As Audrey has been showing from the book of Matthew, Jesus’ time has come to minister on the Earth, and we see Him bringing about the fulfillment of the plan of God. He has been born, He is teaching and healing, and by the end of the book, will accomplish what Easter is all about; He will die on the cross for our sins. This plan was always part of the Father’s plan for our redemption and is foreshadowed in the book of Ruth. You see, Boaz, the kind kinsman-redeemer to Ruth is a ‘type’ of Jesus for us.
A type is defined as reasoning by analogy, with the study of Scriptures interpreting the Old Testament as prefiguring the events of the New Testament; a system used for putting things into groups according to how they are similar. It is as if Boaz is a symbol showing us what Jesus will be. This is very true with Boaz as a kinsman-redeemer.
The idea of a kinsman-redeemer comes from Leviticus 25:25: ‘If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold.’ This is the beginning of a passage on redeeming what is lost, be it property, freedom, your name or your future (children). Being a kinsman-redeemer was not taken lightly. The rescuer or restorer was not passive and in fact is affected by what he is doing to redeem his fellow Israelite.
There are four qualifications to be a kinsman-redeemer, and all are true with Boaz.
- You must be ‘kin’ or of the same family. ‘Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz.’ (Ruth 2:1 & 2:3) ‘That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.’ (Ruth 2:20) ‘Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours.’ (Ruth 3:2a) Boaz, being a relative of Elimelek meets this requirement to be their kinsman-redeemer.
- You must have a willing heart. You could be a kinsman-redeemer but still choose not to redeem the lost. ‘Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I…if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD lives I will do it.’ (Ruth 3:12, 13) Boaz approaches this next in line and offers the land and Ruth to be redeemed. He is not willing because the cost of the land comes with the price of taking care of his ‘brothers’ wife,’ a custom we saw earlier this week, written into the law to provide for a widow in a time and system where there was no social safety net for females.
“Then he [Boaz] said to the guardian-redeemer, ’Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.’ ‘I will redeem it,’ he said. Then Boaz said, ‘On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.’ At this, the guardian-redeemer said, ‘Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.’” (Ruth 4:3-6)
Clearly the kinsman-redeemer has a choice. He is not bound, but rather, he must be willing in his heart to WANT to redeem what has been lost. He has free will.
- He must be able to redeem it. Good intentions are not enough. To buy back a piece of land or someone’s freedom, you must be able to pay the price of redemption. Boaz is a wealthy man and is able.
- You must pay the FULL price. The kinsman-redeemer must pay the price IN FULL. It cannot be a partial redemption. If you have a kinsman-redeemer and he is willing to redeem, he is required to pay the full cost. There is nothing in the law allowing for a partial redemption.
Boaz is ‘kin’ of Ruth’s husband and therefore of Ruth and Naomi. He is certainly willing to redeem them and says as much. He has the financial means to redeem and therefore is able. And he does pay the full price as required. “So, the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, ‘Buy it yourself.’ And he removed his sandal. Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, ‘Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or his hometown. Today you are witnesses!’” (Ruth 4:8-10)
This beautiful picture of a kinsman-redeemer helps us to see God’s provision for women living in the Old Testament Bible times. In a society where a woman was totally dependent on food and her livelihood through the husband, God institutes a ‘redemption system’ that the lost may be found and given safe and loving refuge. Boaz, a man of great character, does this for Ruth and becomes a type of Jesus for us. Tomorrow we turn to the New Testament and see how Jesus becomes our kinsman-redeemer!
Our song for today is How Great is Your Love by Phil Wickham.