Robes Stained, Saints Sustained

Genesis 37:12-36

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

¹²Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. ¹³And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” ¹⁴So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. ¹⁵And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” ¹⁶“I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” ¹⁷And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

¹⁸They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. ¹⁹They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. ²⁰Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” ²¹But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” ²²And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. ²³So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. ²⁴And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

²⁵Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. ²⁶Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? ²⁷Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. ²⁸Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

²⁹When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes ³⁰and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” ³¹Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. ³²And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” ³³And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” ³⁴Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. ³⁵All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. ³⁶Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

(ESV)

Thought:
Jacob shares his dream with his family to which they are all appalled at the idea of bowing down to the youngest son of the family. But then this little detail is noted. Jacob kept the saying in mind.

Luke 2:19

¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

(ESV)

Jacob made for his son, Joseph, a coat of many colours. This was unlike the coats of his brothers who would have been singularly coloured robes. This would have been a very expensive gift for his son. It was the best that the world could offer, an item of extreme luxury.

But after the murderous plans of the brothers eventuated in Joseph being sold, they take this robe, cover it in blood and use it to fool their father into believing that he was killed by a wild animal. In Jacob’s mind, his favourite son had gone from close to him and alive, to dead. From hope to hopeless. His life shattered after he had already lost his beloved wife, Rachel.

This blood-covered robe was to Jacob a symbol of everything he had lost, but we know and God knew it was a symbol of Jacob’s promotion and progressing into God’s plan for his life.

This has always been the way of the saints. Satan wishes to tempt us with the best the world has to offer, just as he did with Jesus offering him all the kingdoms of the world if he would just bow down to him. But he refused, and so us Christians reject the world too.

So us sons and daughters of God take on the clothes of the destitute and afflicted, as it says in Hebrews.

Hebrews 11:37–38

³⁷They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— ³⁸of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

(ESV)

But one day we shall put on as it says in Rev 7, we shall wash our robes white in the blood of the lamb. We shall not enjoy everything of this world, we shall be mistreated and we shall suffer. But at the end we shall receive the crown of life and robes that shall never be stained again.

Reflection:
As I go about my day, I need to remember that what looks like loss in this world may actually be God’s path to something greater. Joseph’s blood‑stained robe crushed Jacob, yet God was quietly advancing His plan. Today I need to apply this by rejecting the lure of worldly comfort and embracing the humble, afflicted path of Christ, trusting that the robe I wear now will one day be made white in His blood.

Prayer:
Father, help me see beyond the world’s offerings and cling to the path You set before me. Strengthen me to endure hardship as Your saints did, and fix my hope on the day when my robe will be washed white in the blood of the Lamb. Keep me faithful, humble, and confident in Your plan. Amen.