A
wondrous coat of many colors,
Is
how our story starts.
The
tale of Joseph, son of Jacob,
A
son dear to his father's heart.
~~~
A
handsome lad of seventeen,
Who
caused no one any bother.
He
had received this splendid coat,
As
a present from his father.
~~~
A
dreamer, too, young Joseph was,
And, of great power, he had dreamt.
But
his brothers, filled with envy,
Viewed him with contempt.
~~~
One
day while tending to their sheep,,
Their opportunity came.
They spotted Joseph all alone,
And
attacked him, without shame.
~~~
They stripped him of his treasured coat,
And
threw him down a well.
He
would die from thirst and hunger,
He
would hear his own death knell.
~~~
But
then the brothers changed their minds,
When a caravan came by.
They sold him to the travelers,
And
young Joseph did not die.
~~~
They connived to tell their father,
All
they had left was Joseph's coat.
Which they had splashed with blood
From a freshly butchered goat.
~~~
"Father! Father!" They rushed home,
"Joseph has been slain!
Wild animals have killed him!
Just his bloodied coat remains."
~~~
His
father mourned with broken heart,
He
did not know they lied.
He
shed his tears on Joseph's coat,
As
he, too, died inside.
~~~
Then, through the years that followed,
Major devastation struck the land.
No
crops to eat, nor herds for meat,
Starvation near at hand.
~~~
Joseph, living now in Egypt,
Had
gained the Pharaoh's favor.
And
he was placed in charge,
Of
all Egyptian grain and labor.
~~~
Back in Canaan, Joseph's father,
Was
starving without food.
So
the brothers went to Egypt.
To
see what they could do.
~~~
Although many years had passed,
Joseph recognized his kin.
They bowed and scraped and asked for grain,
But
they did not remember him.
~~~
Mature now, in mind and soul,
And
respectful of his God.
Joseph gave them all the food
That they could eat and haul.
~~~
Then later, he revealed himself,
And, with shame, his brothers wept.
His
father overcome with love,
Thought this too wondrous to accept.
~~~
With divine guidance and protection,
God
brought this all about.
Selfish jealousies and hatred,
Long gone and soon forgot.
~~~
A
family reunited,
Love shown and love returned.
Forgiveness given and accepted,
God's lessons humbly learned.
Virginia (Ginny)
Ellis
copyright 2000
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