Origin: Genesis 37 in the Bible
Once upon a time, in the land of Canaan, there lived a young boy named Joseph. Joseph was the favorite son of his father, Jacob, and he had eleven brothers. Joseph’s father gave him a special gift—a colorful coat with many bright colors.
Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him because of the special coat and because their father loved him the most. One day, Joseph had a dream in which he saw eleven sheaves of wheat bowing down to his sheaf. He excitedly told his brothers about the dream, but they became even more jealous.
Then, Joseph had another dream in which the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down to him. He told his family about this dream as well, and even his father scolded him for it, but he kept it in his heart.
One day, Joseph’s brothers were out tending their father’s sheep, and Jacob asked Joseph to go and check on them. When Joseph arrived, his brothers saw him from a distance and plotted to kill him because of their jealousy.
But one of the brothers, Reuben, suggested they throw Joseph into a pit instead of killing him. Reuben planned to come back later and rescue Joseph, intending to return him to their father safely.
So, they took Joseph’s colorful coat, tore it, and threw him into a deep pit. Later, a group of traders passed by, and Joseph’s brothers decided to sell him to them as a slave instead of leaving him in the pit.
The traders took Joseph to Egypt and sold him to a man named Potiphar, who was a high official in the Egyptian court. Even though Joseph was far from home and facing many challenges, he remained faithful to God and worked hard.
God was with Joseph, and he prospered in everything he did. Eventually, Joseph became a trusted servant in Potiphar’s house. But just when things were looking up for Joseph, he faced another trial.
Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph of wrongdoing, and Joseph was thrown into prison. Even in prison, Joseph remained faithful to God and continued to trust Him.
God blessed Joseph, and he gained favor with the prison warden. Joseph interpreted dreams for some of the other prisoners, including Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker. Joseph’s interpretations came true, and he asked the cupbearer to remember him when he returned to Pharaoh’s service.
Two years later, Pharaoh had a troubling dream, and the cupbearer remembered Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams. Joseph was brought before Pharaoh, and he accurately interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, predicting seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine.
Impressed by Joseph’s wisdom, Pharaoh made him second-in-command over all of Egypt. Joseph was put in charge of storing grain during the years of abundance so that Egypt would have enough food during the famine.
Eventually, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt seeking food during the famine, and they bowed down before him, just as Joseph had dreamed many years before. Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, forgave them for what they had done, and invited his entire family to live in Egypt, where they would be safe and well cared for.
And so, children, the story of Joseph’s colorful coat teaches us about jealousy, forgiveness, and God’s faithfulness. Joseph’s story reminds us that even when life is difficult and unfair, we can trust in God’s plan for us and remain faithful to Him.
