撒拉在一百二十七岁时死了（创二三1-2）。在今天这似乎是非常老了，但在当时是早死。亚伯拉罕活了一百七十五岁（创二五7），在撒拉死后还活了三十八年。撒拉不该这么早死。她在生以撒三十七年后死去（创十七1，17，二一5），这是不正常的。
亚伯拉罕和撒拉是全宇宙中最好的夫妻。亚伯拉罕失去了妻子，对他和以撒都是一大损失。忽然，亚伯拉罕与撒拉，撒拉与以撒之间的爱中断了，因为作妻子和母亲的撒拉，被不正常的死取去了。因着这个，亚伯拉罕受了很大的苦。
你若读亚伯拉罕的历史，你会看见神总是取去他的东西。罗得与他分开，以利以谢被弃绝，以实玛利被赶出，以撒在祭坛上献给神。然后他亲爱的妻子死了。亚伯拉罕经历了何等的试炼和苦难！照着我们天然的观念，亚伯拉罕与神这么好，不该遭遇这些事。在亚伯拉罕同妻子撒拉并儿子以撒享受喜乐生活的当儿，忽然亚伯拉罕喜乐的因素撒拉被取去了。撒拉一死，这家的气氛、生活和喜乐都被取去了，这家也没有了。这对亚伯拉罕是何等的苦难！
我们是蒙神呼召的人，不该盼望在地上有喜乐的生活。我们必须跟随亚伯拉罕的脚踪，仰望更美的家乡，仰望一座有根基的城（来十一10，16）。我们在地上短暂的生活，乃是客旅的生活。因此，亚伯拉罕不大留意他的住处，不过搭了一座帐棚。他是客旅，是寄居的，仰望一个永久的住处。
亚伯拉罕过了三十八年没有撒拉帮助的生活（创二五7-8）。在圣经里，三十八这数字是受苦、试炼和试验的数字。以色列人在旷野受了三十八年的试炼和试验。我们已经看见，以撒在四十岁结婚。在圣经里，四十这数字也是试炼、试诱和试验的意思。这章还有另一数字，就是四百，是十倍的四十。在二十三章十六节这里我们读到，亚伯拉罕用四百舍客勒银子的代价买了坟地。这指明是一种试验、试炼和受苦。
已过你读二十三章时，也许并不觉得亚伯拉罕是在受苦。但请注意二节的两个辞－『哀恸』和『哭号。』亚伯拉罕为撒拉哀恸哭号，因为他失去了他的喜乐和家庭生活。译为『哀恸』和『哭号』的希伯来文，原意远超过仅仅哀恸并哭号。亚伯拉罕老年丧妻，受苦太深，极其伤痛。
信息重点：神不断取去亚伯拉罕所爱的——罗得、以实玛利、以撒，连撒拉也被不正常的死取去。蒙召的人不该盼望在地上有喜乐的生活。亚伯拉罕存着信心死，没有得着所应许的，却承认自己在地上是客旅、是寄居的，羡慕更美的家乡。
应用祷告：主耶稣，我天然总想在地上抓住喜乐，不愿你取去我所爱的。当你许可苦难临到，叫我想起亚伯拉罕——存着信心死，不留恋帐棚，承认自己是客旅。求你用苦难炼净我对地上的盼望，叫我的心单单等候你。阿们。
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Abraham’s Suffering — Heb. 11:13
Sarah died at the age of one hundred twenty-seven (Gen. 23:1-2). By today’s standard, this seems like a very old age, but at that time it was considered an early death. Abraham lived one hundred seventy-five years (Gen. 25:7) and lived thirty-eight years after Sarah’s death. Sarah should not have died so early. She died thirty-seven years after giving birth to Isaac (Gen. 17:1, 17; 21:5), which was unusual.
Abraham and Sarah were the best couple in the whole universe. For Abraham to lose his wife was a great loss to both him and Isaac. Suddenly the love between Abraham and Sarah, and between Sarah and Isaac, was cut short, for Sarah, as a wife and a mother, was taken away by a unusual death. Because of this, Abraham suffered greatly.
If you read the history of Abraham, you will see that God was always taking things away from him. Lot separated from him, Eliezer was rejected, Ishmael was driven out, and Isaac was offered to God on the altar. Then his beloved wife died. What trials and sufferings Abraham went through! According to our natural concepts, since Abraham had such a close relationship with God, he ought not to have encountered these things. Just as Abraham was enjoying a happy life with his wife Sarah and his son Isaac, Sarah — the very source of his joy — was suddenly taken away. With Sarah’s death, the atmosphere, the life and the joy of the household were all taken away, and the home itself ceased to exist. What a tremendous ordeal this was for Abraham!
As those called by God, we should not expect a life of earthly happiness. We must follow in the footsteps of Abraham, looking toward a better homeland — a city with foundations (Heb. 11:10, 16). Our brief life on earth is a life of sojourning. Therefore, Abraham did not pay much attention to his dwelling place but merely pitched a tent. He was a stranger and a sojourner, looking forward to an eternal dwelling place.
Abraham lived thirty-eight years without Sarah’s help (Gen. 25:7-8). In the Bible the number thirty-eight is a number of suffering, trial and testing. The Israelites suffered thirty-eight years of trial and testing in the wilderness. We have also seen that Isaac married at the age of forty. In the Bible the number forty also signifies trial, temptation and testing. There is another number in this chapter, four hundred, which is ten times forty. In Genesis 23:16 we read that Abraham bought the burial site for four hundred shekels of silver. This indicates a testing, a trial and a suffering.
When you read chapter 23 in the past, perhaps you did not feel that Abraham was suffering. But please notice the two words in verse 2 — “mourn” and “weep”. Abraham mourned and wailed for Sarah, for he had lost his joy and his family life. The Hebrew words translated as “mourn” and “weep” carry a meaning that goes far beyond mere mourning and weeping; losing his wife in his old age caused Abraham profound suffering and intense grief.
Message Main Points: God continually took away what Abraham loved — Lot, Ishmael, Isaac, and even Sarah, who was taken by a unusual death. Those who are called should not expect to have a joyful life on earth. Abraham died in faith, not having received what was promised, but acknowledged that he was a stranger and a sojourner on earth, longing for a better homeland.
Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, in my natural being I always want to hold on to joy on earth and am unwilling for You to take away what I love. When You allow suffering to come, remind me of Abraham — who died in faith, unattached to his tent, acknowledging himself as a sojourner. May You use suffering to purify my earthly hopes, and cause my heart to wait upon You alone. Amen.