Devotion #4: Kinsman Redeemer

Lesson Three • Redemption of the Family

Devotion #4: Kinsman Redeemer

Sierra Combs

I am always amazed when I hear of people who choose to skip over the Old Testament in favor of the New Testament because they think that is the only place Jesus is. While, of course, He does not enter the earthly scene until the book of Matthew, the fact is that Jesus Christ is written on every page of the Bible. All throughout the ancient texts, we can clearly see God weaving the beautiful tapestry of His plan together, all making way for the Messiah. We see shadows and glimpses of Jesus through the imperfect people in the stories we know so well. In Abel, we see one who would suffer for righteousness sake and in Job, we see a righteous sufferer. In Abraham, we see a stranger in a foreign land, and in Joshua, we see one who would lead his people to the Promised Land. Joseph would be exalted and save his brothers, and Moses would lead his people out of captivity. David was a shepherd King, and his son Solomon was a King of peace. None of these things were coincidental. They all point to Christ, who He is, and what He would one day perfectly do. Today, in the book of Ruth, we see another beautiful foreshadowing of Christ as the Kinsman Redeemer.

We first see the concept of a kinsmen redeemer introduced in the book of Leviticus. Basically, their job was to redeem, or buy out that which was lost by their relative, whether that be their freedom, property, or name. In the book of Ruth, we find two women, both recently widowed, left with nothing, and in great need of redemption. After losing her husband and two sons, Naomi decides to return back to her hometown of Bethlehem. One of her daughters-in-law decides to stay put, and the other, Ruth, decides to go with Naomi. They arrive in Bethlehem with no income and no support, having lost all possessions and property. Being completely destitute, Ruth went out to the fields to collect leftover food for them to eat, where she “happened” to come upon the field of a man named Boaz, who also happened to be a relative of Naomi. He noticed her immediately and showed her extreme favor and generosity. Ruth 2:10-13 records, “Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, ‘Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?’ But Boaz answered her, ‘All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!’ Then she said, ‘I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.’”

After being fed until full and given more food to take home, Ruth went back to Naomi and told her everything that had happened. Naomi was hopeful as she knew that Boaz was one of her family redeemers. Now, the process of redemption was not an easy one, and the role of the redeemer was costly. Many requirements had to be met. The redeemer must not only be family (kin or of “the same kind”), they had to be willing. They also needed to be financially able to follow through with the transaction, and the price needed to be paid in full. This would have been a hefty price and lofty consideration, and yet Boaz went out of his way to lawfully redeem Naomi’s property and name. Ruth 4:9-10 tells us, “Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, ‘You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech [her husband] and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon [her sons]. Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place.’”

The story of Ruth is not just a fairytale love story. It is an actual historical event that would go on to change history. After Boaz and Ruth were married, the Lord opened her womb to conceive a son. This son, Obed, would be the grandfather to King David, and through David’s family line would eventually come the Messiah!

The story is also another incredible foreshadowing of Christ as our Kinsman Redeemer. He met all of the requirements. Jesus willingly left Heaven’s throne and became flesh, to become “our kind,” and now calls us family. Not only was He able to redeem us by living a perfect sinless life, He willingly paid the price in full through His death on the cross. We were lost, destitute, and without hope when He lavished us with love and generosity, bought us with His blood, and redeemed us once and for all. Praise the Lord, our Savior and Redeemer!