Jesus is the Kinsmen Redeemer

Ruth 12:1-12

Point 1: The Local Court is Called into Session to Settle a Matter Between the Unworthy and Worthy Redeemer

4 Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.”

Explanation: Boaz, being a man of honor and of his word, has one thing on his mind, that is, to redeem Ruth. He goes to the town’s gate, where all the official business is handled, and sits there waiting to call the local court into session. By no coincidence, the kinsman redeemer that Boaz told Ruth about comes along by the gate, and Boaz engages him in conversation and invites him to sit down. Boaz wastes no time and gathers the town's elders to sit down and listen to Boaz and the unnamed redeemer's conversation. By gathering ten elders, they knew that what was about to happen was official business; however, they were not the only ones present. remember they were at the entrance of the town, meaning that the public could see and hear what was going on. Therefore, we have two men who need to settle a matter, we have ten elders listening to the matter on hand, and the town’s people watching all this going down. However, prior to Ruth requesting Boaz to redeem her, Boaz had no intention, even much less in the mind of the unnamed redeemer. This unnamed redeemer is not even mentioned until Boaz tells Ruth that there is a man in front of the line of him, yet this man never came forward before upon Naomi and Ruth’s arrival or during their time back in Bethlehem; hence, Ruth had to go gleaning because no one could provide for them; therefore, Ruth had to go pick up from the ground whatever was dropped or left behind by the field workers. Nonetheless, Boaz is interested in Ruth, and the only way an upright man can maintain his honor and integrity in the sight of the town’s people is by doing what is right. Thus, Boaz presents the purpose of the official gathering to the redeemer and tells him that Naomi wants to sell the land that was apportioned to Elimelech. Boaz has brought up the issue of redeeming the land of Elimelech according to Israel’s customs, and the town’s elders and people are witnessing the proceeding. The unnamed redeemer immediately jumps in to make the claim. Remember, before Boaz assembles the court, this unnamed redeemer is not mentioned or does anything about doing right by his kinsman Elimelech. It is not until Boaz brings up the topic of discussion through a formal court hearing that this man decides to make a claim. Think about it for a second: someone is offering an opportunity of a lifetime, that is, to double your land portion that would be added to your family’s name and later passed down your generations to your own line. Well, at least, this is what this man is thinking about. He is thinking of himself and his family: I buy the land, that means twice the amount of land, meaning twice the harvest, meaning twice the profits, and when I die, I leave twice as much as we were originally portioned. Again, this man is thinking in a very carnal way, rather than in a Biblical sense. Based on how the proposal was presented, only a fool would deny the opportunity of enlarging his land, future profits, and inheritance for his children.

Point 2: The Unworthy Redeemer Refuses to Raise an Heir for His Kinsman

And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” 6 Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.” 7 Now, this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. 8 So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal.

Explanation: Boaz presents him the opportunity to redeem the land, if he is not willing to then Boaz is next in line and he will. The unnamed redeemer jumps into a once in a lifetime opportunity, and in front of the town’s elders and people says to Boaz “I will redeem it.” Boaz’s reasons for redeeming the land are not the same as the unnamed redeemer. The only way Boaz can redeem Ruth is by redeeming the land, meaning invocing the levrite marriage. The unnamed redeemer doesn’t have Naomi or Ruth in mind, he just wants to buy the land and enlarge his estate. And Boaz, Boaz has enough, weather he enlarges his estate or keeps what he already have is more then enough for him. It will make no difference if he buys the land or not. However, Boaz being a honorable and noble man he wants to do things the right way, meaning levriate marriage. What is levirite marriage? “A levirate marriage is literally a “marriage with a brother-in-law.” The word levirate, which has nothing to do with the tribe of Levi, comes from the Latin word levir, “a husband’s brother.” In ancient times, if a man died without a child, it was common for the man’s unmarried brother to marry the widow in order to provide an heir for the deceased. A widow would marry a brother-in-law, and the first son produced in that union was considered the legal descendant of her dead husband.” And this is the difference between the unnamed redeemer and Boaz. One wants to enlarge his estate, while the other wants to raise up a heir for the deceased. Therefore, when the unnamed redemeer says in front of everyone that he will redeem the land he did not have Ruth in mind; therefore, Boaz finally brings her into the picture. In verse 5, Boaz tells this man “ “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” This request is noble and right thing to do for Elimelech and his sons, they are deceased, the closest kinsman redeemer needs to raise up an heir in order for that family’s name to continue. What does this mean? This means that the unnamed redeemer is to buy the land, marry Ruth, have a child with her and the first male from that redemption is to take the deceased family name, as well as, the land when the redeemer dies or the heir is of age to take the land and work it. So you can image, the unnamed redeemer must buy the land that will cost money, marry Ruth, meaning taking another wife, which is going to cost him money, along with Ruth is Naomi, which will cost money, have a child with Ruth that will cost money, raise the child which will cost money, work or pay someone to work the land which will cost time and money, and in the end, his children from his original family don’t get anything from all this investment. It was all to establish Elimelech’s line and ontop of that he as the biological father now has to inheirt some of his estate to the child, because in the end he did fathered that child. It is for this reason, that the unnamed redeemer back tracks, walks back his former comment “I will redeem it” to “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance.” His intention to redeem the land was for his own benefit, until it was brought to his attention that he needed to honor the levirite marriage, that he was not willing to do. To us the levirite marriage was an ancient Jewish tradition, to honor it was considered honorable and noble, becuase I just told you all that it entails to raise up an heir for someone else. Yet, this man was not honorable, noble, but unworthy. The town’s elders and the people witnessing this court hearing possibly had some unkind thoughts going through their minds about this man. Therefore, he passes his right as the kinsman redeemer to Boaz, he takes off his sandal and gives it to Boaz, which signal that a settlement was reached.

Point 3: The Worthy Redeemer Accepts to Raise an Heir for His Kinsman

9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. 10 Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.” 11 Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, 12 and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

Explanation: Boaz accepts the sandle and calls for the elders and the people’s attention, to verify that they have witness the settlement. No coercion, tricks, force was used to get this man to allow Boaz to redeem the land. The unnamed redeemers selfish intention were put in display in front of the whole town, and Boaz came out ahead as the honorable, noble, and caring redeemer that he was. Boaz restates