Jesus, Our Kinsman-Redeemer
Prayer for Understanding
O God, Your thoughts are not our thoughts, Your ways are not our ways. By Your Word and Spirit, open our minds and hearts to Your truth. By that truth, may our thoughts and lives become a greater reflection of Yours. Amen.
Steve Brown, in A Scandalous Freedom, shares a moving story about Abraham Lincoln:
One day, Lincoln visited a slave market and saw a young African-American woman being auctioned. He placed a bid, won, and became her "owner." The woman, filled with anger, likely thought, “Here’s another white man who will use me and discard me.”
Lincoln turned to her as they left together and said, “You’re free.”
Confused, she replied, “What does that mean?”
“It means you’re free,” Lincoln explained.
“Free to say whatever I want?”
“Yes, free to say anything,” Lincoln replied with a smile.
“Free to be whatever I want to be?”
“Yes, you’re free to be anything.”
“Free to go wherever I want?”
“Yes,” Lincoln said, “you’re free to go anywhere.”
With tears streaming, the young woman said, “Then I’ll go with you.”
Brown concludes, “This is what God has done for us. We have been bought with a price, the price of God’s own Son. We now have a new master, one who, once He paid the price, set us free.”
This story prepares us to explore the book of Ruth and how it reveals Jesus as our ultimate Kinsman-Redeemer.
Continuing from last week, we are studying the book of Ruth. Last week, we saw Naomi returning to her hometown of Bethlehem after a devastating season in Moab.
She had lost her husband and both her sons in a foreign land, leaving her with nothing but grief. Accompanying her was Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, who had also been widowed.
As they entered Bethlehem, the entire town was stirred. People whispered, “Can this be Naomi?”
Naomi was filled with shame and bitterness and replied, “Don’t call me Naomi (pleasant). Call me Mara (bitter), because the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.”
But Naomi wasn’t truly empty. Ruth’s love and loyalty would soon prove to be better than having seven sons.
As they settled down in Bethlehem, Ruth was committed to providing for Naomi, but in those days, there were no welfare systems, food banks, or safety nets for the vulnerable.
But by God’s providence, it was the beginning of the barley harvest. Ruth decided to glean in the fields—a provision in Jewish law that allowed the poor to gather leftover grain after the harvesters.
God’s law in Deuteronomy 24:19 reflects His tender care for the vulnerable: “When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”
Ruth happened to glean in the fields of Boaz, a generous, kind, and well-respected man from the clan of Elimelech, Naomi’s late husband.
When Boaz noticed Ruth, he asked about her and heard from his foreman how she had been working hard all day.
He had also heard the buzz around town about Ruth’s incredible loyalty to Naomi—how she had left her own family and land to care for her mother-in-law.
Boaz responded with extraordinary kindness. He instructed his workers to leave extra grain for Ruth to glean and told her to stay in his field, where she would be safe.
He even invited her to drink from the water jars prepared for his men—a gesture far beyond what was required.
This kindness revealed not only Boaz’s character but also God’s provision at work through him. Boaz treated Ruth with honor and dignity, a stark contrast to how Moabites—often viewed as enemies of Israel—were typically regarded.
His actions mirrored God’s heart, a God who welcomes and cares for those on the margins.
Ruth continued to glean in Boaz’s fields throughout the barley and wheat harvests.
God’s providence was quietly unfolding, planting seeds of hope for Ruth and Naomi, even when they couldn’t see the full picture yet.
This shows us that even in times of despair, God is at work, providing through unexpected people and circumstances.
His heart for the outsider and His provision for the vulnerable remind us that no one is beyond His care.
Today’s text begins with Naomi’s wise and strategic instructions to Ruth:
"Tonight, Boaz will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash, put on perfume, and dress in your best clothes.
Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.
When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”
To understand the significance of this, we need to step into the culture of ancient Jews. At the heart of this story is the concept of a kinsman-redeemer (Hebrew: go’el), a male relative with the responsibility to rescue and redeem family members in times of crisis.
Leviticus 25:25 outlines one of the key responsibilities of a kinsman-redeemer: “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 role was central to preserving family inheritance and lineage, which were deeply tied to Israel’s covenant relationship with God.
Whether it involved redeeming land, ensuring the family name continued or even marrying a widow, the kinsman-redeemer was expected to step in with selflessness and integrity.
Naomi recognized that Boaz, as a relative of her late husband, was in a position to become their kinsman-redeemer. She saw an opportunity for Ruth and gave her these instructions.
While the plan followed cultural norms, it was undeniably bold. Ruth, a foreigner and widow, was about to make a daring move.
That night, after Boaz had eaten, drunk, and gone to rest on the threshing floor, Ruth quietly approached him, uncovered his feet, and lay down.
In the middle of the night, Boaz awoke, startled to find a woman at his feet. "Who are you?” he asked.
Ruth responded, “I am your servant, Ruth. Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer.”
This phrase, “spread the corner of your garment,” was essentially a marriage proposal — a request for protection, provision, and redemption.
Boaz was moved by Ruth’s courage and loyalty.
He didn’t see Ruth as a foreign widow or a burden but as a woman of noble character.
He affirmed her request and was willing to become her redeemer.
This moment reminds us that God’s plans often require boldness, faith, and trust. Ruth took a leap of faith, and Boaz responded with integrity.
However, there was a complication: another man, a closer relative to Naomi’s family, had the first right to redeem the land and marry Ruth.
Boaz, ever honorable and wise, decided to handle the matter tactfully, setting the stage for the next chapter of this story.
In chapter 4, Boaz went to the town gate, the place where legal matters were settled.
He approached the nearest relative, saying, “Naomi is selling a field that belonged to our relative. Since you are the closest kinsman, you have the first right to buy it. What do you say?”
Initially, the man was eager to redeem the land. Acquiring more property meant increasing his wealth and influence.
But then Boaz revealed an important condition: “By the way, if you buy the land, you must also marry Ruth, the Moabite widow, to carry on the family line of Mahlon, Naomi’s late son.”
Hearing this, the man hesitated. He realized the cost and responsibility involved. Taking Ruth as his wife might jeopardize his inheritance or complicate his family dynamics. He declined, saying, “Buy it yourself.”
There are several possible reasons for his refusal:
- If he already had a wife and children, adding another wife could divide and complicate his estate.
- Marriage to a Gentile, especially a Moabite, might harm his reputation (Deut. 7:2–3).
- Deuteronomy 23:3 prohibited Moabites and their descendants from entering the assembly of the Lord, further complicating the situation.
Whatever the reason, he passed on the responsibility.
This freed Boaz to fulfill the role of the kinsman-redeemer. He willingly took on the cost with kindness.
Verse 13 tells us: “So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son.”
The townswomen celebrated with Naomi, saying, “Blessed be God! He didn’t leave you without family to carry on your life. May this baby grow up to be famous in Israel!
He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.”
What an incredible story of redemption!
But if it ended here, it would simply be a beautiful love story.
Yet, the Book of Ruth is so much more.
It’s a glimpse into God’s greater plan of redemption through Jesus Christ.
In Chapter 4, verses 16-17, we see God’s purpose unfolding. Ruth and Boaz’s son, Obed, becomes the father of Jesse, the father of King David. And 27 generations later, through this very line, Jesus Christ is born.
Ruth, a Moabite, was an outsider—poor, widowed, and hopeless. Yet through Boaz, her life was transformed.
She became part of God’s covenant people and was brought into the lineage of King David—and ultimately, Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
Her name is engraved in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1, forever a testament to God’s grace.
Ruth’s story mirrors ours. Like her, we come to God, broken, unworthy, and in need of redemption.
Jesus, moved by lavish love, willingly paid the price to redeem us, not with silver or gold, but with His precious blood.
Through His sacrifice, He restores our relationship with God and gives us a new identity as His children.
This is the heart of the Gospel: we are redeemed by grace, not because of anything we’ve done, but because of what Jesus has done for us.
Today, as we celebrate Christ the King Sunday, we remember that Jesus is not just our Redeemer – He is also our King.
Boaz’s kindness and justice foreshadow the perfect reign of Christ. As our King, Jesus doesn’t rule with oppression but with sacrificial love and mercy. He restores what is broken, brings healing, welcomes outsiders like you and me, and secures our eternal inheritance.
Like the freed slave who chose to follow Lincoln, let us follow Jesus, our King, and Redeemer, with hearts full of gratitude.
Friends, do you grasp the depth of your redemption?
Remember, you were bought with the priceless blood of Jesus.
You are free—free to live, love, and serve as part of God’s family.
May we, like Ruth, place our lives in the hands of our Redeemer and King, trusting His power to transform even the unworthy into the most precious and cherished.
May we live as those redeemed by His grace, embracing His unfailing love, and sharing His hope with a broken world.
Let us pray.
Gracious Lord, thank You for the beautiful story of love and redemption. Through Boaz and Ruth, You reveal how You grafted us into Your family and redeemed us through Jesus Christ, our perfect Kinsman-Redeemer.
Fill us with Your steadfast love so that we may be Your hands and feet, bringing hope and compassion to the poor, the lonely, the broken, and the lost. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.