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THE COATS OF JOSEPH
The Old Testament is full of types and shadows that point to New Testament reality and truth. In particular, the story of Joseph serves as a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are several ways in which Joseph’s life mirrors the life of Jesus.
JOSEPH: The Father’s Beloved Son. “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also, he made him a coat of many colors.” (Genesis 37:3).
• JESUS is the Father’s beloved son.
• "And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Mathew 3:17).
• “While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (Mathew 17:5)
• “And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Mark 9:7)
• “And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”
JOSEPH was betrayed for twenty pieces of silver. "So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened. "Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt” (Genesis 37:26-28)
• JESUS was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, 'What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?' And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.” (Mathew26:14-15)
JOSEPH was thrown into a pit and left for dead. "So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it. (Genesis 37:23-24)
JESUS was put in a borrowed tomb and let for dead. “When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb and departed.: (Mathew 27:59-60)
JOSEPH was miraculously raised to rule and reign. “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.' And Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.'” (Genesis 41:38-49)
JESUS was raised from the dead and is at the right hand of God in heaven.
“But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.” (Mark 16:6)
“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” (Mathew 28:38-40)
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.(Phil. 2:8-10)..
JOSEPH was revealed to his brothers, and they acknowledged him as their brothers and as their sovereign, and He saved them! “And Joseph said to his brothers, 'Please come near to me.' So they came near. Then he said: 'I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.'” (Genesis 45:3-5)
JESUS is yet to be revealed to Israel. “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.” (Rev. 1:7)
"But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20).
I call this the “THE JOSEPH PRINCIPLE.” “What Satan meant for evil, God meant it for good.”
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The Symbolic Coats of Joseph: A Reflection of the Believer in Christ
Joseph serves not only as an Old Testament representation of Jesus, but also as a symbolic figure for the Believer in Christ. This is especially evident when considering the significance of the three distinct coats that Joseph wore through-out his life. Each coat carries meaning for those who follow Christ, illustrating several aspects of the believer’s journey and identity. Here is the first coat.
JOSEPH'S COAT OF COLORS
This coat was his first coat. “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also, he made him a tunic of many colors.” (Gen. 37:3). Here are a few features of this coat that we should take into account.
This first coat was A FREE GIFT from his father. The only thing Joseph had to do was to RECEIVE IT. He did not do earn it or do anything for it. Salvation is a free gift for those whom God loves.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.: (Roman 10:9-10)
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
“Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” (Revelation 6:11)
"After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.” (Revelation 7:9)
When we stand before God the only coat that will cover us will not be the one that we have made. It will be one that has been GIVEN TO US BY THE LORD.
It was a coat of “MANY COLORS.” literally “MANY PIECES.”
The Amplified Bible describes this special garment as follows: “he made him a [distinctive] multicolored tunic.” While the exact meaning of the word for this coat is uncertain, some sources suggest that it was crafted from the skins of several sheep, which accounted for its unique and varied colors. This implies that Joseph’s father invested considerable care and skill, lovingly sewing the coat together with intricate attention to detail.
The symbolism is rich. MANY LAMBS had to lose their lives to Joseph to receive this one special coat. This points forward to a profound spiritual truth for the believer. In Joseph’s time, multiple lambs were required to make his garment. In contrast, for our salvation, only ONE LAMB—JESUS CHRIST—died for the sins of the entire world.
God’s Deliverance: Remembering Abraham and Jesus
In the Old Testament, we see a profound example of God's faithfulness and deliverance. The Scripture says, "God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow" (Genesis 19:29). This passage highlights how, even in times of judgment and destruction, God remains faithful to His promises and acts to save those to His chosen ones.
In in like manner, when the full force of judgment is unleashed upon the world, God will "remember" Jesus. Just as He acted on Abraham's behalf by rescuing Lot, He will act for those who are in Christ. God will transport believers out of this world and transfigure them into His glory, ensuring their ultimate deliverance and transformation.
(Romans 5:18-19) “Therefore, as through one man’s offense [Adam] judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience [Jesus], many will be made righteous.”
THANK GOD, By the blood-stained coat of Jesus, we have been covered and saved from the wrath to come. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” (Romans 5:8-9).
In our next writing we will look at two more “coats of Joseph” and discover God’s providence and faithfulness were evident in Joseph’s life.
