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‘Israel loved Joseph more than all his children.’
Gen_37:3
I. He received a special token of affection.—His father ‘made him a coat of many colours,’ i.e. a long tunic with sleeves, such as was worn by the upper classes, and compounded of pieces of cloth chosen either for value or variety of colour. It is the delight of love to lavish gifts upon its object. What mother but likes to see her child gaily dressed! Many birthday tributes are the modern representatives of Joseph’s ‘coat.’
II. Even the favourite was trained to work.—He shepherded the flock in the company of the handmaids’ sons, it may be supervising them because of his higher descent. Verse 7 speaks, too, of ‘binding sheaves.’ Honest labour is good for soul and body, restrains from temptation, strengthens the faculties and muscles, and makes us useful to others. Not so many diversities of occupation then as now. Strange idea that a ‘gentleman’ should do nothing for his livelihood!
III. Dislike of sinful behaviour early manifested.—At this tender age Joseph was shocked at the conduct of his brothers, and brought to his father a ‘report’ of their evil reputation in the district. Tale bearing is mean and to be rebuked, but we may believe that Joseph was afraid of the consequences likely to result from his brothers’ practices and judged it necessary to warn the patriarch. Too many youths would have first acquiesced and then indulged in the vices of their seniors.
IV. The lamentable result of partiality.—It was wrong of Jacob to display so immoderately his fondness for Joseph, and this entailed its own punishment in the hatred of the other sons felt towards this younger brother, and in the consequent resolve to be rid of his presence. Affection too easily begets jealousy, and prudence, to say naught of propriety, counsels our avoidance of an undue exhibition of fondness for one relative to the exclusion of others. Another grievous picture of home life! They ‘could not speak peaceably,’ i.e. utter the usual greeting to Joseph, as if now a brother should be too much enraged to say ‘good morning’ to us. When the demon of hatred takes possession of the heart, the fountain of speech is poisoned, and the waters that issue are bitter and deadly.
Illustration
(1) ‘A manifest principle observed by Mrs. Wesley in the education and training of her family was that of thorough impartiality. There was no pet lamb in her deeply interesting flock; no Joseph among her children to be decked out in a coat of many colours, to the envy of his less loved brethren. It was supposed by some of her sisters that Martha was a greater favourite with Mrs. Wesley than the rest of her children, and Charles expressed his “wonder that so wise a woman as his mother could give way to such partiality, or did not better conceal it.” This, however, was an evident mistake. Many years afterwards, when the saying of her brother was mentioned to Martha, she replied, “What my sisters call partiality was what they might all have enjoyed if they had wished it, which was permission to sit in my mother’s chamber when disengaged, to listen to her conversation with others, and to hear her remarks on things and books out of school hours.” There is certainly no evidence of partiality here. All her children stood before her on a common level with equal claims, and all were treated in the same way.’
(2) ‘Fathers should cherish love for their children, as strong as Jacob’s. They can never love too well those whom God has given them. But loving their children, they should not copy Jacob altogether. They should love all of them. And if some one is very much nicer than the others, they should try to love the others so much that they will become nice as well. And it is better, however our estimate of our children may vary, not to let our kindness to them vary. This “coat of many colours” was a mistake. A coat of one colour would have been equally comfortable and equally warm, and would not have provoked the envy of the rest.’