Genesis 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors. [King James Translation]
Summary
The story of Joseph, his relationship with his brothers and all of the brother's relationship with the father Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel) is one of the greatest stories in the Old Testament.
Jacob/Israel had twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Nephtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph and Benjamin were the children of his old age and the children of Israel's favorite wife, Rachel. Of all the children, Joseph was Israel's favorite. Not only did Israel favor Joseph but he flaunted his great love for this one particular child before his other sons by giving Joseph special coat of many colors.
This special coat separated Joseph from his older brothers. The brothers were working men. They wore the common everyday dirty work clothes of hard working shepherds and farmers. Joseph, on the other hand, dressed like a prince. His colorful coat suggested that he was much too good to do the kind of work his older brothers did. As a result, the brothers hated Joseph. Because of their great hatred, they couldn't say a kind word to him.
One day Joseph's older brothers decided to take action. They faked Joseph's death. They smeared his coat with goat's blood and then sold Joseph into Egyptian slavery. Fabricating a tale about how Joseph was attacked by a wild animal and eaten, the brothers took the bloody coat of many colors to their father. When Israel saw the coat, he was convinced Joseph was dead.
There is much more to the story. It is well worth reading it in its entirety, because it is a complex, colorful story. See Genesis Chapters 37-46. It is a story of envy, jealous, family dysfunction and division. It is also a story of forgiveness, reconciliation and redemption. And, it is a story about how GOD prepared Joseph spiritually, emotionally, and physically for the task of saving HIS people from the brink of extinction. It is a constant reminder that GOD not only uses "ordinary people," but often the "flawed" and the "broken." It is also a wonderful illustration of the many layers of the colorful tapestry of GOD's DESIGN and PLAN for a man named Joseph, for a family, for a nation and for the world.
Eat More Colors:
One of the healthiest ways of eating more fruits and vegetables is to eat more colors. In addition to the variety of colors that you can add to a salad, it turns out that eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables is also good for your health.
In "Eating Colors for Optimal Health," Diane Chaplins notes the following colors and their beneficial health attributes:
Yellow: Yellow foods are rich in Vitamin C, which helps reduce inflammation, prevent allergies, and maintain healthy skin, due to its' ability to combat free radicals. Yellow foods also contain citrus bioflavanoids, which strengthens the collagen in your skin, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.
Examples of yellow foods include: lemons, pineapples, yellow peppers, and grapefruit, yellow tomatoes, yellow apples, squash and corn.
Red: Red foods are rich in the phytonutrients lycopene and anthocyanin, which greatly benefits the circulatory system by helping build healthy cell walls. This improves blood pressure, organ function, and circulation. Red foods also offer sun protection from harmful UV damage.
Examples of red foods include: tomatoes, watermelon, beets, red bell peppers, cherries,
strawberries, radishes, pomegranates, red apples, red grapes, raspberries and rhubarb.
Purple: Purple foods contain the most antioxidants of all the colors and therefore contribute to overall health, disease prevention, and longevity. They also raise HDL (the "good") cholesterol, and help maintain a healthy brain.
Examples of purple/blue foods include: blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, and purple cabbage, purple grapes, plums, dates, figs, raisins and currants.
White: White natural foods have a wide range of beneficial nutrients, such as anthoxanthins, sulfur, and quercetin. These substances boost the immune system because they are anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory, which helps the body fight infections.
Examples of white natural foods include: garlic, onions, cauliflower, daikon radish, potatoes, bananas, shallots and mushrooms.
Orange: Orange foods are high in beta-carotene, which our bodies transform into Vitamin A and antioxidants. These nutrients aid in the prevention of cancer, heart disease, and infections by supporting an important part of the immune system: our mucous membranes. Beta-carotene also helps maintain healthy eyes and skin.
Examples of Orange foods include: carrots, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, squash, apricots, mango, sweet potatoes, yams, nectarines and oranges.
Green: Green foods get their color from chlorophyll, a natural blood purifier that supports the liver and kidneys in the elimination of toxins. Among many other nutrients, green foods also contain high amounts of Vitamin K, which is necessary for blood clotting and building strong bones.
Examples of green foods include: kale, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, avocados, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, celery, collard greens, cucumber, green beans, green cabbage, green grapes, green onions, green peppers, kiwi, leeks, limes, pears, peas, romaine lettuce, snow peas, spinach, sugar snap peas, watercress, zucchini, and celery.
See, http://www.wellnesstoday.com/nutrition/eat-your-colors-for-optimal-health.
Count Your Blessings and Your Colors:
Just as we must be mindful of the foods we eat, we must be equally mindful and prayerful of our action and interactions with one another. Like a coat of many colors, human interaction is often multilayered. We often have to be sensitive and prayerful about actual and perceived favoritism, actual and perceived injustices and dysfunctional human dynamics. Problems still exist within families, in communities, within governments, within foreign governments and throughout the world. But, as with Joseph and his brothers, GOD is still able to heal the emotional wounds. HE still has a wonderful, purposeful, colorful plan for our lives, if we accept HIS DIVINE authority. As our ancestors so aptly put it: "HE is still in the blessing business."
So today, as you count how many colors you eat today, be ever prayerful and Be Blessed!
