The Gentile Bride Series

Pastor Allan Kircher

Shell Point Baptist Church

Feb, 2nd 2014

Genesis 41:45-57

The Gentile Bride

Intro: life/Joseph/amazing story/providence/power/Almighty God.

• Favorite son/Jacob/Betrayed/brothers/sold into slavery.

As a slave, Joseph demonstrates a godly testimony in the face of tragedy and temptation.

• Joseph is falsely accused of a crime/Thrown into prison.

Even/Egyptian prison, Joseph display/clear/consistent testimony of faith.

• As Joseph languishes in that prison

• Up in the palace, Pharaoh has/dream/could not interpret.

• Joseph is remembered and released from the prison.

• He interprets Pharaoh’s dream

• Pharaoh elevates Joseph.

• Removes him/prison/makes him Prime Minister of Egypt.

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We arrive/text, Joseph/exalted/position/great power/authority.

• Given Pharaoh’s ring/dressed/finest cloths/land.

• Given an expensive gold chain.

Everywhere he goes; the Egyptian people bow before Joseph and honor him for his position and his power.

• Slave/become/sovereign ruler

All this took place/life because/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/family was born to Joseph/in Egypt.

• Take our time today to consider Joseph’s Gentile Bride.

• Woman/given/Joseph I see/wonderful picture/Bride of Christ.

study/Genesis/three brides stand out as types/Bride of Christ.

Let me share them with you now.

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Eve – picture Creation/Church.

• Adam/placed/deep sleep/God removed a rib from his side

• Eve was formed from this rib.

Church/formed/Jesus died/cross and His side was opened for us.

• We are a product of His sacrificial love.

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Rebekah – picture Calling/church.

• Abraham’s servant found her/pagan land

• Called her come be the bride of Isaac.

• They asked her, “Will you go with this man?” she“I will go!”

• 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 Isaac/they were married in his home.

• Church was also brought out of a pagan land.

• Holy Spirit came to us and called to come to Jesus.

• We accepted His invitation by faith and set out a journey to meet the Bridegroom.

• 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.

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Asenath – picture/Coronation/church

• Became bride/man who was brought out a time of humiliation.

• Her husband was exalted/she was exalted along with Him.

• She/brought out/obscurity and made to live in a fine palace.

I will try to flesh all this out in the message

• 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.

Take time today/consider/woman who became/bride of Joseph.

Don’t/lot of information regarding her life

• few details we do have speak volumes to us today.

In/woman we are allowed/see/few characteristics/Bride of Christ.

• point those characteristics out today

• Preach on the subject: The Gentile Bride.

• Let’s see if we can spot ourselves

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I. HER SINFUL PAST

• Woman Joseph received/bride/named Asenath.

• Name means “Belonging to the goddess Neith.”

• Known as “The mother earth of the Delta”

• Worshiped as mother/Egyptian gods Isis, Horus, and Osiris.

• Source of all wisdom.

Egyptians believed all other gods would go to Neith for counsel when they had a dispute among themselves.

• Asenath/raised to worship false, pagan gods

• Daughter/Potiperah/priest of On/means “Given by the sun god”

• Also/Heliopolis/one/most important religious cities in Egypt

• Great temple to Ra, the sun god, was there.

Ra/depicted/great falcon wearing a gold disk as a crown.

Temple also housed a sacred bull was worshiped Egyptians.

• Pharaoh/believed/incarnation of Ra

• Was worshiped as a god.

Asenath would have been raised in deep paganism and deep spiritual darkness.

• Oblivious/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!

• 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.

• no doubt Joseph told her all about His God

• true God--God of all the earth!

• Surely Joseph introduces Asenath to Jehovah!

• I have no proof, but I think this woman probably got saved!

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Asenath is a picture of lost humanity.

Like her, every human being is born in the depths of spiritual darkness.

• We did not know God

• We deserved nothing from God but judgment and Hell.

• Our condition is clearly revealed in Eph. 2:1-3; 12.