO MAKE YOU LEAVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE… GOD NEEDS TO SEPARATE YOU FROM WHAT YOU ARE SO COMMITTED TO ACCOMPLISH… YOUR TO DO LIST… YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS… NOT HIS? YOU MUST HAVE YOUR COAT STRIPPED AWAY TO RECEIVE THE COAT OF GOD’S PLAN. So you don’t understand the pit? The camel ride? The auction block? Potiphar’s house? Potiphar’s wife? PRISON?
It might take the PRISON TO GET TO THE PALACE AND GOD’S PURPOSE. TAKE TIME TO RECOGNIZE THE PROCESS. CLEAN UP BOY, SHAVE AND GET READY FOR THE ROYAL ROBE… THE DREAM OF THE ROYAL ROBE…
Genesis 41:14 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.
Genesis 41:41 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.
FIVE COATS FROM 17 TO 30 YEARS OLD… THE 5 CHANGES OF COATS… A DREAM COME TRUE? 13 LONG YEARS.
Genesis 41:46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
THE DREAM WOULD HAVE NEVER BECOME REALITY UNLESS THOSE 10 MEAN HALF-BROTHERS HADN’T STRIPPED AWAY THE COAT OF MANY COLORS… A COAT OF MANY COLORS DIPPED IN BLOOD, A BROWN BURLAP COAT OF A SLAVE, A SHIRT OF A PRISONER, THE COAT OF ROYALTY… GOD NEVER EXPLAINED THE JOURNEY TO JOSEPH… BUT GOD HAD A PLAN… THE NEW COAT WAS MUCH BETTER THAN THE OLD COAT… THE NEW COAT SAVES THE FAMILY.
Genesis 42:5 And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. 7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.
LISTEN? IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO WHAT VOICES YOU LISTEN TO…
If you listen to the big, mean, bad wolf… THE MEAN BAD WOLF WILL GET YOU TO BELIEVE THE OTHER SHEEP AND THE SHEPHERD ARE YOUR ENEMIES. The big bad wolf will always distort the truth and convince you of how bad your situation is… the big bad wolf will lead you into HELL laughing as you go… The bad wolf will GET YOU TO BLAME OTHERS FOR THE WAY YOU ARE… WHAT ABOUT YOUR ACTIONS?
CONCLUSION: Did Abraham have to trust the third day walk up the mountain? Did Noah have to trust the plan to build the ARK? Did Elijah have to trust God when he heard the abundance of rain? Did David have to trust God’s plan when he faced Goliath? Did Peter have to trust Jesus when he climbed out of the boat? WE MAY NOT SEE THIS IS GOD’S PLAN AS THEY STRIP AWAY OUR COAT… BUT GOD!
TELL THE STORY OF THE COD… There was a favorite fish along the east coast. It is the COD. The cod was so tasty and it was a favorite dish along the coast. So the market expanded but something was lost in the shipping. The frozen cod was mushy and tasteless. So they began shipping the cod alive in the sea water. Still the COD WAS MUSHY AND TASTELESS. THE CASH MARKET WAS WIDE OPEN… BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THE FISH.
Cod has one natural enemy, THE CATFISH. Somehow in the shipment of the COD there were a few catfish. THE COD WAS TASTY AND SO GOOD. Shipping the COD with the CATFISH somehow made the COD STAY FRESH. The COD became popular around the USA, because the CATFISH, THE ENEMY CAUSED THE FRESHNESS TO STAY IN THE COD?
Sometimes God uses the negative to keep us on our knees and stay fresh before God.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (Catch me on YouTube.)
