ROBES
Genesis 41:37-57

Joseph, son of Jacob’s old age, was the favorite son and the brightest among the twelve sons of Jacob before his father gave him a robe of many colors. Genesis 37:4, “But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.” As if being hated by his brothers because of his father’s love was not enough, he came up with a provoking dream, “Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.” (Genesis 37:5). At a very young age, Joseph was covered with a robe of many colors. Without expectation or prior notice, the robe of many colors was stripped off of him when he was sent by his father to check the well-being of his brothers. Before putting on another robe, he spent time in a pit in the wilderness in an empty pit, a pit without water. Suddenly his sunshine began to turn into moonshine in the journey of his life. Not long from the time spent in the empty pit, the robe of slavery was put on him. Joseph was sold by his brothers to the, “…Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.” (Genesis 37:28) It is easy to think the changes could not get worse than that of slavery, but for Joseph it became worse. What does your experience look like today? Is it anything closer to that of Joseph’s? Are you still thinking that God can do it or you have accepted that there is no way of regaining a better robe than the colorful one of the past? One thing is certain, hope in God will not disappoint, but will set you for His appointed time. As the journey continued from a bright future to bleak future in the physical eye, there were no records of complaining or bitterness by Joseph. When it seemed that the robe of slavery began to change colors for the better, as a servant in the house of Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, and captain of the guard, Joseph’s robe was torn apart. The wife of the officer’s lust for Joseph led to sexual harassment acquisition on him. Joseph went from a slave’s robe to a prisoner’s robe. He lived through all the ups and downs, until his robe finally changed and become a royal robe. He did not only have a royal robe, Pharaoh also crowned him. He had the privilege of giving advice from the prison, “So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” (Genesis 41:37-38). The word of God must have ruled in the life of Joseph before an unbeliever (Pharaoh) could see it that he was a man with the Spirit of God. Ask God today that His Spirit will begin to reign and rule in your life for His glory.