Our Redeemer—the Lord of hosts is his name— is the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 47:4 ESV).
When we read the book of Ruth, we tend to see the marriage between Boaz and Ruth as something of a love story. And it was. It’s the love story between God and humanity.
In ancient Israel, property was passed on within a tribe from one member to another. If a man died and didn’t have any sons, his inheritance would pass on to his daughters. If he had no children, his inheritance would pass on to the nearest male relative (Numbers 27:8-11). The man’s widow would become the wife of that relative and their firstborn would be considered the dead man’s child (Deuteronomy 25:5-10).
The Kinsman-Redeemer
This process was known as the kinsman-redeemer or gâʼal, (pronounced gaw-al’). The kinsman-redeemer bought the dead man’s inheritance and restored his place among his people. Boaz, as much as we’d like to see him as a romantic hero swooping in to save the impoverished Ruth and the destitute Naomi, was a type of Jesus.
When Boaz stepped in to redeem Ruth and Naomi, he became a representation of what Christ would do for humanity. Boaz taught the Israelites that the Messiah would come and redeem them from sin. The lesson remains today.
Jesus is our Redeemer. We were lost because of sin and had no place in the inheritance of God. But Jesus paid the price so that we could once again be counted among the children of God (1 John 3:1).
My friend, God loved you so much that He paid with His life to redeem you from sin. I don’t want you to underestimate this sacrifice. When God created Adam and Eve, they belonged to Him because He was their Creator. Through no fault of His own, they were lost and had no share in God’s kingdom.
Redeemed!
Sin put a barrier between humanity and God that required a blood sacrifice because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Death became a certainty for humanity, but the death of a man could not reconcile him with God nor could the death of animals.
And that’s where Jesus comes in. The Son of God lived a perfect life on earth then He willingly died on our behalf. He became our Redeemer reclaiming what had been lost through sin.
We have been redeemed! No longer do we need to live as slaves doing the will of the enemy. We can choose a new way. We can choose the life that God has given us through His Son Jesus Christ. We can choose to act like people who have been redeemed.
Prayer
Father, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to redeem us. We were lost in sin but in Christ, we are found. Help us to live our lives in a way that reflects the gift of salvation that we have been given so that others may come to know You through us. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.
Pause to Reflect:
- Think about how it must have felt to to someone who had lost their inheritance because their spouse died.
- How may you have responded had you been in their shoes?
- How do you think that person would have felt when someone paid the price to have their property restored to them?
- Jesus is your Redeemer. What does it mean to you when you think about what it cost Him to restore what you had lost?
Other actions you can take: