The Torn Coat and Curtains
Genesis
chapter 37 records the story of Joseph. Jacob was concerned for his ten sons
who were tending sheep far away, so he determinedly sent his beloved son Joseph
to visit them. This pampered son of his father finally found his brothers after
overcoming several obstacles, yet he could not imagine that they would conspire
together to murder him. But God was secretly managing all things, and employed
the hands of the evildoers to accomplish His future plan of salvation. The
wicked plot to kill Joseph turned into a decision to sell out their sibling for
profit. In the end, the brothers sold Joseph to some Ishmaelite traders on
their way to
Jacob
did not think that sending Joseph to find his other sons would cause him to
lose his most beloved. In exchange, he had just the torn coat of many colours.
This coat was hand-made by Jacob for his cherished offspring. “He recognized it and said, ‘It is my
son's robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn
to pieces.’” (Genesis 37:33) Holding the bloodied coat of Joseph, Jacob was utterly
despondent, and thought that he had lost his beloved son forever. Jacob was
likely very remorseful and self-afflicted, regretting that he had sent out
Joseph that day, and hating himself for making a foolish and misguided
decision. Actually, God allowed these things to happen so that Joseph would be
dispatched ahead to
God permitted these occurrences in
order to reveal His magnificent grace of salvation in the future. The Heavenly
Father loves mankind, and so sent His only begotten Son to earth to seek lost
sinners. But astoundingly, mankind despised His great love. The beloved Son of
God, Jesus Christ, obeyed the will of His Father, and willingly came into the
world so that sinners might receive grace and the Truth. Yet he was actually
sold out and abandoned by His own disciples, and rejected by His people, who
even nailed Him to the cross. When Christ was hung on the wood, the Roman
soldiers torn off His outer garment, and split His clothing into four shares,
one for each soldier. They also cast lots to see who would get His
undergarment. This all fulfilled the words of Psalm 22:18 (John 19:23-24).
Jesus Christ carried the sins of mankind on the cross. He cried out loudly and
breathed His last. The curtain of the
Unlike
Jacob, the Heavenly Father does not regret sending His Beloved Son to earth. It
was the Lord’s will to crush His Son and cause His Son to suffer (Isaiah
53:10). The word “will” can be translated as “pleasure”. God is pleased with
this arrangement, so that the Son may be like the lamb offered in sacrifice, and
be killed and shed His blood through the cross, to redeem with His life the transgressions
of us sinners. By human standards, if Jacob knew beforehand that Joseph would
be sold and would suffer, but in the end gain honour and glory, he would likely
still not allow his beloved son to endure the pain, and would not tolerate
separation from his son for more than a decade. But with the foreknowledge of
God, the Heavenly Father and His Son actually made such a plan, and
furthermore, in the past two thousand years have revealed to mankind through
different things His purpose to save sinners. Therefore, at the moment Christ
said, “it is finished” on the cross, the Heavenly Father tore the curtain in
the
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