In Genesis 50:15-21 There are two contrasting emotional responses to death that we can see in Jacob’s sons:
• Vs. 15-17 Guilt: Grief is something that we all will experience and there is nothing wrong with it, guilt however is something that we need not experience. These brothers had guilt over their past behavior in how they had treated Joseph and were triggered by the death of their father no doubt upon the remembrance of how their father had responded when told that Joseph was dead. Their life had been a life of jealousy; they had erupted into hatred, and they now feel as though perhaps Joseph had not dealt with their sin and was waiting until their father had died to take vengeance. Guilt produces fear and fear causes us to look upon things with a wrong view. Joseph had been around them for 17 years and had demonstrated over and over again his forgiveness of the wrong done to him by them. Yet the death of their father brought all of this back again. Upon hearing the words and lies of his brothers, Joseph weeps probably because they reveal in their guilt that they did not trust his forgiveness of them.
• Vs. 18-21 Faith: Joseph shows the opposite emotion by his actions of humility and grace. He understood that he was not God, it was not for him to right the wrong done, instead he chose to trust God to work it out both for his benefit and for others as well. God had used their cruelty towards him to make him more godly and also to save the nation. The perspective of faith always views death through the sovereign loving hand of God and not through the human eyes of guilt and fear.