The Clothes Make the Man

Today’s Verse:

And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; ~Genesis 41:42

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What do your clothes say about you? The U.S. apparel market is the largest in the world. In 2016, store-based retailing was valued at $292 billion! We spend a lot of money on clothing based on seasons, work, leisure, and casual settings. This morning, our devotion centers itself on Joseph of the Old Testament and the clothing he wore. Our attention is called to the fact that three times we see the valuable message his clothing spoke about him.

His garments spoke of his sonship.

“Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours,” Gen. 37:3. The first set of clothing we see is the coat of many colors. This coat represented his favor. It spoke loudly about the fact that Joseph loved his son. When you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, God brings you into His family as a Son of God. Our sonship is by spiritual adoption. We have the same rights and privileges as a natural-born son. In Romans 8:17, we are heirs with God, and joint heirs with Christ. In I John 3:1, God’s love for us is manifest because we are called the sons of God. This coat also spoke about his father. When Joseph wore this coat, it testified that he had a father that was powerfully involved in Joseph’s life. This is a blessed picture of our Heavenly Father who has clothed us with robes of righteousness and is involved in our lives.

His garments spoke of his servanthood.

“And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out,” Gen. 39:12. When Joseph came to Egypt, he was sold as a common slave to Potiphar. The garment he wore identified him with his service to Potiphar. As he rose in the ranks to becoming the chief steward of Potiphar’s home, his garments testified of the trust Potiphar had in him. The first thing that stands out to me is that the garments of a servant should indicate that we are industrious. Nobody should work harder than a Christian worker. Nobody should be a better producer than a Christian worker. People should know you are a hard worker. The second thing that the garment of a servant should indicate is our influence. As chief steward over the house, he was a leader to all the other employees. If you have management and supervisory influence, do your job with joy and a great example. The third thing that the garment of a servant should indicate is integrity. Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him into an affair. He could have gotten away with it, but he was a man of godly character. We are told that when she grabbed him by his garment, he fled and left her garment in her hand. Joseph would rather give up his position and job than to risk his integrity. Let us not forget that a servant of the Lord has a lot at stake, and must be willing to wear the garments of servanthood correctly.

His garments spoke of his sovereignty.

“And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck.” Joseph proved himself as a son and as a servant. God promoted him to the number two position in Egypt. These garments testified of the country he represented. We are citizens of Heaven. These garments testified of the power vested in him. As kings and priests of God, we have power with God and with man. These garments testified of the lives that he would help to save. He was in a role that distributed food when food ran out. As God’s people, we have a responsibility of giving the gospel and winning people to Christ.

Our clothes say a lot about us. Wear your Christian testimony well as child of the king!

Have a blessed God Morning!

Bible Reading Schedule: Matthew 13-14

#Genesis #Joseph