Ruth: Redemption

Ruth – Redemption

Ruth 2:20

1. Introduction – We only read one verse this morning because it introduces us to a major them and an important concept in the book of Ruth.

a. Redemption, along with God’s hesed – his covenant faithfulness and loyalty – are major themes that run throughout all four chapters of this book.

i. We’ve seen God’s love and faithfulness displayed in almost every section so far…and now we are starting to how God redeems his people.

1. If you’ll recall from last week – redemption means to buy back, to settle a debt or to protect.

a. Last week we learned that redeeming something or someone came at great personal cost to the redeemer.

i. We also saw last time that being a redeemer wasn’t obligated.

1. We’ll see in a couple weeks that there is actually a redeemer who is closer in relation to Naomi than Boaz.

b. But this man counts the cost and concludes that it is too costly an endeavour to pursue.

2. Boaz wasn’t obligated to bail out Naomi and marry Ruth – he chose to do so…and today we’ll catch a glimpse as to why he did.

b. So what we are going to do is look in depth that this phrase “one of our redeemers.”

i. Some translations say ‘family redeemers’ others say ‘kinsman redeemer.’ I will most likely use those terms interchangeably this morning – hopefully it doesn’t confuse you.

1. We are going to ground this concept in Israel’s history. Why is this role so important?

a. We are going to examine the specific roles a family redeemer was to perform.

i. And as we close, we’ll how this idea and concept affects our lives today.

2. Grounding It – So in order to understand this concept of a family redeemer – we have to gain a working knowledge of Ancient Israel’s relationship to its land.

a. The actual physical space that was occupied by families generation after generation.

i. We have to grasp how important the land was…and when we do that – we’ll see why this family redeemer was so important.

1. And in order to understand the importance of land in ancient Israel – we have to go back to the beginning…

a. To the very beginning…in the beginning God…created the heavens and the earth.

ii. The earth – the physical space – belongs to God. Genesis 1 says that God created it all by speaking. Psalm 24:1-2 says that the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.

a. Psalm 95 says “the sea is his, for he made it – and his hands formed the dry land.”

i. In Israel there was the understand that God made the earth and it all belongs to him.

iii. However – even though the earth is the Lords’ and everything in it – he created human beings and he have the first people a mandate – rule the earth and subdue it.

1. God created humans – not to be autonomous kings, but to be his vice-regents.

a. But, it didn’t take long for humanity to buck against authority.

i. Humanity had a hard time submitting to God’s rule and reign.

2. Evil soon ruled and reigned in God’s land – humans chased the illusion of autonomy – humans rebuked God’s creation mandate.

a. And in the first 11 chapters of Genesis evil proliferated so much that God twice had to take drastic action.

i. First with a flood in the days of Noah, and then with the confusion of languages after the tower of Babel.

b. But God graciously called Abraham out of his home in Ur. God promised to give his descendants a relatively small parcel of land.

i. They were to be God’s people – they were to live in a restored relationship with their Creator.

1. And through their relationship with God, begin to reserve humanity’s plunge into self-destruction.

a. Abraham’s descendants would be a redeemed people that modeled commerce, justice and compassion.

ii. And this is what we see happening in the first 7 books of the Bible. The promise of descendants and land was given not only to Abraham, but to Isaac and Jacob…though none of them would actually see it happen.

1. After 400 years of slavery in Egypt, God led his people out from Pharaoh’s rule. God redeemed his people

a. But because of sin, they wondered in the wilderness for 40 years.

i. Until, under Joshua’s leadership, Israel finally took possession of the small parcel of land that God promised to Abe.

2. The people were to live on that land and model a redemptive community…

a. There in the land of Canaan, at the crossroads of civilization at the time…

i. And through their modeling of redemption…through being a redeemed community – God’s blessing would go out to all nations.

3. What Israel did on their land would draw nations to their God.

iii. But what Israel was always aware of was that ultimately their land belonged to God…they were simply stewards of God’s land.

1. Land was a gift…a trust really. A swath of land given to each tribe, clan and family – but the land was not meant to be used for personal advancement.

a. Instead, the land was to be the stage on which God’s mission played out.

i. Or as one author put it – the land was to be an instrument of generosity.

c. However, even though they were God’s people – even though they were a kingdom of priests called to spread God’s blessing to the surrounding nations…

i. Even though they were a redeemed society…God’s chose people were still living in a fallen and sinful world.

1. And because they were living in a fallen world – there was no guarantee of success – and there was still the possibility that someone could fall into debt.

a. And if someone fell into debt – in order to meet financial obligations, he would more than likely have to sell some or all of his property…and then hire himself to work for someone else.

2. But what we need to understand is that Leviticus 25:23 – actually forbade permanent sale of land and transfer of ownership.

a. So even though he sold his land – he did not cease to be its rightful owner.

i. Instead – what the debtor would do is rent his land by selling its potential produce.

1. He sold future harvests and over time – this paid down his debt.

ii. So the debtor faced a difficult situation – one that I’m sure we all know a little bit about.

1. The debtor faced the seemingly insurmountable task of providing for his family’s daily needs…while also trying to pay off his debts.

3. Redeemer – So, because land was so important in Ancient Israel…because it was the stage on which mission and generosity played out…

a. What happened to the debtor? If he was renting out his land and selling off future harvests…what safeguards were in placed to ensure he could once against profit from his own land and provide for his family?

i. Well, for a debtor – the best case scenario would be for the year of Jubilee to be right around the corner.

1. The year of Jubilee happened very 50 years – and on that 50th years, debts were wiped out…no matter how large or small.

a. And all land that exchanged hands in that time was given back to the rightful owner – whose family ancestors previously inherited the land.

b. However, if the year of Jubilee was still a long was still a long way off…there was another safeguard in place.

i. There’s another way that compassion and generosity trumped profit and gain in ancient Israel.

1. This option was to receive assistance from a relative – a brother, uncle or cousin.

a. Or as Naomi calls Boaz – a family or kinsman redeemer.

ii. According to Leviticus 25:25 – the closest relative could buy back the right to the property’s future harvests…that would alleviate the debt.

1. And since this man bought a relative out of debt – since the debt he owed was wiped clean – because this man protected a relative from abuse – the position was known as a family redeemer.

a. An advocate for a vulnerable or destitute clan member.

i. The redeemer sought to restore wholeness and peace with the clan.

c. Now, I mentioned last week that being in the position of family redeemer was costly.

i. And it was costly because the OT law spells out a number of roles and duties that the family redeemer was to perform.

1. The redeemer was to buy back property once owned by an impoverished relative that was sold out of economic necessity.

a. To redeem impoverished relatives who were forced to sell themselves into slavery.

i. Family redeemers acted as the recipient of money paid as restitution for a wrong committed against a deceased relative…restoring clan wholeness.

1. Family redeemers assisted a relative in a lawsuit so that justice was done.

2. One of the mores serious roles of a family redeemer was to act as a blood redeemer – to avenge the killing of a relative – this against would restore clan wholeness and peace.

a. And family – what’s involved in our story – to redeem the wife of a deceased family member – in order to raise up the name of the deceased upon his property.

i. The family redeemer legally acquires the wife of the deceased.

3. And finally – a family redeemer was to restore a clan widow facing old age without anyone to care for her.

d. What I want you to notice about the family redeemer is that they can redeem both land and people…

i. But the goal and purpose of a family redeemer was about more than restoring land ownership to ancestral owners…

1. It was a reflection of something deeper than a mere physical relationship…the family redeemer was about covenant loyalty.

a. All Israelites were united with a common bond – they were all descendants of Abraham…they were all beneficiaries of God’s promise to Abraham.

i. They were united under their covenant with YHWH – he was their God and they were his people.

ii. And because of that…the bottom line in Israel wasn’t about capitalistic ventures or how much land or money one could amass – the bottom line in Israel was about covenant faithfulness.

1. Faithfulness to YHWH and his commands…and faithfulness to others. Taking care of each other – even the destitute and less fortunate members of society – these things took precedent over personal wealth.

e. Because the people of Israel had been redeemed by God…because they had all experienced redeeming grace…their relationships with God would show itself in caring for others.

i. And as a member of the covenant and redeemed community…Boaz had experienced God’s redeeming grace.

1. He knew God had rescued him from sin – given him a share of the Promised Land…and because God did that for him – his land was gong to be the stage for ministry.

a. He has already shown Ruth and Naomi generosity…and will do even more in the future.

4. God as Redeemer – A glorious opportunity would be missed today if we didn’t take time to reflect on God as Redeemer…God as our Redeemer.

a. God’s people have always been a redeemed people.

i. God redeemed his people from slavery in Egypt. While God made no payment in Pharaoh – he acted as Israel’s kinsman redeemer – to secure his people’s freedom.

1. He changed their circumstances in order to bring a world gone awry into conformity to his will.

a. After the exile in Babylon – God once against acted as Redeemer.

i. Once against, he changed their circumstances in order to secure their future.

ii. And, of course, we have to talk about Jesus our Redeemer.

1. If a kinsman redeemer came to the aid and defense of family members in regards to financial loss…

a. God, in the person of Jesus – has come to our defense and secure our deliverance from sin.

i. And as we talked about last week…our redemption came at a great cost.

2. God has always had a people who called by his name – a redeemed people…and he does everything necessary to create such a people.

b. And if God has gone to such great lengths in order to secure our redemption…we can trust him.

i. We have security in the eternal redemption that Jesus blood has obtained.

1. And because God has gone to those lengths – not only can we trust him, but we can call out to him in our troubles.

a. We remember that God acted redemptively in the past…and we can plead with him to do it again.

ii. And because of our redemption though Jesus – we too have an inheritance available to us.

1. The earthly family redeemer secured sustenance and protection for family members ravished by sin.

a. But Jesus – our resurrected kinsman redeemer provides us assurance that goes beyond life in this world and into eternity.

i. Jesus has secured for his people an eternal inheritance…and nothing can take it away from us.

5. For Us Today – and because God has gone to these lengths…we can trust him…we can cry out to him in our troubles…

a. And because God has done this for us…we are to act redemptively towards others.

i. Even though Jesus perfectly fulfilled the role of family redeemer – he calls his people to demonstrate that towards each other.

1. As a family redeemer would look out for the disadvantaged family members – so we as Christians must also look out for each other’s needs.

b. Scattered through the NT are these amazing statements that include the phrase ‘one another.’

i. Love one another, forgive one another, live at peace with one another…

1. Encourage one another and build each other. Bear one another’s burdens…

a. Because we share a common redemption, the NT tells us to that we have been adopted into God’s family.

i. And in a very real way – we are family…brothers and sisters…united under the banner of God’s redemption.

1. And since we are family – we should look for ways to act redemptively towards each other.

c. We may not have to buy back ancestral land…we most likely won’t have to marry a widow in order to fulfill a levirate marriage law…

i. Even though the circumstances will be different…God still calls his people to submit themselves to each other for the good of the covenant community.

1. And what submitting to each other looks like requires creative adaptation of those ‘one another’ passages I mentioned earlier.

ii. Loving one another will look different in different circumstances. Bearing each other’s burdens will again look different depending on the burden something is carrying.

1. Know this – your redemption – your salvation – wasn’t secured so you could be a passive spectator in God’s redeeming work in the world.

a. No, no, no – just the opposite. Your security in Christ – and the assurance you have of a future with God…has freed you up to ministry to others because God has lavished his grace on you.

d. We are to extend grace to others…because God has generously extended redeeming grace towards us.

i. And we will see this exact thing play out in the coming weeks as we come to the climax of our study through Ruth.