Joseph and that Costly Coat
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Introduction
Introduction
Today lets venture into a new passage.
I want us to look at the biblical character of Joseph, and with it his life and the story he can communicate to us as we look at the Word of God.
So what do we know about him…
Joseph is the eleventh and favorite son of Jacob, He is the described as a son bore to him in His old age. And we know that he is the first son of Rachel, the true love of Jacob’s heart above all things.
Now Jacob, and his presence will stir a lot of emotions in this family, he will be loved and hated, despised and mourned over the course of his days...
But no matter what is happening, we know this God is with him.
Now you might say, with all that happened to him over the course of his days, why did God allow him to walk some difficult paths?
God allows us to walk through difficult places that His will and purposes might be accomplished, and it is true that through it all, we are not alone, He is with us.
So this morning lets walk with Joseph and see where the Lord will lead us, pray that the Lord will speak to you as you listen today.
Lets look at
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
So lets begin looking at this first thought today...
1. A Favorite Son....
1. A Favorite Son....
As we open the Bible and look at the life of Joseph, we find this account of His life in Genesis, Joseph is a popular character and rightly so....
He is one of the 12 sons of Israel, the great grandson of Abraham. He is the continuation of the promise God made to him when He decided to follow where the Lord was leading....
His father, Israel (Jacob) loved him more than any of this other sons, because he was born to him in his advanced years, but also please know this, Israel loved Rachel, and he was the first son bore to her. So Joseph was indeed special to him. But please note that God had great plans for Joseph.
But please note that God had great plans for Joseph.
This truth is one we cannot ignore, God had great plans for every one of His children.
Now when you look at the relationship of Israel and Joseph, we see that this was more than just words, Israel considered his son Joseph to be the prince of sorts.... of great value over all the rest.
Now why would I say this…
Consider the costly coat… This favorite son received a gift from His Father....look back at verses 3-4
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
A robe or coat as we might call it, a jester of love if you will...
The coat of many colors, we have heard about this coat, seen it illustrated in many, many ways from television to Broadway plays… it is something that we are familiar with...
The coat is special, and there is meaning tied to the coat…
The coat signified a Father’s love… The Bible says that Israel loved Joseph more than the other eleven sons....
A father loves his children but it is un-natural to place one as a favorite far above all the rest.
Yet it seems to parallel Israel’s early life.....
If you remember the story of Jacob and his twin Esau. They were at odds with one another about being the favorite.
There was a time when trying to secure the birthright and blessing from His father, he disguised himself with a coat, a vesture of animal skins to make his father think that he was Esau.
Jacob longed to be the first born and longed to he His Father’s favorite.
And while He tricked his Father out of the blessing of the birth right, God did indeed work through Jacob and changed his name ....We will address that event in the future at some point...
But for now, just as Jacob longed to to be the favorite, this son of his was the favorite… it caused controversy, it spurred jealously, yet understand God was in control of this situation and would use it for His glory and for the good of His children.
We will address that event in the future,
But for now, know this, Israel loved all his son’s but Joseph was a favorite son, for several reasons..
Now, let move on to our second thought for the day...
2. A Costly Coat...
2. A Costly Coat...
C. The coat reveals the jealously of the other eleven brothers, they hated Joseph because their Father loved him more than any other.
Joseph was indeed a favorite son, a son who was adored and cherished more than of the other sons… His life, His walk before the father, His virtue, all of these points remind us that je was special in the eyes of Israel.
But lets move on today… lets continue to look at the costly coat that was given to Joseph.
So this is my second thought today...
2. A Costly Coat...
2. A Costly Coat...
The Bible tells us as we have already mentioned briefly that Israel loved Joseph more than any of the other brothers, he was his father’s favorite.
Now think of this with me… How much did Israel love his son? ------
And as such, Israel too the time to
He loved him enough to spend the time to acquire the different colors of cloth that he would use to make this garment, realize that isn’t a simple task, it wasn’t that he went to the Walmart and bought a little bit of this material or a little bit of that…
He prepared Joseph something very special. He was indeed a measure of great love. But what did it all mean?
A. A coat of that nature, made by sewing together different patches of colored cloth, was a coat of distinction.
2. A Costly Coat
B. As a coat of distinction, it was a Princely garment, it was a proof of his love for Joseph, but it was a symbol of giving, Giving his place and power and giving it to this son he loves so much
B. A coat of that nature, made by sewing together different patches of colored cloth, was a coat of distinction.
C. The coat reveals the jealously of the other eleven brothers, they hated Joseph because their Father loved him more than any other.
D. It is a symbol of what is to come… this coat of many colors, this coat of distinction, would symbolize his role in the future. In the future, Joseph would save his people.
That coat of many colors is a picture of the priestly garments, the multi colored ephod that Aaron would wear as he ministered before the people Israel.
It would be a foreshadowing of the beautiful garments we will wear in the days to come… as we walk in the brilliance of the Son...
10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
It was a beautiful coat all because Israel loved his son… we will wear a garment one day all because the Father loved us....
Joseph was indeed a favorite son, a son who was adored and cherished more than of the other sons… His life, His walk before the father, His virtue, all of these points remind us that He was special in the eyes of Israel.
But remember as we walk and have breath, as Joseph was special in front of Israel, so God loves us and we are special in His eyes
We are special in that God has loved us…
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
How wonderful that the father loves us
How wonderful that the father loves us
So this is my second thought today...
But one last thought today.....
3. A Evil Plot...
3. A Evil Plot...
The brothers hated Joseph, they were jealous of their father’s love for him and the unique place he held in their father’s life.
And through it all, God is there. God has been revealing the future to Joseph but sadly has Joseph shares those things to his family, even though most of the future is hidden from them… they only became more and more frustrated with their brother....
Now one day, Israel sent Joseph out check on his brothers who were out tending the flocks and herds… but when the brothers saw him coming, verse 19-20, they plotted to kill Joseph.
19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer.
19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.”
Now one brother, Reuben, thought secretly that he might be about rescue Joseph from his brothers plot by swaying them to only throwing him in a pit. Now they did this, they stripped the “dreamer” as they called him of his precious coat.
Now one brother, Reuben, thought secretly that he might be about rescue Joseph from his brothers plot by swaying them to only throwing him in a pit. Now they did this, they stripped the “dreamer” as they called him of his precious coat.
Now Reuben went away, perhaps to do something with the herds, but when he returned Joseph was gone...
The brothers had sold him into slavery.... look at verses 26-28
26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
Those Midianite traders took Him down into Egypt…
Can you Imagine, He is the father’s favorite son, one of the younger of the boys, and they seek to harm him.
Life seems like chaos, this favorite son is now a slave and soon will be serving in the house of another…
Life seems like chaos, this favorite son is now a slave and soon will be serving in the house of another…
The brothers are richer and Israel is grieving.... The son he loved is gone, dead he believes because the brothers dipped his coat in animal blood saying he has been attached and ripped to shreds....
Now this story sets the stage for so much more.... it reminds us that God is in control… but it also reminds us of the life of Christ
Now this story sets the stage for so much more.... it reminds us that God is in control… but it also reminds us of the life of Christ
The son of God, laid aside his royal robe and became like a man.
His brethren saw him, heard him, watched him do many wonderful things, he healed the sick, He raised the dead and yet they plotted against Him, seeking to kill Him.
1 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him.
God had special plans for Joseph...
Joseph’s life was given for the benefit of so many others… what those brothers meant for evil God mean for God...
What man plotted in their hearts to do to Jesus, God was changing the world through… He would save the world through the sacrificial death of His son..
Now what can we take away from all of this.... remember Jesus sacrificed all that we could be rescued.... How do you live to remember him?
Remember you are created for the benefit of another..
How do you know Preacher, I beleive God intends to use each of us for his glory, Some cultivate, some plant, others water and yes some harvest… but all had a part in the kingdom of God and his work
Pray
18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.
25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?”
As the days went on we know that things were about to change, The Lord began to speak to Joseph, he began to give him dreams about the future that he didn’t fully understand and unfortunately only angered his brothers more..
Look with at verses 5-8
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
The dreams were pictures of the future, about times when roles would change…there would be a time when Joseph would be over all of them, over their lives and welfare, but at this point it only fueled their anger...
And while another dream revealed the same to them, even Israel was put off and the brothers grew even more jealous and angry of Joseph, but the Bible tells us that Israel keep all these things in mind…
Perhaps Israel suspected that God was speaking to Him, perhaps he knew this… but he didn’t say anything about it...
Now verse 12 tells us that Israel sent Joseph to the fields to check on his brothers who were tending and shepherding the family flocks… but as Joseph finally came near to them, verse 18 tells us that they plotted together to kill him.
Man, things have gotten out of hand… you see how far the hatred as gone ....
it is an amazing thing to see how the Lord is in control of our lives, in the good and bad situations of life…
These brothers sought to kill him, they seized Joseph and stripped him of His fathers coat, the coat of many col
18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him.
Now Joseph, his life is special,
1 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
2 These are the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.
25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.