March 17, 2011 Ruth's Redeeming Relative

A Redeeming Relative
Read Ruth

Ruth 2:20 “The LORD bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers.”

I LOVE this story. Ruth is so faithful. Boaz is so honorable. Naomi runs out of hope, and the faithful Ruth and honorable Boaz redeem her life from bleak widowhood to a life of security.
In addition, Naomi will become the great-great-grandmother of Israel’s most powerful king, David. This is a story of redemption and Boaz is called a kinsman-redeemer. What does that mean?
Boaz is kin (a relative) to Naomi. By Hebrew law (check out Leviticus), Boaz has a right, if he chooses, to buy Naomi’s property and to marry her or Ruth. This is God’s way of rescuing widows from poverty.
In chapter 4, though, there was one man more closely related to Naomi, and he had the first right to redeem Naomi. But he refused for reasons unclear. Then honorable Boaz acted on the law with grace to buy Naomi’s land and to marry Ruth.
Thus, these two widows—poor in Bethlehem (Ephratha is another name)—are redeemed—saved—through God’s law. Children come. Ruth and Boaz are King David’s great grandparents. Bethlehem, thus, is the “house” of David.
To that little town of Bethlehem Ephrathah came one to be Israel’s kinsman-redeemer. Jesus Christ, Son of God, Son of Man, born of a virgin Hebrew, fulfilled God’s law and acted in the Father’s grace to redeem you from the poverty of sin. Don’t you just love this story?


Pause and Consider: who in your family needs someone to help them today?