There is a question we must answer as we continue our journey through the spiritual garments described in Scripture: Who provides our spiritual garments?
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| Image by Kamran Aydinov, Magnif.com |
The answer requires us to hold two biblical truths together.
First, God is the source of our salvation and spiritual restoration. In Zechariah's vision, Joshua the high priest does not remove his own filthy garments or make himself clean. God commands that the garments be removed and promises to clothe him anew. Isaiah likewise portrays God as the One who provides salvation, righteousness and comfort.
We cannot earn our salvation or make ourselves righteous before God through our own efforts. Our hope rests in His grace and the finished work of the cross.
Second, we are called to respond to God's grace through faith and obedience. Paul commands believers to put on the armour of God, put on Christ and put away the old self. These are not instructions to earn God's acceptance; they are calls to live actively in the new life He provides.
God provides the garments, but we must be willing to put them on.
God offers comfort, in The Holy Spirit our comforter. Just like Adam and Eve who wore Christ's covering before they sinned, after redemption we wear The Holy Spirit. We must learn to trust Him in our sorrow. He gives us a new identity, and we must choose to walk in accordance with it. Let us explore some other garments in Scripture and what they can teach us.
Joseph's Coat: A Garment of Favour and Identity
Let us turn to Joseph, whose story introduces another dimension to the significance of garments. Genesis 37:3 tells us that Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was the son of his old age. He made him a distinctive robe, traditionally described as a coat of many colours.
That garment became a visible sign of his father's special affection for him. It also became a source of resentment among his brothers, who hated Joseph and could not speak peaceably to him (Genesis 37:4).
Joseph's coat reminds us that garments can carry meaning beyond their practical use. They can communicate identity, status, favour, covernant and belonging. The many colours are like the rainbow; a sign to us of His covenant of protection.
However, the story also reveals the danger of jealousy. Joseph's brothers resented the favour he received, and the coat became entangled in the conflict that followed. They stripped him of it and used the garment to deceive their father into believing that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal (Genesis 37:23–33).
What began as a sign of favour became an instrument of deception in the hands of those who hated him. Yet Joseph's story did not end with the loss of his coat.
He experienced betrayal, slavery and imprisonment, but he continued to serve faithfully. While in prison, he interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh's officials. Although the cupbearer initially forgot him, Joseph was eventually remembered when Pharaoh needed someone to interpret his dreams (Genesis 40–41).
Joseph's journey reminds us that a delay is not necessarily a denial. His circumstances changed dramatically, but enabled him as long as he was willing.
We should be careful not to claim that every hardship occurs for the same reason or that we know precisely why God permits a particular delay. Nevertheless, Joseph's experience demonstrates that adverse circumstances do not have to prevent us from serving faithfully or using the gifts we have been given.
His elevation in Egypt did not come because he possessed a special coat. His story instead reveals how in making a stance for God, God did not forget Him. The cupbearer forgot him but God did not. God sent a dream that only Joseph could interpret.
The coat was significant, but God's providence was greater than the coat. Joseph's identity was not lost with the coat. He continued to serve and in service, a way was made for Him to fulfil purpose.
Dear reader, what happens when the favour you once enjoyed seems to disappear? What happens when you lose a position, an opportunity, recognition or the approval of people you thought would always support you?
Will you allow the loss of an outward sign of favour to determine your worth? Sometimes God gives us favour or performs a miracle in our lives and we get caught up fixating on it. God has so much more for us.
Our identity and future should not rest solely on outward signs of recognition, status or approval. People may take away what they once gave us, and circumstances may strip us of positions we once held. We must learn to trust God through every season.
Joseph's story also warns us against allowing jealousy to govern our treatment of others. We should not despise someone because they receive favour, nor assume that another person's blessings diminish what God can do in our own lives. As Apostle Tomi Arayomi says, "if your neighbour is getting a blessing, God is in your neighbourhood. Your miracle is not tomorrow it is today."
Dear Reader, what are you wearing? Stay strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
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