Kinsman Redeemer

Ruth 4:1-12

¹Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. ² And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. ³ Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. ⁴ So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.” ⁵ Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” ⁶ Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.” ⁷ Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. ⁸ So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal. ⁹ Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. ¹⁰ Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.” ¹¹ Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, ¹² and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

An ancient ancestor of Jesus Christ is the Moabite woman, Ruth. Her grandson is the fascinating King David and of course, Jesus is the Son of David! Ruth’s story is considered one of the Bible’s great love stories. In the telling of this story we are introduced yet again to the concept of the Kinsman Redeemer (as we also read about yesterday in the words of Job). After suffering the death of her own husband and father-in-law, Ruth binds herself to her mother-in-law, Naomi and vows to stay by her side. This is a bold move, for Ruth is still young enough to find another husband. Instead she faithfully says with Naomi to care for her. Ruth and Naomi move from Moab to Naomi’s homeland, Israel, for there she has family. Perhaps one of them will have pity upon these two widows and care for them. Once back in Israel, we are introduced to Boaz.

In the Hebrew culture, a kinsmen redeemer was the one with the authority, the power, and the responsibility to get you out of trouble or, if they were unable to protect your life, to demand justice on your behalf. The kinsmen redeemer was responsible to provide off-spring for a deceased brother, avenge a death, or to buy a relative back from slavery. Naomi call Boaz our “kinsman redeemer.” That means he has a family responsibility to take care of Ruth and Naomi. They are not without resources amid their struggles, for their redeemer is nearby to offer up rescue. Ruth catches the eye of Boaz as she toils in his fields picking up the leftover grain that falls to the ground as the field is being harvested. He treats her kindly and eventually fulfills his responsibility as kinsman redeemer by marrying Ruth and taking both women into his home. Ruth and Boaz have a baby that Naomi is pleased to help raise.

When we call Jesus “Redeemer” we are using a word loaded with meaning. Jesus pays the purchase price for those who have sold themselves into slavery to sin. He invests His resources in our salvation and we are now under His roof and His protection. Daily He intercedes for us with the Father and daily our Father gladly grants His every request on our behalf for He is our Kinsman Redeemer.