Genesis 50:1  “…Joseph fell on his father’s face…”
Along with everything else, Joseph must have experienced a sense of closure.  He had lost his father when he was a teenager.  Now he had regained him and had been able to spend time with him for seventeen years before Jacob died.  Nothing could replace the years he lost, but God had taken care of everything.  Now he would be able to do as his father had asked.

2  “…physicians embalmed Israel”
Would make performing Jacob’s last request easier.

3  “…Egyptians mourned for him seventy days”
Jacob not only had his own family mourn for him, but the Egyptians also.

4  “…Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh…please speak in the hearing of Pharaoh…”
Wondered why Joseph would need to go through others to speak to pharaoh as he was the second in command.  Commentary suggests that as a mourner he would not want to stand before pharaoh.  Apparently you wouldn’t appear before a king looking downcast.  I recall Nehemiah being upset that the king he served observed him appearing downcast which was normally a bad thing.

9  “…it was a very great gathering”
That must have been a great sight.  All of those people making the trek to Canaan for the burial.

10  “…the threshing floor of Atad…”
Commentary suggests this was on the border of Egypt and Canaan so the Egyptian portion of the party may have stayed here while the family continued on to the burial site.  Not sure of the distance.  Being the final period of mourning before burial, it was the loudest and caused the local inhabitants to notice.

15  “…Joseph will hate us…”
Even though Joseph had settled the matter years before, the actions of his brothers came back to haunt them.  They thought perhaps Joseph had only been biding his time until Jacob died.

17  “…Joseph wept when they spoke to him”
He really had closed the matter.  It upset him to think it was still bothering his family.

20  “…God meant it for good…”
What a statement.  Joseph understood the sovereignty of God.  Those things we consider bad, and even those things which may have been intended for bad, none of them are beyond God’s control.  He can take all things and weave them together to bring about His purposes for His glory.  Nothing takes Him by surprise.

22  “…Joseph lived one hundred and ten years”
Wonder how many pharaoh’s reigned during this time.  Could have been one or two others before Joseph died.  Commentary suggested earlier that the Egyptians may not have lived as long as the Hebrews.

24  “…bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob”
Joseph knew about and understood the promise.  He knew the importance of going back to the land.

25  “…you shall carry up my bones from here”
Being such an official of Egypt, he knew he would need to be buried there, at least for a time.  And since he would be embalmed, his remains would be available whenever God moved the Israelites back to Canaan.

I hope you enjoy reading and studying His word.  May it accomplish what He desires.  Please feel free to comment or post questions.  Thanks for reading!

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.