08/07/2014 A COAT OF MANY COLORS
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 colors. [King James Translation]
Summary
The story of Joseph, his relationship with his brothers and all of the brother's relationship with the father Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel) is one of the greatest stories in the Old Testament.
Jacob/Israel had twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Nephtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph and Benjamin were the children of his old age and the children of Israel's favorite wife, Rachel. Of all the children, Joseph was Israel's favorite. Not only did Israel favor Joseph but he flaunted his great love for this one particular child before his other sons by giving Joseph special coat of many colors.
This special coat separated Joseph from his older brothers. The brothers were working men. They wore the common everyday dirty work clothes of hard working shepherds and farmers. Joseph, on the other hand, dressed like a prince. His colorful coat suggested that he was much too good to do the kind of work his older brothers did. As a result, the brothers hated Joseph. Because of their great hatred, they couldn't say a kind word to him.
One day Joseph's older brothers decided to take action. They faked Joseph's death. They smeared his coat with goat's blood and then sold Joseph into Egyptian slavery. Fabricating a tale about how Joseph was attacked by a wild animal and eaten, the brothers took the bloody coat of many colors to their father. When Israel saw the coat, he was convinced Joseph was dead.
There is much more to the story. It is well worth reading it in its entirety, because it is a complex, colorful story. See Genesis Chapters 37-46. It is a story of envy, jealous, family dysfunction and division. It is also a story of forgiveness, reconciliation and redemption. And, it is a story about how GOD prepared Joseph spiritually, emotionally, and physically for the task of saving HIS people from the brink of extinction. It is a constant reminder that GOD not only uses "ordinary people," but often the "flawed" and the "broken." It is also a wonderful illustration of the many layers of the colorful tapestry of GOD's DESIGN and PLAN for a man named Joseph, for a family, for a nation and for the world.