The Wonderful Robe of Joseph

The Wonderful Robe of Joseph

1 of 6 sermons in a series on Joseph

As presented by Rev. Jonathan Mills, Pastor at Kanata Baptist Church.

2009-01-04

Subject: Joseph's life and times. How his wardrobe is representative of his personal life.

Week 1: Being the “fair haired” boy—dealing poorly with favour and special status.

Scriptures¹:

Genesis 37:1-11

Joseph's Dreams

 1 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.

    2 This is the account of Jacob's family line.
       Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

    3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

    5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it."

    8 His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

    9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."

    10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Romans 5:1-5

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Introduction

The Annual Christmas letter.

Christmas cards have been a seasonal tradition for generations. We all work furiously to send out our cards to family and friends to let them know that we still love them—in some cases its the only time we have contact through the year, but it's an important point of contact.

A number of years ago, we noticed that many of our friends started to include a family update letter—generally, it was a generic letter with a 'fill in the blank' salutation, followed by information about the various family members. If you're fortunate, you'll also get a brief personal note at the bottom. Originally included with a Christmas card, for many families the letter has replaced the card completely.

As we were visiting with our relatives over the holidays, we were talking about these letters—and my sister-in-law shared with us a letter she had received from one of her friends. She described this as the annual “let me tell you about my perfect life” letter. Most years it's over 10 pages long, and it is stuffed full of details about their perfect family: Their daughter with the highest marks in her class; the son who has won MVP awards in every sport he plays; the daughter's lead role in the school play; the promotion her husband got this year; their family holiday in some tropical destination; the new car they bought their son on his 16^th birthday; the “dream kitchen” renovations; the dog's success at obedience school; and on it goes for page after page. This year, she even included how much her son is making in his first job because—for someone just out of college—it's a lot of money ...

Do you get letters like that? How do you feel after reading them?

That's one of the dangers of Christmas update letters—in focusing on the good things in life, they can come across as vain or boastful: “look at us, we have a perfect life!”

The “Perfect Family” Christmas Letter

A number of years ago, Jan and I were concerned that maybe our family letters were coming across this way, so we decided that we would take a different approach to our Christmas letter the next year. We wrote a letter in a kind of “Point/Counter-point” style. I wrote a paragraph about some aspect of our family life positively, then Jan wrote a second paragraph outlining the down side of the situation.

An example would be something like; “Child “X” began French Immersion this year and quite enjoys the new program—excelling in oral communication and enjoying having a new teacher.” Then, Jan would add, “of course, it's been hard to move from one school to another and our child has struggled to develop a new peer group and has felt lonely at times and still finds French very difficult when it comes to written work.”

We intended it as a bit of a tongue in cheek “anti-sweet” family Christmas letter—but a few friends called us up after reading the letter and wondered if our marriage was in trouble.

Christmas letters are tricky.

A) The Wonderful Robe of Joseph—And It's Fallout

Jacob's Christmas Letter

Now, what if you were to receive this Christmas update letter:

 “Hello _________”

It's been a busy year on the farm. We're all working hard and overall, family fortunes are good.

I am so proud of young “Joe.” He is such a handsome young man. He definitely has his mother's eyes! I won't repeat all the things I've written about him on facebook, but you can find 3 or 4 web albums of photos of little Joe – his curly locks; his striking good looks; his muscular physique ... they're all there for your enjoyment. I just can't say enough about how much I love that young man.

Oh, and don't miss the pics of the new Armani suit I picked out for him. It makes him look like a million bucks!

All the other 11 brothers are fine.

Merry Christmas,

Love, Jacob.

Jacob's Dysfunctional Family

From the brief description of Jacob's family life in the 37^th Chapter of Genesis, this appears to be a fairly accurate description of the scenario being played in his family life.

 Jacob had two wives and two concubines. This was common among wealthy families in the Ancient Near East at the time. His first wife, Leah, bore him 6 sons and 1 daughter; his second wife, Rachel, bore him two sons, and his concumbines Zilpah and Bilhah each bore him 2 sons. That's 12 boys and 1 girl.

It is hard for us to image how complicated the family dynamics must have been – particularly when Leah and Rachel were sisters – and their father tricked Jacob into marrying Leah. There is no doubt that Jacob favored Rachel among his wives, and it is clear that this favoritism spilled out into the next generation.

Now, I don't know how dysfunctional your family is, but Jacob's family has all the makings of a perfect disaster—and all too predictable consequences would soon erupt and plunge the family into turmoil. In this case, Joseph receives a special robe when he is 17 years old—which seems to be the spark which ignites the powder keg of pent up resentment.

The Clothes that Make the Man

 Something that is very interesting in Joseph's story is the way in which his clothing parallels the fortunes of his life. Over the next 5 weeks, as we trace the ups and downs of Joseph's life, we will be doing so by looking at the robes that he wore and how each article of clothing illustrates his situation and circumstances—and helps us understand his changing fortunes.

 So, Stacy and Clinton are happy to present: “Joseph's Wardrobe” a series of messages exploring the ups and downs of Joseph's life as illustrated by his robes.

The Meaning of the Ornamental Robe

 So, Joseph is given a jacket.

 The TNIV translates it “a richly ornamented robe” with a footnote to indicate that the words “richly ornamented” are not fully understood.² Older translations call it a “Coat of Many Colours” while the Amplified version describes it as a “[Distinctive] Tunic with long sleeves.”

As the 11^th son, Joseph must have had his share of hand-me-downs but this is clearly not one of them.

When we thought about Joseph's Wardrobe, I realized that we could have a lot of fun with this.

 Like this …

 Or this …

 Or this …

 When we think about Joseph today, many of us will immediately think about Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice's musical: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. And while this is taking some license with the story, it does encapsulate the essence of the garment: it screamed out 'exclusivity' and 'favoritism' and Joseph had it ... and his brothers didn't.

B) Joseph: A Man of Character

Something About that Joseph ...

 It is really hard to know exactly what Joseph's intentions are in this brief introduction to his life. My impression of the story is that Joseph was just a really immature 17 year old—probably doted upon by his Father—and something of a 'goody-two-shoes' who lacked empathy or tact. He squeeled on his brothers' bad behavior, he proudly displayed his special jacket for all to see, and he seems to have been completely oblivious about how his brothers would respond when he told them of his dreams.

And yet ...

Was there more to Joseph than these verses tell us?

Was Jacob simply an insensitive father, showing favoritism to Joseph ... or did he see something unique and wonderful in Joseph that none of the others could see.

Maybe the other brothers were unable or unwilling to see how special their younger brother was ...

 Or, is it possible that the other brothers knew perfectly well that Joseph was destined for greatness! Maybe their jealous anger wasn't simply based on Jacob's preferential treatment but was rooted in their own insecurities when they compared themselves to their superior younger sibling?

What becomes clear in the story of Joseph's life is that his dreams are as colourful and dynamic as his special jacket – and while his brothers are somewhat status quo in their future outlook – Joseph really seems to be the up and coming star of the family.

For the brothers, it's too much to take and—despite the futility of their plan—they plot to destroy the dreamer.

Sean Taylor, the Tragedy of Greatness

It is often that people consider the fortunes of the 11 brothers—those who, whether rightly or wrongly, believe themselves to have been short changed.

This morning I want us to think more about “the fair haired son” than the brothers who blend in with the crowd. What are we to make of the Josephs of this world; those who are handsome and talented and “larger than life”—what challenges and opportunities await them?

 Let me tell you the story of Sean Taylor.

He was a high school football star. By the time he played at Florida State University, he was seen as one of the most promising athletes in the state. He was drafted to the NFL in 2004, 5^th overall.

But despite his phenomenal athletic ability, Sean Taylor was a troubled young man. Like so many others like him, all the comments about how great he was had gone to his head and he led a reckless lifestyle that landed him in trouble with the law.

 His short football career was marred by controversy and conflict.

 Then, tragically, in November of 2007, his life was cut short when he was shot to death in his home.

A sports writer commented: “One of the greatest challenges young gifted athletes face is how they deal with fame and in Taylor’s case fortune. They are put on a pedestal from the time they played Pop Warner football, through their days as high school stars, to their time at multi-million dollar college football factories and for the future few when they’re good enough to play on Sundays. ... We love to worship our football heroes, but when they fall we rarely know how to help lift them back up.”³

Talent without Character

How sad it is when gifted individuals grow to be more and more successful while lacking he moral compass and character to be able to cope with their success.

How many times have we read about professional athletes who seem to “have it all” -- yet they end up involved with unsavory characters or criminal activity. We don't understand why they would 'throw it all away' and do such things ... but it happens.

It's not just athletes. It's also common among other successful people such as Hollywood celebrities and influential business people. Success can cause a loss of perspective and character flaws become magnified—often leading to crisis.

 Muhammad Ali famously said: “When you're as great as I am, it's hard to be humble.”

That is much more true than must of us will ever know.

Success can destroy character.

Our culture idolizes rich and famous people – but it is hard for must of us to imagine how difficult life becomes once you achieve this kind of success.

//

 Some of you may enjoy the poems of Robert Service, as I do. Service wrote about the Yukon gold rush in the early 1900's.

In one of his poems, The Ballad of the Northern Lights, he records these insightful lines about some prospectors who strike it rich while panning for gold.

“We were rich in a day beyond our dreams, it was gold from the grass-roots down; But we weren't used to such sudden wealth, and there was the siren town;

 We were crude and careless frontiersmen, with much in us of the beast; We could bear the famine worthily, but we lost our heads at the feast.”⁴

C) Joseph's Character Refined Through Hardship

Joseph Does not Loose Faith

 So what about Joseph?

It is speculation to wonder about what special qualities he might have had to engender his Father's affection. It is possible that Joseph may have been completely ordinary in every way, except for the good fortune of having been born to Jacob's favorite wife—thus making him the favored son.

However, as we shall see through the coming weeks, regardless of his immature and insensitive treatment of his brothers, Joseph emerges as a young man who demonstrates uncompromising moral values and unbending integrity amid the changing circumstances of his life.

 Whatever unfair advantages he had early on in life, Joseph soon found himself loosing his brightly coloured robes, and facing some excruciatingly difficult circumstances. Yet remarkably, where many others might give in to despair or give up hope—he carried on in unyielding faith. In fact, it was the years of struggle which would help propel him to become one of the most powerful men in the known world.

May centuries after Joseph's life, the Apostle Paul would write:

Romans 5:3-4 “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Joseph is an example of how this process of change from suffering; to perseverance; to character; to hope ... how this happens in a person's life.

 Too often in Christian circles we tend to equate earthly success with God's blessing in a person's life – when this can often cause people to struggle morally. And we can also see suffering and hardship as experiences to be avoided ... believing that they holding little or no value in life – when in fact, they can be incredibly significant in producing the kind of character in us that God longs to see developed.

The truth is that God can take any experience and make it for our benefit if we trust Him ... and seek Him through it all. This is perhaps the greatest lesson of Joseph's amazing life.

When he experienced God's abundant provision in his life, he gave credit and glory to God. When he experienced times of hardship and injustice, he turned to God as his place of refuge and did not abandon his confidence in God's goodness and the eventual working out of His good purposes.

Doug Mennen writes:

“[Joseph] steadfastly refused to be unfaithful to his God, whatever might be the consequences. In duty he was loyal, in temptation he was strong, and in prison he was faithful. When this spirit actuates our life, difficulties become means of grace and stepping-stones to higher things.”⁵

From Testing to Greatness

What is clear in the telling of Joseph's life story is that everything had a purpose in the larger narrative. While no one would purposely seek out hardships and struggles in order to embark upon a season of character development, this turned out to be the end result in Joseph's life.

The arrogant and insensitive young man in the fancy jacket, became the humble and faithful servant of God.

When the Pharaoh first invited Joseph to the palace he said to him; “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

The first thing that Joseph said was “I cannot do it...”

“I cannot do it ... but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” [Gen. 41:15-16]

Clearly, God did great work in Joseph's life. He built up his character to such a degree that – when the time came for Joseph to step into a position of great leadership – he was ready! God had been preparing him for this role his whole life. And because Joseph had obeyed God through all the previous challenges, he was now ready to take on the enormous challenges that lie ahead.

Conclusion

 Over the coming weeks, we will be learning much from the life of Joseph. We'll learn about betrayal and forgiveness; crushing disappointments and vindication; grief; shame; integrity and through it all—God's faithfulness in the working out of his plan and purposes.

Today we learn the great overarching theme of Joseph's life: Don't be a self-righteous, spoiled, insensitive, tattle tale!

And make sure that – whatever the circumstances that you find yourself in – that you hold fast to your character, your integrity, and your faith in the goodness of the purposes of God.

If you do this, He will lift you up—and shape you for a wonderful future.

Additional Scripture References:

Notes and Additional Material:

Upcoming Series Summaries:

Week 1: Being the “Fair Haired Boy” (dealing with it well)

Week 2: Disrobed: shame and rejection

Week 3: Tearing of robes: The treachery of the brothers' lie. (Jacob's tearing of robes in grief).

Week 4: Robes of Restoration: Joseph receives blessing and prosperity for his faithfulness to God

Week 5: Robes of Forgiveness: Joseph reveals himself to the brothers. Forgives them. (they learn from their past sins and have truly changed).

Week 6: Robes of Abundance: Ruben receives the promised blessing. Hint of the bloody robe in the blessing.

Billy Mounger, business man. http://rq.rts.edu/winter00/mounger.html