“…So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph – a beautiful robe.” – Genesis 37:3 (NLT)
Joseph’s father didn’t give him just any coat; he gave him the brightly coloured coat: the birthright! Joseph, not being the eldest son, should not have received the birthright, for it would make him the “priest” over his household when Jacob died. Traditionally, the eldest son always received authority through the birthright. But Joseph had obtained favour in his father’s eyes as a spiritual young man.
Some interesting symbology is in the multi-coloured coat. The Bible calls all born-again believers “kings and priests” (Revelation 5:10) in Jesus Christ, our faithful King and Priest. In the Old Testament, priests always wore multi-coloured coats: scarlet, blue, and purple. Here are (some of) the ways in which these colours apply to us:
- Scarlet represents Jesus’ blood, which was shed to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- Blue represents divinity: the Word of God.
- Purple is created by mixing scarlet and blue. It signifies royalty.
What does this mean? It means that when you combine the cleansing of Jesus’ blood with the divinity of God’s Word, you are given the authority to stand as royalty – as a king and a priest in Jesus Christ! Revelation 12:11 (NKJV) supports this beautifully: “And they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
The big question is: Why do some Christians have trouble maintaining the authority that Jesus has given them? Because they are not mixing the divinity of God’s Word with the cleansing of Jesus’s blood! Certainly, the cleansing through salvation has taken place, but it must be followed up with daily dedication of continuing in the Word of God. The blood of the Lamb and the Word of God, together, will ground and stabalise you as a Christian, enabling you to overcome the devil and stand as a king in Jesus Christ!
When you became a born-again believer, something very special happened to you: you received your birthright as a ‘joint heir’ of God with Jesus Christ. You now belong to the Father in heaven. People with spiritual birthrights are called by the Lord to fulfill His plan on earth, and that is why the Lord gives them spiritual dreams. Has the Lord given you a goal? That is a spiritual dream. Heed the call and serve in humility!
Read: 1 Chronicles 5:1-2; John 12:26
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 89:30-37; Romans 11:33-36; Romans 12; I Chronicles 6
