Coat of Many Colors

© singeronthesand 2011

Now Jacob 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.

Genesis 37:3

The account of the life of Joseph is my favorite story in the Old Testament - the boy who was pampered by his father, and hated by his brothers.  To elevate him above the other children, Joseph’s dad made him a coat of various colors, such as a rich child might wear.  I’ve often wondered what array of colors would have been available to him in the midst of the desert:  red, certainly, and yellow as well; cherry roots or elderberries for blue and purple, Black-eyed Susan flower heads for green.  Mixing roots together might producing some amazing shades.

If there is the equivalent to a “coat of many colors” in the animal world, my vote is for the male Golden Pheasant, otherwise known as Chrysolophus pictus.  Yellow and gold, brilliant blue and turquoise, red and orange, chestnut and brown, black and white – this pheasant has it all and in such a gorgeous display.  Native to the mountains of western China, the tail of this bird accounts for about two-thirds of its overall length.  While they can fly short distances, they prefer to run.  I can attest to the fact that they are difficult to photograph, because they rarely stand still for more than a few seconds.

Every time I see a beautiful creature like the Golden Pheasant, I am reminded of the creative love of our Heavenly Father.  He could have made everything on this earth black and white, or brown and grey.  Instead, He dipped and re-dipped His paint brush into an endless palate of beautiful color and created a world shimmering in light and beauty.