Joseph's Three Coats
--- title: "Joseph's Three Coats" date: series: "Sermons 2001 Rewritten" text: "Genesis 37–50" speaker: Ed Rangel location: Waupaca Church of Christ bibleversion: NASB 1995 type: Expository status: draft tags:
sermon
sermons-2001-rewritten
joseph
providence
faithfulness
genesis
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tpt-sermon
tpt-sermon-outline
tpt-mode-outline
---
Joseph's Three Coats
Learning Objectives
Explain why the Old Testament remains profitable for Christian instruction.
Trace Joseph’s faithfulness through the three major “coats” or garments connected to his life.
Show how envy, false accusation, and suffering do not overthrow God’s providence.
Apply Joseph’s example to obedience, purity, patience, forgiveness, and trust in God.
Call hearers to obey the gospel and remain faithful when life is unjust.
Thesis
Joseph’s three coats show that God can work through favor, humiliation, false accusation, and exaltation to preserve His purpose and bless those who remain faithful.
Some people treat the Old Testament as if it is a locked room in the back of the Bible. They say, “We are New Testament Christians,” and that is true. We do not go to Genesis to find the plan of salvation in its completed form. We do not go to Moses to bind the Law of Moses on the church. But we had better not act as though God wasted ink preserving those records. Romans 15:4 says those things were written for our instruction. Joseph’s life still preaches. His coats still speak.
Introduction.
Some brethren have treated the Old Testament as though it has little value.
They know we are not under the Law of Moses.
They know the gospel is revealed fully in Christ.
But they sometimes forget that God preserved the Old Testament for our learning.
Romans 15:4 says whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction.
The Old Testament gives warning.
It gives encouragement.
It gives examples of faith.
It shows God’s providence.
It prepares us to understand Christ and the gospel.
Joseph’s life is one of those records.
He was loved by his father.
Hated by his brothers.
Sold into slavery.
Falsely accused.
Forgotten in prison.
Raised by God to preserve life.
Genesis 37–50 gives us a long view of God’s providence.
Joseph did not see the whole plan while sitting in a pit.
He did not see the whole plan while wearing prison clothes.
He did not see the whole plan when men forgot him.
But God saw the end from the beginning.
Joseph’s life may be traced through three garments.
The varicolored tunic given by his father.
The garment left in the hand of Potiphar’s wife.
The fine linen garment placed on him when Pharaoh exalted him.
Each coat marks a different season.
Favor.
Suffering.
Exaltation.
The question is whether Joseph would remain faithful in every coat.
I. Joseph's First Coat Shows That Favor Can Bring Hatred from Others.
Jacob loved Joseph and made him a varicolored tunic.
Genesis 37:3 says Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons.
Joseph was the son of his old age.
Jacob showed special affection.
He made him a varicolored tunic.
That coat was a garment of distinction.
It marked Joseph as favored.
It set him apart before his brothers.
It became a visible symbol of family tension.
Jacob’s favoritism was not wise.
Parents must be careful with partiality.
Children notice it.
Sibling resentment can deepen quickly.
Favor shown without wisdom can wound a home.
Joseph’s brothers hated him.
Genesis 37:4 says they saw their father loved him more than all his brothers.
They hated him.
They could not speak to him on friendly terms.
Their envy poisoned ordinary family speech.
Joseph also received dreams from God.
His sheaf stood upright.
His brothers’ sheaves bowed down.
The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed before him.
The dreams increased their hatred.
They asked whether he would reign over them.
They hated him even more.
His father kept the saying in mind.
The problem was not merely the coat.
The coat exposed their envy.
The dreams exposed their pride.
God’s purpose exposed their rebellion.
Joseph obeyed his father and suffered for it.
Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers.
Joseph answered, “I will go.”
He went from Hebron to Shechem.
He kept looking until he found them at Dothan.
Joseph did what a son should do.
He obeyed his father.
He sought his brothers’ welfare.
He did not come to harm them.
His brothers plotted to kill him.
They saw him from a distance.
They said, “Here comes this dreamer!”
They planned murder.
Reuben intervened to spare his life.
They stripped him of the varicolored tunic and threw him into a pit.
The coat of favor was taken.
The loved son was humiliated.
The obedient son was treated as an enemy.
Faithfulness does not guarantee fair treatment from men.
Joseph had done nothing worthy of death.
Obedience brought him near those who hated him.
A faithful man may still suffer injustice.
God’s people must not confuse man’s mistreatment with God’s absence.
II. Joseph's Second Coat Shows That Purity May Still Be Falsely Accused.
Joseph was sold into Egypt but God was with him.
Genesis 37 shows Joseph sold by his brothers.
They spared his life but sold him as a slave.
They deceived Jacob with the bloody tunic.
Jacob mourned his son as dead.
Genesis 39 shows Joseph in Potiphar’s house.
He was a slave.
He was in a foreign land.
He was separated from family.
Yet the LORD was with Joseph.
God’s presence did not mean Joseph avoided hardship.
He was still enslaved.
He still had to work.
He still lived under another man’s authority.
But God blessed him where he was.
Joseph was faithful in another man’s house.
Potiphar saw that the LORD was with Joseph.
Joseph became successful.
Potiphar put him over his house.
Everything Joseph touched was blessed.
Joseph did not use suffering as an excuse for laziness.
He worked faithfully.
He served honorably.
He could be trusted.
A Christian must learn this.
Hard circumstances do not excuse poor character.
Mistreatment does not excuse dishonesty.
Being far from home does not excuse sin.
God sees faithfulness in another man’s house.
Joseph resisted Potiphar’s wife.
She tempted him repeatedly.
This was not a one-time moment.
She pressed him day after day.
Sin often returns after the first refusal.
Joseph gave the right answer.
His master trusted him.
She was his master’s wife.
He asked, “How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?”
Joseph understood sin correctly.
It was not merely private pleasure.
It was not merely a risk of getting caught.
It was not merely betrayal of Potiphar.
It was sin against God.
That conviction protects purity.
A man who only fears consequences may still sin if he thinks he can hide it.
A man who fears God knows there is no hidden sin before the Lord.
Joseph’s purity was anchored in God.
Joseph left his garment and fled.
Potiphar’s wife caught him by his garment.
She demanded sin.
He refused.
He fled and left the garment in her hand.
Sometimes faithfulness means leaving something behind.
Leave the room.
Leave the conversation.
Leave the relationship.
Leave the opportunity.
Leave the garment if that is what it takes.
That second coat became evidence used against him.
She lied.
She twisted the facts.
She used his garment to accuse him.
Joseph was punished for righteousness.
He did right and went to prison.
He kept pure and suffered shame.
He honored God and was falsely accused.
A righteous life may still be slandered.
Do right anyway.
Keep pure anyway.
Trust God anyway.
Better to lose a garment with a clean conscience than keep comfort by sinning against God.
III. Joseph's Third Coat Shows That God Can Exalt the Faithful in His Time.
Joseph remained faithful in prison.
Genesis 39 says the LORD was with Joseph in prison.
The location changed.
God’s presence did not.
The injustice continued.
God’s providence continued.
Joseph served faithfully even there.
The jailer entrusted responsibilities to him.
Joseph did not become bitter and useless.
He remained dependable.
Joseph interpreted dreams for Pharaoh’s servants.
The cupbearer would be restored.
The baker would be judged.
The interpretations came from God.
Joseph was forgotten by the cupbearer.
He asked to be remembered.
The cupbearer forgot him.
Two more years passed.
Waiting is often part of God’s providence.
The pit was not the end.
Potiphar’s house was not the end.
Prison was not the end.
Being forgotten by men was not the end.
God brought Joseph before Pharaoh.
Pharaoh had troubling dreams.
The magicians could not interpret them.
The cupbearer finally remembered Joseph.
Joseph was brought out of prison.
Joseph gave God the glory.
He did not claim the power for himself.
He said God would give Pharaoh a favorable answer.
His humility remained intact after years of suffering.
Joseph interpreted the dreams.
Seven years of plenty were coming.
Seven years of famine would follow.
Pharaoh needed a wise man to prepare.
Joseph’s suffering had prepared him.
He knew administration from Potiphar’s house.
He knew endurance from prison.
He knew dependence on God from every trial.
God did not waste Joseph’s years.
Pharaoh clothed Joseph in fine linen.
Genesis 41:42 says Pharaoh took off his signet ring and put it on Joseph’s hand.
He clothed him in garments of fine linen.
He put a gold necklace around his neck.
He set him over Egypt.
This third garment marked exaltation.
The boy stripped by his brothers became ruler under Pharaoh.
The slave falsely accused became governor.
The prisoner forgotten by men became the man through whom God preserved life.
God can reverse what men intended.
The brothers meant harm.
Potiphar’s wife meant harm.
Forgetfulness delayed him.
God was still working.
Genesis 50:20 gives Joseph’s mature view.
“You meant evil against me.”
“But God meant it for good.”
God used the evil actions of men without becoming evil Himself.
Providence does not excuse their sin, but it magnifies God’s wisdom.
Joseph’s exaltation was for service, not revenge.
Joseph did not use power to destroy his brothers.
He tested them.
He exposed their hearts.
He preserved them.
He forgave them.
God raised Joseph to save life.
Egypt was preserved.
Jacob’s family was preserved.
The line of promise was preserved.
Joseph saw his life through God’s purpose.
Not merely personal pain.
Not merely family betrayal.
Not merely political promotion.
God sent him ahead to preserve life.
Faith matures when it sees God’s hand beyond human wrong.
Not excusing sin.
Not denying pain.
Not calling evil good.
But trusting that evil men cannot overthrow God.
IV. Joseph's Coats Still Teach the Church How to Live Before God.
The coat of favor warns homes about envy and partiality.
Jacob’s favoritism helped create bitterness.
Parents must not provoke rivalry.
Children must not be taught to compete for love.
A home can be damaged by unwise partiality.
Joseph’s brothers show the danger of envy.
Envy made them hate.
Envy made them cruel.
Envy made them lie to their father.
Envy made them willing to live with guilt for years.
Christians must kill envy before it grows teeth.
Do not resent another person’s blessing.
Do not hate another person’s usefulness.
Do not despise another person’s place in God’s providence.
The garment in Potiphar’s house warns us to flee sin.
Joseph did not negotiate with temptation.
He refused.
He reasoned from God.
He fled.
Sexual sin must not be treated casually.
It is great evil.
It is sin against God.
It destroys trust, homes, reputations, and souls.
Young people need this lesson.
Joseph was far from home.
He had opportunity.
He had pressure.
He still said no.
Parents and teachers must train the next generation to flee.
Not flirt with sin.
Not test the edge.
Not trust themselves in dangerous places.
Flee.
The fine linen coat reminds us that God’s timing is better than ours.
Joseph waited through years of injustice.
Pit.
Slavery.
False accusation.
Prison.
Forgetfulness.
God was not late.
The famine had not yet come.
Pharaoh had not yet dreamed.
The moment had not yet arrived.
Christians must learn endurance.
Do right when no one rewards it.
Serve when no one notices.
Trust when the door stays closed.
Wait without surrendering faith.
Joseph points us toward Christ without replacing Christ.
Joseph was beloved by his father and rejected by his brothers.
Christ was the beloved Son and rejected by His own.
Joseph suffered innocently.
Christ suffered sinlessly.
Joseph was raised to preserve life.
Christ was raised to give eternal life.
Joseph saved from famine.
Christ saves from sin and death.
Joseph forgave those who wronged him.
Christ prayed for those who crucified Him.
Christ offers forgiveness through His blood.
Joseph is not the Savior.
He is an example.
Christ is the Redeemer.
Joseph’s story prepares us to see God’s providence, but Christ accomplishes salvation.
Application.
For the one suffering injustice.
Joseph teaches you not to judge God by the pit.
The pit may be real, but it is not the whole story.
Remain faithful where you are.
For the one facing temptation.
Do not reason with sin longer than necessary.
Say what Joseph said: “How could I do this great evil and sin against God?”
Flee even if it costs you.
For the church.
Do not let envy poison fellowship.
Do not let favoritism divide the body.
Do not let another person’s blessing become your bitterness.
For parents and the next generation.
Teach Joseph honestly.
Teach both the beauty of his faith and the danger of family partiality.
Teach children that purity is worth more than reputation.
Teach them that God can use years they do not understand.
For the sinner.
Joseph could preserve physical life from famine, but Christ preserves souls from sin.
Do not admire Joseph’s faith while refusing Christ’s gospel.
Come to the One who was rejected, crucified, raised, and exalted.
Conclusion.
Joseph wore three coats.
One marked favor.
One was left behind in purity.
One marked exaltation.
Men saw pieces of the story.
Jacob saw a bloody coat.
Potiphar saw a lying accusation.
Pharaoh saw a wise interpreter.
Joseph eventually saw the hand of God.
Genesis 50:20 gives the sermon in one sentence.
Men meant evil.
God meant good.
God preserved many people alive.
Joseph’s story does not teach us that life is fair.
It teaches us that God is faithful.
It teaches us that purity matters.
It teaches us that suffering is not wasted in God’s providence.
It teaches us that forgiveness is possible when faith sees God’s hand.
But Joseph cannot save your soul.
Christ can.
Christ was rejected, suffered, died, and was raised.
Christ now reigns.
Christ offers forgiveness to all who obey Him.
Plan of Salvation
Hear the word.
Faith begins when the sinner hears the message of Christ.
The Old Testament points forward, but the gospel announces the completed saving work of Christ.
Reference: Romans 10:17.
Believe Christ.
The sinner must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Faith must rest in the crucified and risen Savior.
Reference: John 8:24.
Repent.
Repentance turns the heart from sin toward God.
No one can be saved while clinging to rebellion.
Reference: Acts 17:30.
Confess Christ.
Faith must not remain hidden.
The sinner must confess Christ as Lord.
Reference: Romans 10:9–10.
Be baptized for the remission of sins.
The sinner must submit to baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness.
Baptism is not a symbol after salvation; Scripture connects it with forgiveness, new life, and entrance into Christ.
References: Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3–4; Galatians 3:27; 1 Peter 3:21.
Live faithfully.
The Christian must remain faithful through favor, temptation, suffering, and waiting.
The Lord calls His people to faithfulness until death.
Reference: Revelation 2:10.
Word Study.
| Word | Original | Meaning | Use in Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tunic / Coat | כְּתֹנֶת / kethoneth | Tunic, garment. | Joseph’s garments mark favor, accusation, and exaltation. |
| Varicolored | פַּסִּים / passim | Many-colored, long-sleeved, ornamented, or special. | Describes the distinctive tunic Jacob made for Joseph. |
| Hate | שָׂנֵא / sane | To hate, be hostile. | Joseph’s brothers hated him because of favoritism and dreams. |
| Dream | חֲלוֹם / chalom | Dream. | God revealed future events through Joseph’s dreams and interpretations. |
| Flee | נוּס / nus | To flee, escape. | Joseph fled from Potiphar’s wife and left his garment behind. |
| Interpret | פָּתַר / pathar | To interpret. | Joseph interpreted dreams by God’s power. |
| Meant / Planned | חָשַׁב / chashav | To think, plan, reckon, intend. | Genesis 50:20 contrasts what Joseph’s brothers intended with what God intended. |
|---|---|---|---| | Tunic / Coat | כְּתֹנֶת / kethoneth | Tunic, garment. | Joseph’s garments mark favor, accusation, and exaltation. | | Varicolored | פַּסִּים / passim | Many-colored, long-sleeved, ornamented, or special. | Describes the distinctive tunic Jacob made for Joseph. | | Hate | שָׂנֵא / sane | To hate, be hostile. | Joseph’s brothers hated him because of favoritism and dreams. | | Dream | חֲלוֹם / chalom | Dream. | God revealed future events through Joseph’s dreams and interpretations. | | Flee | נוּס / nus | To flee, escape. | Joseph fled from Potiphar’s wife and left his garment behind. | | Interpret | פָּתַר / pathar | To interpret. | Joseph interpreted dreams by God’s power. | | Meant / Planned | חָשַׁב / chashav | To think, plan, reckon, intend. | Genesis 50:20 contrasts what Joseph’s brothers intended with what God intended. |
Scripture Interlock Table.
| Testament | Reference | Original Context | Connection to Main Text | Doctrinal Use | Sermon / Teaching Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Testament | Genesis 37:3–11 | Jacob gives Joseph a special tunic, and Joseph’s dreams increase his brothers’ hatred. | Shows Joseph’s first coat and the envy it stirred. | Warns against envy and partiality. | Supports Point I. |
| Old Testament | Genesis 37:18–24 | Joseph’s brothers plot against him, strip him, and throw him into a pit. | Shows unjust suffering after obedience. | Teaches faithfulness under injustice. | Supports Point I. |
| Old Testament | Genesis 39:1–12 | Joseph serves in Potiphar’s house and refuses sexual sin. | Shows the second garment and Joseph’s purity. | Teaches moral courage and fleeing temptation. | Supports Point II. |
| Old Testament | Genesis 39:13–23 | Potiphar’s wife falsely accuses Joseph, and Joseph is imprisoned. | Shows righteousness can still suffer slander. | Warns against measuring faithfulness by immediate outcome. | Supports Point II. |
| Old Testament | Genesis 41:37–45 | Pharaoh exalts Joseph and clothes him in fine linen. | Shows the third coat of exaltation. | Demonstrates God’s providence and timing. | Supports Point III. |
| Old Testament | Genesis 50:20 | Joseph tells his brothers they meant evil, but God meant it for good. | Gives the theological summary of Joseph’s life. | Teaches providence without excusing sin. | Supports Point III and Conclusion. |
| New Testament | Romans 15:4 | Earlier Scriptures were written for instruction and encouragement. | Defends preaching from Joseph’s Old Testament record. | Shows Old Testament value for Christians. | Supports Introduction. |
| New Testament | 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11 | Old Testament events are examples and warnings. | Reinforces the instructional value of Joseph’s story. | Supports learning from Old Testament examples. | Supports Introduction. |
| New Testament | 1 Corinthians 6:18–20 | Christians are commanded to flee sexual immorality. | Connects Joseph’s flight from Potiphar’s wife to Christian purity. | Teaches holiness of body and spirit. | Supports Point II. |
| New Testament | James 1:12–15 | Temptation must not be blamed on God; sin grows when desire conceives. | Helps explain the danger Joseph resisted. | Teaches personal responsibility in temptation. | Supports Point II. |
| New Testament | Hebrews 11:22 | Joseph, by faith, spoke of the exodus and gave instructions about his bones. | Shows Joseph’s faith looked beyond Egypt. | Places Joseph among faithful witnesses. | Supports Conclusion. |
| New Testament | Acts 7:9–10 | Stephen says the patriarchs became jealous of Joseph, but God was with him. | Summarizes Joseph’s suffering and God’s presence. | Shows envy opposed God’s purpose but could not stop it. | Supports Points I–III. |
| New Testament | Philippians 2:5–11 | Christ humbled Himself and was exalted by God. | Provides a careful Christ-centered comparison without making Joseph the Savior. | Shows the greater rejected and exalted One is Christ. | Supports Point IV. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Old Testament | Genesis 37:3–11 | Jacob gives Joseph a special tunic, and Joseph’s dreams increase his brothers’ hatred. | Shows Joseph’s first coat and the envy it stirred. | Warns against envy and partiality. | Supports Point I. | | Old Testament | Genesis 37:18–24 | Joseph’s brothers plot against him, strip him, and throw him into a pit. | Shows unjust suffering after obedience. | Teaches faithfulness under injustice. | Supports Point I. | | Old Testament | Genesis 39:1–12 | Joseph serves in Potiphar’s house and refuses sexual sin. | Shows the second garment and Joseph’s purity. | Teaches moral courage and fleeing temptation. | Supports Point II. | | Old Testament | Genesis 39:13–23 | Potiphar’s wife falsely accuses Joseph, and Joseph is imprisoned. | Shows righteousness can still suffer slander. | Warns against measuring faithfulness by immediate outcome. | Supports Point II. | | Old Testament | Genesis 41:37–45 | Pharaoh exalts Joseph and clothes him in fine linen. | Shows the third coat of exaltation. | Demonstrates God’s providence and timing. | Supports Point III. | | Old Testament | Genesis 50:20 | Joseph tells his brothers they meant evil, but God meant it for good. | Gives the theological summary of Joseph’s life. | Teaches providence without excusing sin. | Supports Point III and Conclusion. | | New Testament | Romans 15:4 | Earlier Scriptures were written for instruction and encouragement. | Defends preaching from Joseph’s Old Testament record. | Shows Old Testament value for Christians. | Supports Introduction. | | New Testament | 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11 | Old Testament events are examples and warnings. | Reinforces the instructional value of Joseph’s story. | Supports learning from Old Testament examples. | Supports Introduction. | | New Testament | 1 Corinthians 6:18–20 | Christians are commanded to flee sexual immorality. | Connects Joseph’s flight from Potiphar’s wife to Christian purity. | Teaches holiness of body and spirit. | Supports Point II. | | New Testament | James 1:12–15 | Temptation must not be blamed on God; sin grows when desire conceives. | Helps explain the danger Joseph resisted. | Teaches personal responsibility in temptation. | Supports Point II. | | New Testament | Hebrews 11:22 | Joseph, by faith, spoke of the exodus and gave instructions about his bones. | Shows Joseph’s faith looked beyond Egypt. | Places Joseph among faithful witnesses. | Supports Conclusion. | | New Testament | Acts 7:9–10 | Stephen says the patriarchs became jealous of Joseph, but God was with him. | Summarizes Joseph’s suffering and God’s presence. | Shows envy opposed God’s purpose but could not stop it. | Supports Points I–III. | | New Testament | Philippians 2:5–11 | Christ humbled Himself and was exalted by God. | Provides a careful Christ-centered comparison without making Joseph the Savior. | Shows the greater rejected and exalted One is Christ. | Supports Point IV. |
Invitation.
Hear the word.
Romans 10:17 says faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Believe Christ.
John 8:24 warns that unless you believe that Jesus is He, you will die in your sins.
Repent.
Acts 17:30 says God commands all people everywhere to repent.
Confess Christ.
Romans 10:9–10 teaches confession with the mouth and belief in the heart.
Be baptized for the remission of sins.
Acts 2:38 commands repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
Live faithfully.
Revelation 2:10 calls the Christian to be faithful until death.
