The Kinsman-redeemer

"I am your handmaid Ruth. Spread your robe over your handmaid, for you are a redeeming kinsman." Ruth 3:9

During the time of the judges when there was a famine, an Israelite family from Bethlehem – Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their sons Mahlon and Chilion – emigrated to the nearby country of Moab. Elimelech died, and the sons married two Moabite women: Mahlon married Ruth and Chilion married Orpah.

After about ten years, the two sons of Naomi also died in Moab. Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem. She told her daughters-in-law to return to their own mothers and remarry. Orpah reluctantly left; however, Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you, to turn back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus and more may the Lord do to me if anything but death parts me from you." (Ruth 1:16–17).

The two women returned to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. The story implies that Naomi had been forced to mortgage her husband’s land so now had no way to support herself and Ruth...even though she was allowed to live there. And, in order to support her mother-in-law and herself, Ruth went to the fields to glean. As it happened, the field she went to belonged to a man named Boaz, who was kind to her because he had heard of her loyalty to her mother-in-law. Ruth told Naomi of Boaz's kindness, and she gleaned in his field through the remainder of barley and wheat harvest.

GOEL gō’ ĕl (גֹּאֵ֑ל, redeemer) is found frequently in the OT as describing the person who is next of kin and his respective duties. One of his duties is to buy back what his poor brother has sold and cannot himself regain. Israel was deeply concerned that all the families of the Promise would remain intact to benefit...in perpetuity...from the land God had provided. For this reason, if a man died without heirs his brother, or closest relative, was obligated by Levirate law to marry the widow and provide heirs; not for himself but, for his brother. Boaz was a close relative of Naomi's husband's family. He was therefore obliged by the Levirate law to marry Mahlon's widow, Ruth, in order to carry on the family's inheritance. This meant that he would buy back the land Naomi had mortgaged and keep it only until Naomi’s heir (grandson) could claim it...not in Boaz’ name but in Elimelek’s name.

A big investment for no real gain...

Naomi sent Ruth to the threshing floor at night and told her to go where he slept and “he will tell you what you are to do."  Ruth did so. Boaz asked her who she was, and she replied: "I am your handmaid Ruth. Spread your robe over your handmaid, for you are a redeeming kinsman." Boaz agreed to do all that was required but noted there was a closer relative than himself and would have to speak with him., Early that day, Boaz went to the city gate to meet with the other male relative before the town elders. The relative was not willing to jeopardize the inheritance of his own estate by marrying Ruth, thus allowing Boaz to marry Ruth. They transferred the property and redeemed it.

 Boaz and Ruth were then married and had a son. The women of the city celebrate Naomi's joy, for Naomi found a redeemer for her family name, and Naomi takes the child and places it in her bosom. The child was named Obed, who we discover was "the father of Jesse, the father of David" that is, the grandfather of King David.

It is quite appropriate that the term gō’ ĕl became applied to God in His relationship to us. As Redeemer He would buy back what we lost (our lives) due to our sin, and could not regain. God also would avenge the wrong done to believing sinners by His judgment against the devil and sin. Furthermore, like a husband, God would marry the church, His bride. All of these concepts of God are seen in Scripture. They begin in the OT but are fully developed in the New. Christ is said to give His life a ransom (λύτρον) for many (Matt 20:28). He gave Himself up to redeem (λυτρόω) us from iniquity (Titus 2:14). Peter tells us that we were redeemed (λυτρόω) not by gold and silver but by the blood of Christ (1 Pet 1:18 19).https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Goel

You and I are forever indebted to our Redeemer and our lives should reflect our gratitude. One way we can demonstrate our thanks is to apply the spirit of the gō’ ĕl  to our own lives. We cannot literally apply the Levirate law but we can “pay it forward”, meaning we can live our lives with the sense of obligation to care for those close to us who are in need...even when we receive no benefit. It may cost us but...it cost Christ everything.

Are we willing to follow Christ as kinsman-redeemers? “As much as we do it for the least of these...we do it for Christ”. (Matthew 25:40)

Live boldly out there today...