Article #23 in the series: You Are God’s Masterpiece: The Genesis Notes.
你是神的工作: 《创世记手记》系列第23篇
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Death is painful, but in Christ we know that death is not the end, it is just the beginning.
死亡是痛苦的，但我们知道在基督里，死亡不是终点，而是开始。
Death of Sarah
撒拉去世
Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.
Genesis 23:1-2 NIV
撒拉享寿一百二十七岁，这是撒拉一生的岁数。撒拉死在迦南地的基列亚巴，就是希伯伦，亚伯拉罕为她哀恸哭号。
创世记23:1-2
Sarah lived to be 127 years old and at her death Abraham mourned and wept over her. Death is a very difficult occasion. It is devastating to lose a loved one. But for those of us who are Christians our hope is in Jesus. We see death is not an ending, but a beginning.
撒拉享寿 127岁就死了，亚伯拉罕为她哀恸哭号。死亡是件很难面对的事情。失去挚爱是致命的打击。对我们这些基督徒而言，我们的盼望在耶稣身上，死亡对于我们而言不是终点，而是开始。
Listen, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with the immortality, then the saying is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:51-57 NIV
“我如今把一件奥秘的事告诉你们。我们不是都要睡觉，乃是都要改变， 就在一霎时，眨眼之间，号筒末次吹响的时候。因号筒要响，死人要复活成为不朽坏的，我们也要改变。这必朽坏的，总要变成不朽坏的。这必死的，总要变成不死的。这必朽坏的既变成不朽坏的。这必死的既变成不死的。那时经上所记，死被得胜吞灭的话就应验了。死啊，你得胜的权势在哪里？死啊，你的毒钩在哪里？死的毒钩就是罪。罪的权势就是律法。感谢 神，使我们借着我们的主耶稣基督得胜。”
哥林多前书 15:51-57
We do not mourn like the world does when death comes because we have hope in Jesus.
当死亡临到，我们不会像世人那样去哀悼，因为我们寄希望于耶稣身上。
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 NIV
论到睡了的人，我们不愿意弟兄们不知道，恐怕你们忧伤，像那些没有指望的人一样。我们若信耶稣死而复活了，那已经在耶稣里睡了的人， 神也必将他与耶稣一同带来。
帖撒罗尼迦前书4:13-14
What about Abraham and Sarah? Do we see any hope in this story? Sarah has died. Now what?
那亚伯拉罕和撒拉呢？从这个故事中我们看到了希望吗？撒拉已死。现在怎么办？
Sarah’s Death and God’s Promise
撒拉去世和 神的应许
Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. He said, “I am a foreigner and stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.”
后来亚伯拉罕从死人面前起来，对赫人说：“我在你们中间是外人，是寄居的，求你们在这里给我一块地，我好埋葬我的死人，使她不在我眼前。”
“Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.” Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.” Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. “No, my lord,” he said. “Listen to me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.” Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”
“我主请听。你在我们中间是一位尊大的王子，只管在我们最好的坟地里埋葬你的死人，我们没有一人不容你在他的坟地里埋葬你的死人。”亚伯拉罕就起来，向那地的赫人下拜，对他们说：“你们若有意叫我埋葬我的死人，使她不在我的眼前，就请听我的话，为我求琐辖的儿子以弗伦，把田头上那麦比拉洞给我。他可以按着足价卖给我，作我在你们中间的坟地。”当时以弗伦正坐在赫人中间。于是，赫人以弗伦在城门出入的赫人面前对亚伯拉罕说：“不然，我主请听。我送给你这块田，连田间的洞也送给你，在我同族的人面前都给你，可以埋葬你的死人。”亚伯拉罕就在那地的人民面前下拜，在他们面前对以弗伦说:“ 你若应允我，请听我的话。我要把田价给你，求你收下，我就在那里埋葬我的死人。”
“Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants. So Ephron’s field in Machpelah near Mamre—both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field—was deeded to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city. Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.
“我主请听。值四百舍客勒银子的一块田，在你我中间还算什么呢？只管埋葬你的死人吧！”亚伯拉罕听从了以弗伦，照着他在赫人面前所说的话，把买卖通用的银子，平了四百舍客勒给以弗伦。于是，麦比拉、幔利前、以弗伦的那块田和其中的洞，并田间四围的树木，都定准归与亚伯拉罕，乃是他在赫人面前，并城门出入的人面前买妥的。此后，亚伯拉罕把他妻子撒拉埋葬在迦南地幔利前的麦比拉田间的洞里。幔利就是希伯伦。从此，那块田和田间的洞，就藉着赫人定准，归与亚伯拉罕作坟地。
Genesis 23:3-4, 6-13, 15-20 NIV
创世记23:3-4，6-13，15-20
We see an amazing event take place as a result of Sarah’s death: Abraham makes his first land purchase. God has promised Abraham the land for all of these years, but has he had any land himself? No, he has always been a nomad wandering with a tent. Finally, Abraham owns his own land. Interestingly the piece he chooses first is back where he lived for so many years ago near Mamre. A place where the Lord spoke to him many times.
我们看到撒拉死后发生了一件奇妙的事情-亚伯拉罕买了他人生的第一块地。这些年来神一直应许亚伯拉罕会赐给他土地-但他有属于自己的土地吗？没有，他一直带着帐篷四处漂流。最终，亚伯拉罕拥有了一块自己的土地。有趣的是他挑选的第一块土地离他最初几年生活的地方幔利很近，就是 神曾多次对他说话的地方。
What two major life events of Abraham happened at Mamre? When Abraham and his nephew Lot separated, God gave Abraham the promise that the whole land would some day belong to Abraham. After receiving that promise, Abraham moved to Mamre and built an altar to the Lord there. It was also by the great tree of Mamre that the three visitors came to Abraham and prophesied the birth of Isaac. It would make sense that Abraham would want to purchase land in this significant place where he had met with the Lord.
亚伯拉罕一生中发生了哪两件大事？当亚伯拉罕和他的侄儿罗得分离的时候，神应许亚伯拉罕，有一天全地都归他。亚伯拉罕得了应许，就搬到幔利去，在那里为耶和华筑了一座坛。三位客人也来到幔利橡树那里预言以撒的出世。亚伯拉罕想要在他与神相遇的这块重要地方买地，这是有道理的。
With Sarah’s death comes another fulfillment of God’s promise: Abraham will have land. Death bringing new life is a principle we hear over and over in the Bible:
随着撒拉的去世，成就了 神的另一个应许-亚伯拉罕拥有土地。死亡带来新生活，这个原则我们在圣经上一次又一次地听到：
“Jesus replied, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me. Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? “Father, save Me from this hour?” No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’”
John 12:23-28 NIV
耶稣说，人子得荣耀的时候到了。我实实在在地告诉你们，一粒麦子不落在地里死了，仍旧是一粒。若是死了，就结出许多子粒来。爱惜自己生命的，就失丧生命。在这世上恨恶自己生命的，就要保守生命到永生。若有人服事我，就当跟从我。我在哪里，服事我的人，也要在哪里。若有人服事我，我父必尊重他。我现在心里忧愁，我说什么才好呢？父阿，救我脱离这时候。但我原是为这时候来的。父阿，愿你荣耀你的名。当时就有声音从天上来说，我已经荣耀了我的名，还要再荣耀。
约翰福音 12:23-28
The kernel of wheat must die for there to be a harvest. Sarah’s death brought new life. Her death brought the new land which was a part of God’s promise to Abraham. In the same way, Jesus’ death brought new life to all of us. He gave His life so we could have new life with Him.
一粒麦子必须死了才能结出许多子粒来。撒拉的死带来了新生活，也带来了 神应许给亚伯拉罕的新土地。同样，耶稣的死也给我们所有人带来了新生命。衪献上自己的生命，使我们与衪同得新生命。
Jesus died and His death brought us life. Jesus also calls us to die to ourselves and life to Him. This means we let our “old self” die so we can live our new life with Jesus.
耶稣死了，衪的死给我们带来了生命。耶稣也呼召我们为自己而死，为衪而生。这意味着我们要治死自己的“老我”，这样我们才能与耶稣一起活出新生命。
Are there areas of your life needing to “die” so new life can rise up?
你的生命中有没有哪个部分需要死掉才能带来新的生命呢？
In the story of Abraham and Sarah, Sarah’s death reminds us there is still hope in death, new life comes. God’s promises do not fail. At the moment of Sarah’s death Abraham stepped into the promises of God. He would have land.
在亚伯拉罕和撒拉的故事中，撒拉的死提醒我们，死里仍有希望，新生活会随之而来。神的应许决不落空。在撒拉去世的时候，亚伯拉罕也进入到 神的应许当中-他会获得土地。
The Sale of Land
土地买卖
When we read the transaction between Abraham and Ephron, the Hittite, it may seem a little strange to us. But Abraham was purchasing the land in the proper way. He was at the city gate where the leaders met. He made his intentions known to all of the leaders and he specifically named the piece of land he wanted to purchase. In a polite way Ephron gave Abraham the price of the land as 400 shekels of silver. Abraham paid and the deal was finished.
当我们读到亚伯拉罕和赫人以弗仑作交易的时候，可能会觉得有点奇怪。但是亚伯拉罕是以正当的方式买地的。他在城门出入口，就是众首领聚集的地方，把自已的想法告知了所有的首领，明确说出了他要买的那块地。以弗仑非常谦恭地给出了这块土地的价格：四百舍客勒银子。亚伯拉罕付了钱，这笔交易就完成了。
Abraham’s wife has died and now he will turn his focus onto the future generations. The land he purchased was for the dead but he will turn his focus to the living: his son, Isaac, and the promises of God for Isaac and all those who will come after him.
亚伯拉罕的妻子去世了，现在他将焦点转向后代。他所买的地原是用来埋葬死人的，却要把关注转向还在世的人：就是他的儿子以撒，以及 神向以撒和他以后的子孙后代所赐的应许。
