Joseph’s Coats


Download (right click and choose save as)

In this message we are going to be spending time with a dreamer named Joseph. We find his story at the end of the book of Genesis (Chapters 37-50). In the Bible clothing is a marker of identity for all classes of people. A king is recognized by his robes of office, just as a priest is set aside from other people by his distinctive attire. Mourners customarily wore sackcloth to display their grief, whereas prisoners of war were stripped naked, showing they had lost all personal identity. In the account of Joseph’s life three garments are highlighted. First, of course, is the famous coat of many colors (genesis 37:3, 23, 31-33) that his father, Jacob, gave him. Second, is the garment that Joseph left in the hands of Potiphar’s wife when he fled from her (Genesis 39:11-18). And the third is when Pharaoh dressed him in clothing that represented the glory and authority of his new office as Pharaoh’s prime minister (Genesis 41:42-43). Each of these garments are instructive for what they represent. We’ve all heard the expression that the clothes make the man. I’m not so sure that is a true statement, but in the case of Joseph I think it can be fairly said that the clothes tell the story of a man. Join us as we revisit this exciting story that is so full of rich and meaningful application.