GENESIS CHAPTER 50
                          ------------------

Verse 1, After his father had passed away.
  This is not an unlawful thing to do, so long as it is not to
  excess.
    1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
      concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even
      as others which have no hope.

  Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus (Joh 11:35), and again
  groaned within himself when he came to the grave, which was a
  cave (Joh 11:38) and all the while knowing that He would raise
  Lazarus from the grave.

  So Joseph was present when his father died, just as the Lord
  had told Jacob back before he came down into Egypt.
    Ge 46:4 I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also
      surely bring thee up [again]: and Joseph shall put his hand
      upon thine eyes.
  So, no doubt that Joseph did close the eyes of his father at
  this point, just as the LORD had foretold Jacob.

  kissed him - as friends and love ones do when they are
  departing on a long trip.

Verse 2, Joseph's servants, the Egyptians, embalmed the body of
  his father, Jacob.
  The reason that Joseph had this done was not because he
  believed in the superstitions of the Egyptians, but because he
  was going to carry his father's body on a long journey for him
  to be buried in Canaan land.

Verse 3, Gill says, 40 days to embalm him and then 30 days of
  mourning that the Hebrews practiced, so that the Egyptians had
  mourned for him 70 days.
  Compare:
    Nu 20:29 And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was
      dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, [even] all the
      house of Israel.
    De 21:13 And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from
      off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her
      father and her mother a full month: and after that thou
      shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be
      thy wife.
    De 34:8 And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the
      plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping [and]
      mourning for Moses were ended.

Verses 4-6, Joseph goes to the house of Pharaoh and speaks to the
  principle men there for them to deliver a message to Pharaoh
  for him, concerning his father's death and his father's desire
  to be buried in the land of Canaan and his promise to his
  father.

Verses 7-9, a great company went up to bury Jacob. Jacob's family
  and many Egyptians of the house of Pharaoh.

Verse 10, threshing-floor = barn, barn floor, corn floor, void place
  Atad = bramble, thorn, buckthorn
  Gill says that it was either a man's name that owned it or was
  so called because of thorns and bramble that surrounded it.

  The sore mourning seems to have been made chiefly by the
  Egyptians perhaps so that the inhabitants of the land would see
  for what purpose they had come (see next verse).
  This they did for 7 days.

  Gill says that the Egyptians had mourners that were used for
  that purpose (professional mourners).

Verse 11, Abelmizraim: that is, The mourning of the Egyptians.
  The Lord's people do not mourn excessively, because they know
  and have faith about those who have died in the Lord.

Verses 12-13, Jacob's sons buried him in the place that he had
  requested.
  SEE Gen 23:16-18 (Abraham bought this plot to bury Sarah.)

Verse 14, They all return to Egypt.

Verses 15-18, Joseph's brethren think that he will hate them now that
  his father is dead. So they ask for Joseph's forgiveness.
  Which thing touched Joseph's heart so that he wept.
  Evidently, Joseph was a tender hearted man, which is nothing to
  be ashamed of.
    Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,
      forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath
      forgiven you.
  When we sin, we sin AGAINST GOD, and he has forgiven us for
  Christ's sake.

  This is an attribute of the living God: No one can be more
  tender hearted than the Lord.
    Jas 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have
      heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the
      Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
    Lu 1:78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the
      dayspring from on high hath visited us,

  But we must be in the place of repentance, which Joseph's
  brethren were. They knew their sin and knew what they deserved
  from Joseph. They admitted it was EVIL and that they had did it
  unto Joseph (see vs. 15, 17 & 18). They did not try to plot
  against Joseph, but rather asked for his forgiveness and were
  willing to be but his servants, therefore Joseph, being a type
  of the Lord Jesus Christ, wept with compassion for them.
    Ps 34:18 The LORD [is] nigh unto them that are of a broken
      heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
    Ps 51:17 The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a
      broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

  He will never say, Oh but your not mine elect. ALL of His elect
  will have, some day, a broken heart and contrite spirit. It is
  but evidence that we are His elect.

Verses 19-20, Fear not: They had feared Joseph. The sinner should
  fear the LORD, for it is the beginning of knowledge (Pr 1:7);
  but when he does and the gospel (good news) is preached, he is
  informed to "fear not," for Christ has carried his sin as far
  as the east is from the west.

  Joseph informs them that it was all meant for good. This was no
  excuse for their sin, but only to comfort them and remove their
  fear of Joseph, for Joseph understood that through the whole
  thing, God was accomplishing His purpose. Therefore Joseph was
  at peace and held no anger toward them. Joseph knew Romans 8:28
  through experience.

  So too, the Jews have crucified the Lord Jesus, and this was
  done by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, yet
  the Jews had done it with by wicked hands (Acts 2:23).
  But it was done to save much people alive, and as Joseph's
  brethren after some time came to him in repentance, asking for
  his forgiveness, so to the Jews will come to Christ and will
  ask for his forgiveness.

  God's sovereignty displayed: The greatest example is the
  crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
  READ Isa 10:5-15

Verse 21, Joseph comforts his brethren.

Verse 22-26, Joseph lived 110 years and saw his great-grandchildren's
  children.
  Joseph knew that the LORD was going to bring his brethren out
  of this land one day and into the land of Canaan, and when He
  did they were to carry his bones from this land into the land
  of Canaan.