More to The Story - Chapter 9 - Ruth

BOAZ THE "KINSMAN REDEEMER"
 
"The LORD bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "He (Boaz) has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead." She added, "That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers." Ruth 2:20(NIV)

REFLECTION

In a tribal culture like Israel, family members were expected to take care of relatives. The next of kin, a male, played an especially important role in Israel, that of “kinsman-redeemer”. He could be called upon to fulfill three specific duties: 
1. To redeem property and or relatives. In Israel all property was a family possession, an inheritance that dated back to the time of Joshua. If land or a relative was sold to pay off debt, it was the kinsman-redeemer’s job to pay off the debt, thereby redeeming the land or relative (Lev. 25:24-30, 47-55, Jer. 32:6-15)2.

2. To provide an heir through marriage. If a man died without an heir, it was the surviving brother’s duty to marry the widow and provide an heir to carry on his inheritance. (Deut. 25:5-10)3.

3. To avenge the unlawful death of a family member.  

Boaz sought to fulfill this role for Ruth, not because he had to (another man was first in line) but out of love, because he wanted to. He felt it a privilege to marry Ruth.
 
Since the time of Jesus, Christians have seen Jesus foreshadowed in the Kinsman-Redeemer, Boaz. Can you see the parallels?

Prayer

“Lord, thank you for “buying me back” from the world of shattered dreams, false starts and bad endings. As wonderful a man as Boaz was, as much as he gave to Ruth and Naomi, his generosity pales in comparison to Yours. Lord I am grateful to You. Thank You.   Amen”


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