创世记二十三章六节说到『最好的』坟地，指上好的坟地。主耶稣在地上的时候，没有美好的居所。但祂死后，被放进非常美好的坟墓里（太二七57-60）。在圣经里，这是一个原则。我们不该住在美好的屋里，却该预备最好的墓。亚伯拉罕注意坟地过于帐棚。
在新约的光中我们能看见，亚伯拉罕蒙了神的呼召，晓得自己是客旅，是寄居的，在仰望一座永久的城，和更美的家乡（来十一9-10，16）。当他仰望这更美的家乡时，他亲爱的妻子忽然死了。但亚伯拉罕没有放弃他的信心。我们查考希伯来书的记载，就看见亚伯拉罕不失望，也没有失去信心。反之，他在复活的神里面有着刚强的信心，相信他亲爱的妻子会在那城，并在那更美的家乡。这个相信含示复活。
创世记二十三章不是论复活的一章，乃是论进入复活之门的一章。在创世记二十三章，撒拉不是进入复活，乃是进入那门。照着亚伯拉罕的领会，撒拉的死就是进入复活的门。亚伯拉罕没有轻忽这事。他可能多少轻忽他的帐棚，但他不轻忽妻子的坟地。他购买麦比拉洞的用意，不仅是要把撒拉葬在那里，也是要把自己葬在那里。在希伯来文里，麦比拉这辞的意思是双或成双。凡葬在这洞里的，都是夫妻：亚伯拉罕和撒拉，以撒和利百加，雅各和利亚（创二三19，二五9，四九29-32，五十13）。在亚伯拉罕的深处，充满了期盼，有一天他的妻子要在那有根基的城里。这含示复活。在雅各死前不久，嘱咐众子要把他葬在麦比拉洞。在古时将雅各的骸骨从埃及运到迦南埋葬不是一件小事，但雅各的众子为他这样作了（创五十13）。藉此我们能晓得，雅各在将要死时，认为死并不是了结，乃是站口，是进入更美家乡的门。
亚伯拉罕充满了复活的盼望。在圣经里，田表征生命的长大，就是复活。麦子种下不久，就又长起来。生长的田地表征复活，但浮木表征死亡。亚伯拉罕不是把撒拉放进死亡之地，乃是放进生命之地，就是满了复活之地。麦比拉洞不是了结之地，乃是满了复活盼望之地。那是在通往复活的路上。在这地方，当撒拉等候那日来临的时候，她能安然睡觉。因此，他一心一意，花了大笔金钱为撒拉、自己和后裔买了坟地。我们若有新约的亮光，就会晓得这指明复活的期盼。我再说，坟地是进入盼望之城新耶路撒冷的通路、大门。阿利路亚，麦比拉洞是在通往耶路撒冷的路上。
我们所以知道创世记二十三章指明复活的盼望，乃因主耶稣说，亚伯拉罕的神，以撒的神，雅各的神，不是死人的神，乃是活人的神（太二二31-32）。在我们眼中，亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各是死的，但在神眼中，他们是活的。
我们的先祖亚伯拉罕，神所呼召的人，不太留意现今，但他的确留意将来。最好的坟地是为着将来。主若迟延祂的回来，我们都要进入这门。我们该住在帐棚里，仰望那座有根基的城。
信息重点：亚伯拉罕不讲究帐棚，却花大笔金钱买最好的坟地——麦比拉洞。坟地不是了结之地，乃是进入复活之门、通往新耶路撒冷的通路。我们已经借耶稣基督从死人中复活，得了重生，有了活的盼望；这盼望不在今生，乃在将来。
应用祷告：主耶稣，感谢你从死人中复活，叫我得了重生，有了活的盼望。叫我像亚伯拉罕一样，不为今生的帐棚费心，乃满有复活的盼望。当我面对死亡，不再恐惧，因为坟墓不是了结，乃是进入你应许之城的门。阿们。
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The Choicest Burial Site — 1 Pet. 1:3
Genesis 23:6 speaks of the “choicest” burial site, referring to a superior burial site. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He did not have a fine dwelling place. But after He died, He was placed in a very fine tomb (Matt. 27:57-60). This is a principle in the Bible: we should not live in a fine house but should prepare the best tomb. Abraham paid more attention to the burial site than to the tent.
In the light of the New Testament we can see that Abraham, having been called by God, knew that he was a stranger and a sojourner, looking forward to a permanent city and a better homeland (Heb. 11:9-10, 16). While he was looking forward to this better homeland, his beloved wife suddenly died. But Abraham did not give up his faith. When we study the record in Hebrews, we see that Abraham was not disappointed and did not lose his faith. On the contrary, he had strong faith in the God of resurrection, believing that his beloved wife would be in that city and in that better homeland. This believing implies resurrection.
Genesis 23 is not a chapter on resurrection but a chapter on entering the gate of resurrection. In Genesis 23, Sarah did not enter into resurrection but entered into the gate. According to Abraham’s understanding, Sarah’s death was the gate into resurrection. Abraham did not take this lightly. He may have taken his tent somewhat lightly, but he did not take lightly his wife’s burial site. His intention in purchasing the cave of Machpelah was not only to bury Sarah there but also to bury himself there. In Hebrew, the word Machpelah means double or doubled. All who were buried in this cave were couples: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah (Gen. 23:19; 25:9; 49:29-32; 50:13). Deep within Abraham, there was a heart full of expectation that one day his wife would be in the city with foundations. This implies resurrection. Shortly before Jacob died, he charged his sons to bury him in the cave of Machpelah. In ancient times, carrying Jacob’s bones from Egypt to Canaan for burial was no small matter, but Jacob’s sons did this for him (Gen. 50:13). From this we can see that when Jacob was about to die, he considered death not to be the end but a station, the gate into a better homeland.
Abraham was full of the hope of resurrection. In the Bible, a field signifies the growth of life, that is, resurrection. Not long after wheat is sown, it grows up again. A growing field signifies resurrection, but driftwood signifies death. Abraham did not put Sarah into a place of death but into a place of life, a place full of resurrection. The cave of Machpelah is not a place of ending but a place full of the hope of resurrection. It was on the way to resurrection. In this place, while Sarah waited for that day to come, she could sleep in peace. Therefore, wholeheartedly he spent a large sum of money to purchase the burial site for Sarah, himself and his descendants. If we have the light of the New Testament, we will realize that this indicates an expectation of resurrection. Again I say, the burial site is the way and the gate into the city of hope, the New Jerusalem. Hallelujah, the cave of Machpelah is on the way to Jerusalem!
We know that Genesis 23 points to the hope of resurrection because the Lord Jesus said that the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob is not the God of the dead but of the living (Matt. 22:31-32). In our eyes, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are dead, but in God’s eyes, they are living.
Our forefather Abraham, the one called by God, did not pay much attention to the present, but he certainly paid attention to the future. The choicest burial site was for the future. If the Lord delays His coming back, we will all enter this gate. We should live in a tent, looking forward to that city with foundations.
Message Main Points: Abraham did not care about his tent, yet he spent a large sum of money to purchase the choicest burial site — the cave of Machpelah. The burial site is not a place of ending but the gate into resurrection and the way to the New Jerusalem. We have been regenerated through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and have a living hope; this hope is not in this life but in the future.
Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for rising from the dead, granting me new birth and a living hope. Enable me, like Abraham, not to fret over the temporary tents of this life, but to be filled with the hope of resurrection. When I face death, let me no longer fear, for the grave is not the end, but the gateway into the city You have promised. Amen.