In 41:45 we see that Joseph took as his wife Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On. Joseph's wife was a heathen, an Egyptian. Joseph took her during the time he was rejected by his brothers. This also is a type portraying how Christ has taken the Gentiles as His wife during the time of His rejection by the Israelites. As He was staying with the Gentiles, He obtained a wife from among them.
In the book of Genesis we have seen three wives who portray the church: Eve, the wife of Adam; Rebekah, the wife of Isaac; and Asenath, the wife of Joseph. As the wife of Adam, Eve portrays how the church comes out of Christ and is a part of Christ. She typifies how the church is the same in life and nature as Christ and eventually becomes one Body with Him. Thus, Eve typifies the church being a part of Christ, coming out of Christ, returning to Christ, and being one with Christ. Rebekah portrays the church as the called and selected one, the one from the same source as Christ. Isaac came from a particular source, and Abraham's servant was sent to that source to select and call a wife for Isaac and to bring her to him. This selected one was Rebekah. Asenath portrays the church taken out of the Gentile world by Christ during His rejection by the children of Israel. During the time of this rejection, Christ came to the Gentile world, stayed there, and received the church out of the Gentile world.
Of his wife, Asenath, Joseph begot two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. The name Manasseh means, "Causing to forget." When Manasseh was born, Joseph said, "God hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house" (41:51). This indicates that with the birth of Manasseh Joseph forgot all his afflictions. When Manasseh was born, Joseph seemed to say, "Praise the Lord! He has caused me to forget my afflictions." This reveals that when the church is productive, Christ will declare that He has forgotten His afflictions. If in the gospel meetings of the church in Anaheim some fruit is produced, Christ will declare to the whole universe, "Manasseh! I have forgotten My affliction."
The name of Joseph's second son was Ephraim, which means "Fruitful" (41:52). When Ephraim was born, Joseph said, "For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction." With Joseph, instead of affliction, there was fruitfulness. When we preach the gospel and produce fruit, Christ will be happy and declare, "There is no more affliction. But look at all the fruit!"
Joseph supplied food to the famished people (41:56-57). As such a supplier of food, he typified Christ as the One who supplies people with food (John 6:35). Today, what a Supplier of food Christ is! He supplies food to the famished people.
As we read the story of Joseph, we find that it is inexhaustible. Although we may read it again and again, we cannot exhaust its riches.