How does Ruth 4:6 connect to the concept of redemption in the New Testament? Setting the Scene: Ruth 4:6 “ The kinsman-redeemer replied, ‘I cannot redeem it myself, lest I jeopardize my own estate. You take my right of redemption, because I cannot redeem it.’ ” (Ruth 4:6) Why the First Redeemer Refused • Costly inheritance—land, marriage to Ruth, and future offspring would dilute his estate • Self-interest—preserving his name took priority over rescuing another family line • Legal inability—he admits, “I cannot,” underscoring the law’s limits to save when personal loss is involved Boaz Steps Forward (Ruth 4:7-10) • Willing to pay every cost • Marries Ruth, secures the land, and raises up a name for the dead • Becomes the great-grandfather of David, the royal line leading to Christ (Matthew 1:5-6) How This Foreshadows New-Testament Redemption • A better Redeemer is needed – The first kinsman pictures the law: righteous yet powerless to save fully (Romans 8:3) – Boaz prefigures Jesus, who fulfills the law and goes beyond it (Matthew 5:17) • Willing sacrifice versus self-preservation – The unnamed kinsman protects his own inheritance – Jesus “emptied Himself” and took the form of a servant (Philippians 2:6-8) • Paying the full price – Boaz pays with silver and public commitment – Christ redeems “not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with precious blood” (1 Peter 1:18-19) • Securing an everlasting inheritance – Boaz restores Elimelech’s line; Ruth and Naomi gain a future – Jesus grants believers “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4; Ephesians 1:13-14) New-Testament Passages Echoing Ruth 4:6 • Galatians 3:13—Christ redeems from the curse of the law • Titus 2:14—He “gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness” • Hebrews 7:25—He “is able to save to the uttermost” all who come to God through Him Living in Light of Our Redemption • Confidence: the Redeemer did not draw back; He completed the work (John 19:30) • Gratitude: the cost was His life, not our merit (Ephesians 2:8-9) • Purpose: we now “belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God” (Romans 7:4) |
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