Joseph's Coat of Many Colors

Joseph's Coat of Many Colors Study

Joseph's Coat of Many Colors Bible Story

Welcome to our Christianity Oasis Daily Bread study program. This is our Joseph's Coat Bible study looking into the absolutely awesome Joseph's Coat of Many Colors Bible story and how it affects your be-YOU-tiful Christian walk.

Joseph's Coat Trouble
Joseph's Coat of Many Colors Bible Story on Jealousy

Good day to all of you from Daily Bread. It's a great day for a Daily Bread crumb again don't you think? Today's lesson is a little geography and genealogy and jealousy.

If you'll remember back to the story where Jacob met with Esau again after 20 years, you'll recall that Esau went back to live in Seir, south of the Salt Sea (also known as the Dead Sea).

Jacob and Esau together had too many flocks, herds, servants, etc. for the land to support if they resided nearby one another, much like what happened to Abram and Lot.

So Esau raised his family in Seir. Seir was also the name of a Horite who lived in that area, and in those times, when a family settled a certain area, the land was named after that person. Esau's family became predominant in that area and the region became known as Edom. Why not Esau? Because Edom was sort of a nickname of Esau's since he asked Jacob for some of the red pottage (lentil soup or stew) that he sold his birthright for. The name Edom means, Red, earthy; of blood. That's why the Bible in several places says Esau is Edom.

Joseph's Coat Event
Joseph's Coat of Many Colors Bible Story Warning

There are a few names in the list of generations of Esau that will show up in future stories in Daily Bread, and at that time we will alert you as to their ancestry, so if you happen to look in your Bible at Chapter 36 of Genesis and see paragraph after paragraph of names of kings and dukes and sons and daughters of Esau and Seir, don't be alarmed. And that folks is the end of the history lesson. Whewwwwwww.

Back to where we left off, Rachel had died during childbirth, bearing Israel's twelfth son, named Benjamin. And some things are just so beautifully written for touching moments or events in the Bible, that you must experience the original words. For example: Genesis 35:29. And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Giving up the ghost means that he gave his spirit back to God. And, gathered unto his people, means that he is united with Abraham and his ancestors before him.

That brings us to the beginning of a long story about Israel's (Jacob's) son Joseph. Joseph was seventeen now, and he was out feeding the flock with his brothers Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. He told Israel that the others were behaving badly. Joseph was Israel's favorite, being the son of his old age and Israel made Joseph a coat of many colors. When his brothers saw that Joseph was Israel's favorite, they were jealous and hated Joseph and never had a kind word to say to him.

Joseph's Coat Dream
Joseph's Coat of Many Colors Bible Story Prophecy

Joseph had an awesome dream. He was so excited about it he wanted to tell others. He told his brothers about it and they hated him all the more. He explained his dream to them. He said ... We were tying bundles in the field and my bundle stood up and yours all bowed in respect to mine. His brothers said, That'll be the day when you'll ever rule over us. And they hated him even more for his dream and for telling it.

Joseph had another dream and told it to his Dad, Israel and his eleven brothers. He dreamt that the sun, the moon and the eleven stars bowed to him. Israel said, Honestly, do you really think that I and your mother and your brothers will bow ourselves to you?

His brothers were jealous, but Israel kept Joseph's dream in the back of his mind and pondered on it.

Shortly after that, Joseph's brothers went to feed Israel's flock in Shechem. Israel sent Joseph to check up on them, almost 50 miles away, to see if everything was alright, and to bring him word back. A man found Joseph wandering in the field and asked, What are you looking for?

Joseph said, I'm looking for my brothers, can you tell me where they're feeding their flocks? The man said he heard them say they were going to Dothan, which was another 15 miles further. Joseph found them there, but when they saw Joseph coming from far off, they made a plan to kill him.

Joseph's Coat Was Last Straw
Joseph's Coat of Many Colors Bible Story on Hate

Knowing they were far enough away from home for anyone to find out, they said, Here comes the dreamer, let's kill him and throw him in a pit, then we'll say that some wild animal attacked him, and then we'll see what becomes of his dreams!

Reuben, Joseph's oldest brother, heard the plan, but didn't agree with it. He said, Let's not kill him, it'll be enough to just throw him in this pit in the wilderness. Reuben planned to go back to the pit later to rescue Joseph and return him to their father.

When Joseph reached his brothers, they grabbed him and took his coat of many colors and threw him into an empty pit with no water. They sat down to eat and a group of Ishmaelites from Gilead happened by with their camels, carrying spices and perfumes to Egypt.

Judah said, What do we have to gain by killing Joseph and hiding his blood? Let's sell him to the Ishmaelites, not kill him, he's our brother and our flesh.

The others liked the idea of profiting from their brother, but before they knew it, some tradesmen from Midian found Joseph, pulled him out of the pit and sold him for 20 pieces of silver to a group of Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt.

When Reuben returned to the pit to rescue Joseph, he was gone. Reuben tore his own clothes in sorrow. He told his brothers that Joseph was gone and didn't know what to do.

Joseph's Coat Creates New Life for Joseph
Joseph's Coat of Many Colors Bible Story Dad Deception

The other brothers killed a goat and soaked Joseph's coat with the blood. Then they brought it to their Dad, Israel and asked, Isn't this Joseph's coat?

Israel said, It is my son's coat. A wild animal has devoured him; Joseph is without a doubt torn to pieces. Israel tore his clothes and wore sackcloth and mourned for Joseph for a long, long time. (Sackcloth is a course cloth of goat or camel's hair or of flax, hemp or cotton, worn as a sign of mourning.)

Israel's children tried to console him, but he couldn't be comforted. He said, I'll be sad until I die, over Joseph's death.

Meanwhile, Joseph was sold again in Egypt to a man named Potiphar, who was an officer of the Pharaoh and captain of the guard. Joseph would become that man's servant.

Joseph's Coat Summary
Joseph's Coat of Many Colors Bible Story Conclusion

And that's just the beginning of the Joseph's Coat story. Joseph's brother's jealousy over the dream and the coat had them do a horrible thing to their brother but when the world abandons you, God has a tendency to bring you into His fold. There's much more coming up so be sure to come back and find out what happens next in your Daily Bread.

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