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42 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. 43 And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. ~ Genesis 41:42-45
Today, we continue our study of Genesis 41 where the last of the four patriarch's written about in Genesis demonstrates how the kingdom of God expresses itself in the life of a yielded man. Joseph responded to suffering with faith in the God of the Bible, meekness, and humility, and. As a result, God molded and shaped him to be the leader that the people needed. Joseph continued to picture the Lord Jesus as he not only ended up saving his betrayers’ lives, he also forgave them and provided abundantly for their needs. Such is the potential when a man chooses to reject the empty revenge of the flesh and embraces the life that is being defined by God.
In v.42 of today's passage we read, "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."
While the signet ring and the gold chain given to Joseph by Pharaoh highlighted the office of a king, the fine linen garments given to him were priestly garments. They were of the very finest linen. As a result, Joseph was given power by God to help the people get through the famine. But, more importantly, Joseph pointed them to faith in the God of the Bible. In like manner, as King and Priest all rule and authority belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ and all powers and authorities are subject to Him so that He could make it possible to bring anyone willing of heart to enter into a personal relationship with God.
In v.43 of today's passage we read, "And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, 'Bow the knee!'"
Earlier Joseph was made to go down to Egypt at the hands of the Ishmaelite traders, not as an exalted prince, but as a humiliated slave. In today's passage we see that Joseph’s trials served him well. Joseph did not choose to be fixated upon his trials. No, he through his trials chose to be fixated upon the God of the Bible. As a result Joseph was defined by God which enabled him to be exalted to second in all of Egypt. Joseph's chariot, yet again, points us to the Lord Jesus as He many years later rode into Jerusalem and the people cried out, "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' Hosanna in the highest!"
In v.44-45 of today's passage we read, "Pharaoh also said to Joseph, 'I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt."
This passage marks a significant turning point in the life of Joseph. Until now, Joseph had faced numerous trials and tribulations, including being sold into slavery by his own brothers, wrongly accused and imprisoned, and he endured years of hardship. At this point, there was a profound shift as Joseph was elevated to the second most powerful position in the land of Egypt. Joseph had been separated from his family for 13 years at this point and similar to the Lord Jesus, he was thirty years old when he entered into public service.
The name given to Joseph by Pharaoh has been translated "The Savior of the World." In the uniting of his kingly and priestly roles, Joseph was given a wife from the priestly class. Joseph was given a Gentile bride. Even as the Lord Jesus is being given His Gentile bride. Asenath means "She who is of Neith." Neith refers to wisdom. Asenath was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On which means "light." Potiphera means "He whom the Ra, the sun god gave."
Following these events, Joseph was given authority over all the land of Egypt, signifying a dramatic rise to power and prominence. This consolidation of power provided Joseph with the opportunity to exercise significant influence and to enact meaningful change within the kingdom. The overarching theme here is the providence and sovereignty of God. Throughout Joseph's trials and tribulations, God was working behind the scenes, orchestrating events to ultimately bring about His divine plan. Joseph's journey from a position of lowly slavery to a position of power and influence demonstrates God's faithfulness and ability to use even the most challenging circumstances for His glory and the fulfillment of His purposes in our lives.
In this final verse of our study today is revealed another picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Although Joseph was used of God to bring temporary salvation to the world at that time, his work paled in comparison to that of the Lord Jesus Christ who came to redeem us from the clutches of the evil one. In 1 John 4:14 we read, "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world." Without Joseph's correct interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams, the people of Egypt would have been swept away in famine. In acknowledgment that God sent Joseph to save them, Pharaoh gave unto Joseph the title "the savior of the world." Once again, as a result of Joseph being defined by God, he pictured for us the most important person to have ever and will ever enter into our lives, the Lord Jesus Himself. The Lord Jesus was sent by God to save the world when there was otherwise no hope at all. He was promoted to the highest position of all, to rule heaven and earth and to provide salvation to all willing enough to believe on Him.
