Kinsman Redeemer

Intro

We don’t use the word “redeem” very often today

It reminds me of using coupons!

Talk about how I love Karen’s thriftiness of price matching and redeeming coupons

While there are many different senses of the word today, they all spur from the same root:

To redeem something is to exchange or buy back for money

It can also mean ransom or deliverance from evil (be bought back)

Redemption is directly in our view as we continue the love story of Ruth and Boaz

Ruth has thrown herself at the feet of Boaz (literally) and asked for him to redeem her

LIterally, to buy her back from poverty and uncertainy by way of marriage

Boaz has agreed to do this for Ruth, but one hurdle remains:

There is a closer relative to Elimelech/Naomi that has the first right of redemption

Boaz must ask him first, and then follow through with his promise to Ruth

The Story

Boaz heads straight to the city gate

This open location was bustling and busy; a good chance he would meet this kinsman

Also the location where business and legal matters were dealt with

Sure enough, the potential redeemer shows up at the gate

Boaz convinces him to stop and talk

He also collects 10 elders to be part of this conversation

Elders were well respected and could hand out judgement if necessary

Here they are acting as upstanding witnesses; 10 was quite a few

Boaz wanted everything done by the book; no room for error

Once everyone is in place, Boaz presents the situation to his kinsman

Read Ruth 4:3-4.

What he mentions first is that Naomi is selling some land

Pastor, I thought you said she didn’t have anything!

Couldn’t own it or afford to keep it; interm period where the land is now going to be redeemed (bought back) by a close relative

Notice that Boaz says nothing of Ruth yet (smart on his part)

The potential redeemer agrees to buy the land

Perfect! Cheap land to add to his estate and give to his heirs

Right after he agrees, Boaz thickens the plot by dropping the “detail” that redemption of the land would include redeeming (marrying) Ruth

Read Ruth 4:5-6.

Clever Boaz! This changes everything for his kinsman

To redeem Ruth was “in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance” (v. 5)

Would be required to give Ruth an heir to carry on the family name of Mahlon and Elimelech

Instead of being an addition, this would threaten the estate of someone with existing heirs

The land gained would have to go back to Ruth’s heir; in addition to having more children competing for the inheritance

He cannot redeem; he leaves that opportunity for Boaz

Now that the decision has been made, everything needed to be finalized

The potential redeemer kept to custom (took of his sandal and gave it to Boaz)

Instead of a handshake, or signature, you get a sandal… ew!

Then Boaz appeals to the 10 elders (and all who were watching) to witness this transaction and make it official

Which they all readily agree to do

Read Ruth 4:9-11a.

Lastly, the elders pronounce a blessing on Boaz, Ruth and their future marriage

Read Ruth 4:11b - 12.

They ask for Ruth to be able to have children, just like Rachel and Leah (for Israel)

They ask for Boaz to act worthily and be well respected (as he already was)

They ask for their children to be like Perez, son of Tamar and Judah

Which… is complicated. And I don’t want to preach on it

Perez was an ancestor of Boaz (who was from the tribe of Judah)

Perez came from a similar (yet very different) situation where customs of levirate marriage were needed after his father died

God can use messy situations (Perez) and foreigners (Ruth) to accomplish His plan

God Redeems His People From Bondage

Last week we talked about how the relationship between Boaz and Ruth is meant to be understood as an example of the relationship between God and His people

Like Ruth, God’s people have had times of poverty, need and the call to humility

Like Boaz, God goes above and beyond in His generosity to His people, and He alone is capable of redeeming them from evil and hardship

Likely one of the reasons this story was recorded many years later (likely during the exile); to remind the people of God that He alone is able to redeem them

Not a new idea in the OT; God redeems His people from bondage

Cf. Isaiah 44:21-23.

Remember: to redeem is to buy something back; make it your own

In Isaiah we see that God will redeem His people from bondage in Babylon

He will buy them back; bring them back to Himself

More to the point, Isaiah declares that God will redeem His people from the bondage of their sins

Re-read Isaiah 44:22.

Of course, this was the heart of the issue and reason for exile in the first place

God has promised to buy back His people and bring them out of the darkness of sin and into relationship with Him

Just as Boaz paid the price to redeem Ruth and establish a relationship with her

This is God’s character; He is a Redeemer

Jesus is Your Redeemer

If we are to agree that redemption means to buy something back, a significant question remains: What price did God pay?

In Isaiah 44 he promised redemption from the bondage of sin, but how could this be?

Things cost a LOT these days

Talk (and make fun) of choosing to not fix everything on our vehicles anymore

I can only imagine what the price of redemption from sin must be

The price wouldn’t be money (Isaiah 52:3 “For thus says the Lord: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.””)

No, the price of redemption would be paid by God’s own Son upon the cross

He suffered and died to pay the price of our sins, and bring us back to God

The prophecy in Isaiah had this in mind too; follow along in Isaiah 53 as we read about the suffering servant:

Read Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

It is in Christ alone that the promises of God to His people (seen in Isaiah) come true

That’s the big picture; it’s also much more personal: Jesus is your redeemer

Cf. Galatians 4:4-7.

Redeem those under the weight of the law (the weight of sin)

For the purpose of becoming a child of God

Abba = Daddy

Talk about the joy it brings me to hear my boys call me daddy

You are loved by God, you are a child of God, and the price has been paid to make this possible

Share how I understand that sometimes it is difficult to embrace this truth

And as a redeemed child of God, we are co-heirs with Christ

Boaz redeemed Ruth to provide an heir that would continue to the family line

What is the inheritance of Christ? As the firstborn of the resurrection, it is nothing less than eternal life

Pray

Benediction

I want to leave you with one last word of truth from the book of Isaiah (chapter 43:1)

Read Isaiah 43:1 “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”