"Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck."
Jacob, Joseph's father, had put a beautiful robe on his favored son (Joseph). Potiphar's wife, seeking to set Joseph up, had kept his gar-
ment as alleged evidence of wrongdoing. In prison, Joseph wore clothing unworthy of the pharaoh's audience. But now, the king of Egypt puts royal attire on Joseph.
So it is for all of God's churchmen, in this life. The Lord's good inten-
tion to crown them is always there. But they have to learn the hard lessons of sin, repentance, and perseverance, before experiencing the resurrected life, as regal children. (In other words, the cross precedes the resurrection.)
[Puritan quote of the day: "Men void of grace are dead; they have breath, yet lack life. They are walking ghosts, (Eph. 2:1)." --Thomas Watson, in his sermon, "The Beauty of Grace"]
