What role does the kinsman-redeemer play in Ruth 4:3 and biblical redemption? Setting the Scene: Ruth 4:3 “Then he said to the kinsman-redeemer, ‘Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech.’” (Ruth 4:3) • Boaz is at the Bethlehem gate, the official place for legal transactions. • He addresses the “nearest kinsman-redeemer” (Hebrew goel), the man first in line to act for Naomi’s family. • The issue: Elimelech’s land must not leave the clan; it needs a goel to buy it back, keeping God-given inheritance intact (Leviticus 25:25). The Goel in Israel’s Law Key responsibilities assigned by the LORD: • Property rescue — Buy back land a relative lost through poverty (Leviticus 25:25). • Family line preservation — Marry a childless widow to raise an heir (Deuteronomy 25:5-6). • Personal liberty — Redeem a relative sold into slavery (Leviticus 25:47-49). • Justice and protection — Avenge unlawful bloodshed (Numbers 35:19). Every duty protects the weak, restores what was lost, and upholds covenant faithfulness. Boaz’s Actions: Meeting Every Legal Expectation • He identifies the need: Naomi’s land and Ruth’s widowhood require intervention. • He presents the opportunity to the closer kinsman before acting himself, honoring the law’s order. • He stands ready, both ABLE and WILLING, to: – purchase the field, – marry Ruth, – raise up an heir, ensuring Elimelech and Mahlon are not blotted out (Ruth 4:5,10). • By the chapter’s end, Boaz secures the property, takes Ruth as wife, and the community proclaims, “May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah” (Ruth 4:11). Foreshadowing the Greater Redeemer Boaz points ahead to Christ in striking ways: 1. Near-kin: Jesus “shared in their humanity” (Hebrews 2:14-15), taking on flesh to qualify as our Brother. 2. Willing: “The Son of Man came to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). 3. Able: Only His sinless blood could pay the infinite price (1 Peter 1:18-19). 4. Public, legal, final: At the cross He declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30), sealing redemption as surely as Boaz’s sandal exchange sealed the land deal (Ruth 4:7-8). 5. Results: • Property restored — creation itself will be liberated (Romans 8:21). • Name preserved — believers receive adoption and a new family name (Galatians 4:4-5). • Bride secured — Christ wins a people for Himself (Revelation 5:9). Theological Thread of Redemption • Goel roles in the Torah display God’s heart for restoration. • Prophets identify the LORD Himself as “Redeemer” (Isaiah 59:20). • The New Covenant reveals the mechanism: “In Him we have redemption through His blood” (Ephesians 1:7). • From Ruth’s barley fields to the cross-shaped hill, the storyline is one continuous movement of costly, kin-based rescue. Living in Light of the Kinsman-Redeemer • Security: Salvation rests on the legally finished, publicly verified work of our Goel. • Identity: We are no longer outsiders but family, “purchased for God” (Revelation 5:9). • Mission: As Boaz embodied covenant kindness, believers mirror the Redeemer’s love—protecting, providing, restoring wherever the LORD places us. |
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