Genesis 37:1–3
‘Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons… and he made an ornate robe for him.’ (v3)
Have you ever dressed up for a special occasion and felt perhaps more important, or worth more, just because of the clothes you were wearing? Joseph was something special. He was set apart from the ordinary by his ornate robe. The robe was a status symbol. The robe was a gift from his father. He had to do nothing for it.
In the scriptures, we find we are given a robe too. Isaiah 61:10 says, ‘[God] has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a
robe of his righteousness.’ Our robe is a gift from our heavenly Father. We are made special – no longer lost in our sin – if we accept the gift of that righteous robe. We too are favoured just like Joseph but, unlike Joseph’s robe, our robe has an eternal quality to it.
Our robe gives us access to the most Holy God; because of that robe, we have a place in heaven. It reminds me of when the prodigal son returns home and he is given the best robe to cover all his filth. Do we know our worth because of the robe we wear, or do we forget that God has given us this gift of righteousness?
A PRAYER TO MAKE:
‘Lord, help me to know deep within my heart that I am covered by your righteousness. Help me to live in the truth that I am not condemned. Amen.’
AN ACTION TO TAKE:
Consider the truth of being clothed in righteousness. What difference does this make to you today?
SCRIPTURE TO CONSIDER:
Luke 15:11–32; Rom. 7:25–8:4; 2 Cor. 5:1–5,17–21
