Liar, Liar

We all remember, as children, saying the rhyme, "Liar, Liar, pants on fire."  Telling a lie as a child would cause harm to those around us as well as ourselves. Sadly, some adults STILL tell lies to those around them. All of this stems from our sinful nature, AND SATAN:the Father of ALL LIES!!(John 8:44). Little did we know when singing this rhyme as kids how true this statement is when referring to Satan.  This is his #1 tactic in deceiving the human race, since the Garden of Eden, and will result in the ULTIMATE deception during the Tribulation with the AntiChrist and counterfeit trinity. There is one lie in particular that he used in the Bible, from the Life of Joseph, that we can look at to learn from and help us in our spiritual walk with the Lord:The Bloody Coat.

Genesis 37 gives the account of Joseph, Jacob's favorite son (vs.3). He was the son of his old age and his great love for him was so evident to the others that they hated Joseph, and could not even speak peaceably to him for envy (vs 4). The ultimate token of his favoritism came when Jacob presented Joseph with a fine coat of many colors. Then Joseph proceeded to tell his father and brethren of a dream he had, in which his brother's sheaves of wheat bowed down to his. A second part of his dream displayed the sun, moon, and stars bowing to him as well. This event is what pushed his brothers over the edge in their hatred for Joseph. But, his father observed the saying (vs 11), and kept it to ponder, knowing it had significance to it. This was a FORETELLING PROMISE from the Lord. They had no idea that the Lord was sending Joseph and Jacob a promise to strengthen them for a major test and trial that was very soon coming their way. The Lord ALWAYS does the same for us. He reminds us of His Word before, during, and after the trial to strengthen us and help us through.In this, Joseph was a type of the Lord Jesus Himself. Jesus came forth to be baptized of John the Baptist, and the Father from Heaven said in an audible voice, "...This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17. This Word was sent to strengthen the Lord for the test that was coming and to show to others the Father's approval of His Son. Jacob showed his approval of Joseph. Although HE didn't know all of the details that the dream referred to, he knew the Lord had a plan for Joseph. From experience with his dream years ago, (Gen 28:10-22) he knew God was speaking to Joseph, and himself.

The brothers' hatred led to plans of premeditated murder. One day when Joseph was on his usual trip to observe his brothers and bring back his report to Jacob, they plotted against him. They wanted to kill him and throw him in a pit. But, Reuben, the oldest, heard it and planned to deliver him out of their hands and bring him back safely to his father. He told them that they didn't need to "shed blood", but to cast him into the pit alive. They consented and when Joseph arrived, they stripped him of his coat and cast him in the pit. In God's providence, their was no water in the pit, to preserve the life of Joseph (vs24.) They then saw merchants approaching and Judah suggested they not kill him, but sell him as a slave for 20 pieces of silver. (Another type of our Saviour.) Reuben had apparently left for a time, because when he returned to deliver Joseph, he was gone. Not knowing what to tell their father about Joseph, they concocted a FALSEHOOD! They killed a kid of a goat, dipped his coat in the blood, and brought it to their father. They told him they found it and asked if it was Joseph's coat. He knew it was, and assumed a beast had killed Joseph and that he was "rent in peices" (vs 33). Is this not what Satan does to us? He will mix truth with error and present it to us, asking us if the promise we have been given is true? He does so to deceive us!! It was TRUTH that it was Joseph's coat, but the blood was a LIE that covered it. Joseph's coat was a token of his father's love of him, and his father's promise to provide for him. Satan will take God's promise of His Word to us, twist it and mix his LIE with it, to try to tempt us to sin during our trial!! Is this not what he did directly after the Lord was baptized and led of the Spirit into the Wilderness?? Jesus WAS in the Father's perfect will for His purpose on Earth, and he suffered temptation. WE are no greater than our Lord. We will face the same trials, and should not allow Satan to gain an advantage over us, for we are "not ignorant of his devices" II Corinth. 2:11. Jacob had been given the promise from the Lord of Joseph's dream that He would USE Joseph, and that dream had NOT yet been fulfilled. When the lie of Satan is thrown in our face, we need to remember the PROMISE of God's Word to us.

Years after Joseph was sold into slavery, he did finally rise to power as a great leader in Egypt. The Lord had kept His promise to Joseph and Jacob through his dream. This was the Fulfillment!!!  After we have gone through the tests and trial that the Lord has for us, He will ALWAYS fulfill HIS PROMISE to us!!! Jacob's brother's did bow their knees to Joseph, just like his dream foretold. Has the Lord given you a personal promise, through His Word, whether it be for a ministry He has called you to do, or to bring about deliverance from a problem? Does it seem that it will never happen, or that this dream is dead??? DO NOT BE DECEIVED BY THE BLOODY COAT SATAN HAS PLACED BEFORE YOU!! Remember God's Word, and His promise He has given to you. Even though it may seem to be the truth, that you will never see deliverance or you can never see a ministry come to fruition, LOOK PAST THE BLOODY LIE!!! Look to God's Word and wait on HIS FULFILLMENT, IN HIS TIME!!! His COLORFUL COAT OF PROTECTION AND PROMISE will always remain to us as His Children!! Did He not also give Noah a COLORFUL PROMISE of the Rainbow???? :)

The Lord will ALWAYS Foretell His Promise, so we will have it for protection during testing and from Satan's FALSEHOOD! When God FULFILLS His promise to us, in HIS TIME, the brilliant COLORS OF THE PROMISE will come shining through as never before!!!! Praise the Lord for His promise to you today, and look past the bloody coat Satan is trying to distract you with. Praise the Lord for the promise that one day, THE LIAR'S PANTS WILL BE ON FIRE, when Jesus finally casts Satan into the lake of fire!!!!! What a day that will be!!!!