THE LIFE OF JOSEPH #8 JOSEPH’S GENTILE BRIDE
DATE:
TEXT: Genesis 41:45-57 (reading: vs. 45, 46)
INTRODUCTION:
God meant it for Good
The life of Joseph is an amazing story of the providence and power of Almighty God
The Bible tells us of the favorite son of Jacob as he is betrayed by his own brothers and sold into slavery
As a slave, Joseph demonstrates a godly testimony in the face of tragedy and temptation
Then Joseph is falsely accused of a crime and thrown into prison
Even in that Egyptian prison, Joseph displays a clear, consistent testimony of faith
As Joseph languishes in that prison, up in the palace, Pharaoh has a dream he could not interpret
Joseph is remembered and released from the prison
He interprets Pharaoh’s dream and Pharaoh elevates Joseph
He removes him from the prison and makes him Prime Minister of Egypt Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57
When we arrive at our text, Joseph has just been exalted to a position of great power and authority
He has been given Pharaoh’s ring
He has been dressed in the finest cloths
He has been given an expensive gold chain
Everywhere he goes; the Egyptian people bow before Joseph and honor him for his position and his power
The slave has become a sovereign, and all this took place in his life because of the Unseen Hand of Divine providence
Our text tells us that immediately after Joseph was exalted to his new position he was given a bride
Soon after that a family was born to Joseph
I want to consider Joseph’s Gentile Bride
In the woman that was given to Joseph I see a wonderful picture of the Bride of Christ (The Church)
As we study the book of Genesis, there are three brides that stand out as types of the Bride of Christ
Let me share them with you:
Eve – She is a picture of the Creation of the Church
2 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57
Adam was placed in a deep sleep and God removed a rib from his side
Eve was formed from this rib
The church was formed when Jesus died on the cross and His side was opened for us
We are a product of His sacrificial love
Rebekah – She is a picture of the Calling of the church
Abraham’s servant found her in a pagan land and called her to be the bride of Isaac
They asked her, “Will you go with this man?”
And, she answered, “I will go!”
She left her old life behind and set out with the servant
It was a long journey, through a harsh land, but the servant was with her to encourage her along the way
Eventually he brought her to Isaac and they were married in his home
The church was also brought out of a pagan land
The Holy Spirit came to us and called us to come to Jesus
We accepted His invitation by faith and set out on a journey to meet the Bridegroom 3 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57
The way is hard and rough, but the Comforter is ever with us to guide us, encourage us and bless us
One day, we will reach the end of the journey and we will meet our Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ in His home in Heaven
Asenath – She is a picture of the Coronation of the church
She became the bride of a man who was brought out of a time of humiliation
Her husband was exalted and she was exalted along with Him
She was brought out of obscurity and made to live in a fine palace
The Bride of Christ was called out of obscurity to share the glory of the Heavenly Bridegroom
One day, we will join Him in His heavenly home
Let’s take this time to consider the woman who became the bride of Joseph
We do not have a lot of information regarding her life, but the few details we do have speak volumes
In this woman we are allowed to see a few of the characteristics of the Bride of Christ
4 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57 I want to point those characteristics out today as I preach on that thought: Joseph’s Gentile Bride
~~~OPENING PRAYER~~~
Let’s see if we can see ourselves and all that the Lord has done for us in these verses
I. HER “SINFUL PAST”
The woman Joseph received as his bride was named As’enath
This name means “Belonging to the goddess Neith”
Neith was known as “The mother earth of the Delta”
She was worshiped as the mother of the Egyptian gods Isis, Horus, and Osiris
This goddess was known as the source of all wisdom
The Egyptians believed that all the other gods would go to Neith for counsel when they had a dispute among themselves
Asenath was raised to worship false gods
Asenath was the daughter of Potiperah, the priest of On – v.45
His name means “Given by the sun god”
“On”, also known as Heliopolis, was one of the most important religious cities in Egypt
5 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57 The great temple to Ra, the sun god, was there
Ra was depicted as a great falcon wearing a gold disk as a crown
This temple also housed a sacred bull that was worshiped by the Egyptians
Pharaoh was believed to be the incarnation of Ra, and was worshiped as a god
Asenath would have been raised in deep paganism and spiritual darkness
Asenath was oblivious to the God of Abraham, Jacob and Joseph
She wasn’t aware of God, and even if she had been, she would have cared nothing for Him!
God knew her though! Even in her lost condition, God was working to bring her to a place of salvation
When she married Joseph, her pagan past was blotted out
I have no doubt that Joseph told her all about His God, the true God, the God of all the earth!
Surely Joseph introduces Asenath to Jehovah!
I have no proof, but I think this woman probably got saved!
Asenath is a picture of lost humanity 6 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57 Like her, every human being is born in the depths of spiritual darkness
We did not know God and we deserved nothing from God but judgment and Hell
Our condition is clearly revealed in Ephesians 2:1-3; 12
This is just a reminder of what we were before we met the Lord Jesus
By the way, it does us good to look back!
It deals a death blow to self-righteousness and spiritual snobbery!
We need to be reminded of where we came from –
Isaiah 51:1 – “Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.”
If you are saved today it is because God delivered you from your sins by His amazing grace!
Like Mephibosheth, you and I were wasting away in our Lodebar, when the King of Glory came and “fetched” us unto Himself (II Samuel 9:1-13)
Like Asenath, when we came to Jesus and were saved by grace, our sinful past was forever blotted out – 7 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57 Psalm 103:12 – “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”
Isaiah 38:17 – “Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.”
Isaiah 43:25 – “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”
Jeremiah 50:20 – “In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.”
Micah 7:19 – “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
Colossians 2:13-14 – “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;” 14 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”
I John 1:7 – “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
8 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57 In the Father’s eyes, the Bride of Jesus has been justified and glorified –
Romans 8:30 – “Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.”
In His eyes, we are spotless and pure today –
Ephesians 5:27 –“That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
HER “SINFUL PAST”
II. HER “SPECIAL PLACE”
When Joseph came out of prison, he was elevated to a position of great power and great majesty
He was made to sit at Pharaoh’s right hand
When Joseph was elevated, his bride was elevated with him!
Asenath was from a prominent pagan family
She was the daughter of a well known priest
But, when she became the wife of Joseph, she finds herself the bride of the most powerful man in the land
9 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57 Asenath did not achieve this honor on her own
In fact, she had nothing to do with the matter
She was picked out by Pharaoh and she was given to Joseph
In other words, there was no special merit in Asenath; she was merely the object of sovereign choice
Nothing is said about Asenath regarding her looks, her talents, or anything else
It seems that her husband and not Asenath is the center of attention
It is also worthy of note that Joseph did not succumb to the polygamous tendencies of the Egyptians
He only took one bride!
Again, in all these things, Asenath is a picture of the Bride of Christ
Like Asenath, the Bride is the Father’s gift to His Son –
John 6:37 – “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
John 10:16 – “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
10 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57 John 15:16 – “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
Ephesians 1:4 – “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”
There is no other explanation for His choice but His grace and His love for the lost –
Ephesians 2:4-5 – “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,” 5 “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”
God chose us in Jesus in eternity past –
Again Ephesians 1:4 – “According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:”
He called us to come to Jesus for salvation –
John 6:44 – “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise Him up at the last day.”
John 12:32 – “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
11 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57
When we came by faith, we were saved out of our sins and our lost past was done away with forever
Not only did He save us from our sins, He elevated us!
He did this in two precious ways:
First, He elevated us by changing our lives
He gave us a “new birth” and made us into a “new creature”,
John 3:3 – “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
II Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
He lifted us out of the muck and mire of our sins, and set us on a new pathway of holiness for the glory of God –
Psalm 40:1-3 – “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” 2 “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” 3 “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.”
12 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57 He changed our lives and made us alive to the things of God –
Ephesians 2:5 – “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”
He gave us a new nature –
II Peter 1:4 – “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
He lifted us out of the mess Adam left us in and made it possible for us to live lives that are pleasing to God
Praise His name!
Secondly, when we were saved, God put us in Jesus – a
John 15:1-7 –
According to Ephesians 2:6 –
He lifted us up and made us to sit with Him in His throne
“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”
You see, our Savior, like Joseph, suffered a time of humiliation and rejection
13 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57 He died and descended into the grave
But, He rose again and ascended to Heaven and took up His place at the right hand of His heavenly Father
When we came to Him by faith, He lifted us out of our sins and caused us to sit with Him (positionally)
I was a wretched, dirty, rotten sinner, but today I sit in Heavenly places in Jesus Christ!
If you are saved, you are as good for Heaven as if you were already there
If you are saved, your past is gone and you enjoy the blessings, the power and the presence of the Lord God of glory!
Our Heavenly Bridegroom only has one Bride!
He redeemed her when He died for her sins on the cross
He secured her eternity when He rose again from the dead
He has gone ahead to prepare a place for her –
John 14:1-3
One day soon, He will return and claim her unto Himself and take her home to the place she already is!
The only way to be a part of His Bride is for a lost sinner to heed His call to come, and for them to trust Jesus by faith 14 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57 Ephesians 2:8-9 –
When they do, they are eternally saved!
By the way, the focus in this family should be on Him!
It does not matter who I am and it does not matter who you are
All that matters is the Lord Jesus and God His Father!
Are you in the Bride?
HER “SINFUL PAST”
HER “SPECIAL PLACE”
III. HER “SOVEREIGN PART”
We are told that Asenath bore Joseph two children
These two boys were a special gift to Joseph from the Lord
In choosing their names, Joseph acknowledged God’s hand at work in his life
Joseph named the first boy Manasseh
This name means “Forgetting”
Joseph tells us that the Lord had allowed him to forget the trials he went through
Joseph named his second son Ephraim 15 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57 This name means “Twice Fruitful”
It shows us that Joseph’s faith in the Lord had not wavered at all
In spite of all he had endured, Joseph was still walking by faith
These two boys would grow up and become the heads of two of the tribes of Israel
They would replace Joseph and Levi as part of the twelve
The grace of God had lifted Asenath out of obscurity and made her a part of God’s sovereign plan
She was given a big part in the formation of the nation of Israel
Again, this is a picture of the Bride of Christ!
The redeemed saints of God have been made a part of God’s plan to bring the world to Himself
He saved us and calls us into His service –
Ephesians 2:10 (Emphasize!)
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
16 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57 Imagine that! He would take things like us and use us for His glory
He had placed His hand on these vessels and He has placed His Spirit within these vessels and He can use these vessels in ways we never imagined if we would only yield ourselves to Him
II Corinthians 4:7 –“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
What an honor it is to serve the true and living God!
He has given us the Gospel of grace to take to a lost and dying world and He has commissioned us to take it to the ends of the earth –
Mark 16:15 – “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
We are His Bride!
We are His masterpiece –
Again Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
We are His love letter to the world –
17 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57 II Corinthians 3:2-3 – “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:” 3 “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.”
We are the living, breathing, moving proof that God loves sinners
We are commissioned and commanded to tell this lost world that what the Lord did for us, He can do for them too
That is our mandate!
CONCLUSIONS:
Life changed for Asenath forever when she was presented to Joseph
I am sure she never imagined that she would be the wife of the Prime Minister of Egypt!
She was given an honor above all others!
I praise the Lord that I am part of the Bride of Christ!
I praise His name for loving me, for dying for me, for saving me and for letting me a part of His work in the world today
What a blessing!
18 Joseph’s Gentile Bride – Genesis 41:45- 57 What great love!
Do you know Him?
If you don’t and would like too, you can
If He is calling you to come to Him, now would be a good time to do just that!
Are you serving Him like you should?
The hour is growing late and the time to do something for Jesus is now!
Now is the hour to preach His Gospel; to tell others about Him, and to serve Him without reservation
HER “SINFUL PAST”
HER “SPECIAL PLACE”
HER “SOVEREIGN PART”
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