“It was red and yellow and green and brown, and scarlet and black and ochre and peach…”
Jacob (Israel) had twelve sons, but only two by Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin (who she died bearing), but they were the youngest of the family.
The Coat of Many Colors
READ Genesis 37:1-3
Why did Jacob love Joseph more than all the rest of his
children?
He was the oldest son of his
beloved wife, Rachel.
Rachel had been barren, so
they waited a long time for Joseph (“son of his old age”).
He was a righteous son, unlike
his brothers.
What was the “coat of many colors”?
Not a coat of many colors or
patchwork pieces.
It was a tunic reaching down
the arms and to the ankles, such as princes wore.
A token of the birthright.
A “coat of pasaim” or
ceremonial robe; a priestly robe.
Translation of the word used
for coat (“kethoneth”) is the same word used in Genesis 3:21 describing the
“coat of skins” made by God for Adam and Eve; the Hebrew word for “skins” is
“ore” which has a homonym (“or”) meaning light, so the phrase “coat or garment
of skins” conveys the meaning “garment of light”.
There is a Jewish legend that
states that while Joseph was imprisoned in the pit, prior to being sold to the
Arabs, that Gabriel appeared to him and placed upon him a special garment of
protection which he wore throughout all his Egyptian experiences (Ginzberg, Louis. The Legends of the Jews. 7 vols. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of
America, 1909. 2:17); this would have been a second “coat of light” or
“priestly robe” as the first was covered in blood and taken back to Jacob as
proof of Joseph’s death (see Genesis 37:23, 31-33).
Joseph’s Dreams
READ Genesis 37:4-11
Why would the Lord send revelation or inspiration in a
dream?
Dreams are the will'o-the-wisp
so insubstantial that our sophisticated society dismisses them without thought.
Accepting inspired dreams is a
step on the ladder of faith.
Acting on the inspiration is
required - i.e. Nephi will "go and do" by going back to Jerusalem to
get the plates after Lehi’s dream.
God has a history of sending
dreams to people: the 3 wise men and Joseph the step-father of Christ all had
dreams which had to be acted on to save the baby Jesus’ life.
What did the dreams mean?
The family of Israel would bow
down to Joseph (including his father Jacob).
He would have dominion over
them.
So why was Joseph naive enough to tell his brothers
about his dreams as they already hated him for his coat!?
Joseph tells us in the Book of
Mormon that Joseph Smith was “like unto” him - perhaps it was innocent naiveté
(with his Methodist minister friend Joseph Smith, “took occasion to give him an
account of the vision… I was greatly surprised at his behavior” - JSH 1:21).
Perhaps he was commanded to by
the Lord, as a trial, knowing the dreams were true but would heap upon him
persecution - either in being hated for being a prideful fool without savvy or
for being a “new-agey” crazy person.
Why did the Lord send two dreams with seemingly the
same meaning?
The first dream concerned the
“field” and “grain” - pointing to an earthly dominion and specifically to
Joseph’s later role in Egypt’s and Israel’s being saved from the famine.
The second dream concerned the
“sun, moon and stars” - suggesting a heavenly rule or bringing a spiritual
salvation to his family.
READ Genesis 37:17-20
Why would the brothers resort to murder?
Not for gain – selling him was
an afterthought to make some pocket money.
Not for the coat/priesthood –
they didn’t care about the birthright or Holy Order.
To disprove the “dreams” -
prophetic mantle or spiritual gifts.
To stop Joseph from ruling
over them temporally.
They are fallen - carnal,
sensual and devilish; Joseph’s favor by Jacob had made them jealous.
READ Genesis 37:23-28
Why did they sell Joseph for 20 pieces of silver?
It was the price of a slave
and he was being sold into slavery.
There must have been some
satisfaction knowing that this favored and naïve child knew that he’d been sold
for the price of a slave (only).
Joseph in Potiphar’s House
The Arabs then sell him to the Egyptian Pharaoh’s Captain of the Guard, Potiphar.
READ Genesis 39:2-3
Who was Joseph’s “master”?
The God of Israel.
Not Potiphar.
READ Genesis 39:4
In whose eyes did Joseph find grace in?
The Lord’s.
… and then Potiphar’s because
he saw that Joseph was blessed.
READ Genesis 39:4 again, this
time capitalizing the “H’s” to make it refer to God!
What does this verse mean now?
Joseph finds grace in the eyes
of the Lord (receives blessings he doesn’t deserve).
Joseph serves the Lord.
The Lord makes Joseph
“overse-er” or “over-seer” of His House (of Israel).
The Lord blesses Joseph with
all of His blessings - Holy Priesthood, Posterity, Eternal Life.
READ D&C 122:9
What is the relationship between fearing men and
worshipping God in faith?
They have an inverse
relationship.
The more you fear man, the less
you worship God and exercise faith.
The more you worship God and
put your faith in Him, the less you fear what men can do – even unto death.
READ Genesis 39:7-10 and Alma
39:5
How is fornication or adultery sinning against God?
The body is part of the
immortal soul which Christ has redeemed; you are not your own - you have been
bought with a terrible price - all that a god can suffer; one that exploits the
body of another abuses the central purpose and processes of life and crucifies
Christ afresh.
Sex is the ultimate physical
symbol of total union: of hearts, hopes, lives, love, future, everything - “be
one”; it is a sealing of two souls into one.
You risk moral and mental schizophrenia from pretending you are one
because you are giving, temporarily, only part of what was meant to be a total
and permanent union.
Symbolic of a shared
relationship between the couple and their Father in Heaven - uniting with Him
spiritually. “I never knew you” or “you
never knew me” where “knew” is the same word also translated as
intercourse. Also, God’s create - that’s
what they do - and mankind is their greatest creation, their work and their
glory; this act is a sacrament in that we are literally using the power of God
- the only time that you will be permitted to do so, unless you quality to
become as god is yourself.
READ Genesis 39:11-12
Why was this attempt different from the others?
Whether it was a deliberate
plan or not, this time the two of them were alone - such that he felt he needed
to flee to escape the situation.
Why did he flee?
Engaging the devil directly is
usually a losing proposition – even for someone of Joseph’s spiritual stature.
In most situations, it’s
better to disengage and get out.
READ Genesis 39:16-20
Why did the Lord allow Joseph to be punished after he
“chose the right?”
He honors the agency of others.
He is a “fourth watch God” and
Joseph is not in the fourth watch yet.
He is setting up Joseph’s, and
ultimately Israel’s, temporal salvation – although it seems to be the opposite.
