The Redeemer (Ruth 3:12 - 4:12)

One of the great hymn writers of all time was Philip P. Bliss. Bliss and his wife were killed in a train wreck around Christmas in 1876. He was on his way to join D.L. Moody in an evangelistic campaign. Among the personal effects of Bliss were a set of words entitled, "My Redeemer." They were later set to music and have become one of the Church's most cherished hymns. When I read this portion of the Book of Ruth, I find myself singing:

I will sing of my Redeemer,
And His wondrous love to me;
On the cruel cross He suffered,
From the curse to set me free.

Sing, oh, sing of my Redeemer;
With His blood He purchased me,
On the cross He sealed my pardon,
Paid the debt and made me free.

Before us is a wonderful illustration of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus, and how He paid the debt and made us free. It is the story of how Boaz, as a kinsman-redeemer, redeemed Ruth. In our last study we learned about the role of a kinsman-redeemer. Now let's notice the only example of a kinsman-redeemer in the Bible.

[Ruth 3:12-18]
12 “Now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I.
13 “Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the Lord lives. Lie down until morning.”
14 So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”
15 Again he said, “Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then she went into the city.
16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her.
17 She said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ ”
18 Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today.”

[Ruth 4:1-12]
1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Turn aside, friend, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down.
2 He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.
3 Then he said to the closest relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech.
4 “So I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’ ” And he said, “I will redeem it.”
5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.”
6 The closest relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.”
7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel.
8 So the closest relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal.
9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon.
10 “Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.”
11 All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.
12 “Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

From this example we learn 3 things about our redemption.

1. THE REQUEST FOR REDEMPTION
Ruth had a need for a kinsman-redeemer. Likewise, we have a need for a Redeemer. The law had provided for her a kinsman-redeemer, and the Lord has provided for us a Redeemer. You might say that for both Ruth and us, redemption is for the taking.

First, we see Ruth:

A) Asking For Redemption
        Let's go back and look at a few verses that we considered in our last study. Notice Ruth 3:6-9, So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her. When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down. It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative.”

She said, "for you are a close relative.” She recognized Boaz as a kinsman-redeemer and requested that he be her kinsman-redeemer. Her actions were a custom of that day in which one asked another to be their kinsman-redeemer. She was asking Boaz to be her redeemer.

Ruth requested and Boaz responded. Notice Ruth 3:11, “Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.”

On Ruth's part it was as simple as that. All she had to do was ask. And when she asked, Boaz said yes! The Bible tells us in Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Salvation on our part is as simple as asking. We are told in John 6:37, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”

If we will ask Him, He will accept us. Salvation is as simple as that. We acknowledge that Jesus is the only Redeemer, and we ask that He be our Redeemer. To anyone that ever asked, Jesus has never said no!

We also see Ruth:

B) Assured Of Redemption
Ruth was assured of redemption by two things Boaz did. First, there was his promise. Notice Ruth 3:13,  “Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the Lord lives. Lie down until morning.”

Boaz assured her that he would do the part of the kinsman. He promised that he would take care of everything. All Ruth had to do was ask and everything else was up to Boaz. Ruth was to rest in his promise that he would redeem her.

I have heard people say something like, "If we do the best we can, then that will be enough, for that is all we can do." May I be very clear and say that doing the best we can is not enough. Furthermore, there is nothing we can do. Salvation is not based on what we do, but what He has done. Our part is to ask, and the rest depends entirely on Him. We rest in what He has done. Jesus took care of all that had to be done for our redemption.

The songwriters said it well:

Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling.

My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus blood and righteousness.

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe.

         Second, she was assured by his provision. Notice Ruth 3:15,  Again he said, “Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then she went into the city.

He gave her a token, 6 measures, (24 gallons or 88 pounds of barley) to assure.  He said, "I will redeem you and here is a small token to prove that I mean what I say."

        Notice Ruth 3:16-17 , When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her. She said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ ”

She walked in the next morning and Naomi asked, "How did it go, my daughter?” She was asking if she was the future wife of Boaz. Ruth said, "Look for yourself. What do you think?"

The Lord loads us down with proofs that we are redeemed. He gives us the evidence that we are His.  There is an internal proof. Something happens on the inside. There is an external proof. Something happens on the outside.

Both His promise and provision give us assurance that He has redeemed us, just as it assured Ruth that Boaz would redeem her.

Secondly, we see:

2. THE REQUIREMENTS OF REDEMPTION
In order for Boaz to become Ruth's redeemer, there were certain requirements. There were certain business matters for which Boaz was responsible.

First, the Kinsman had to be:

A) Worthy
I say worthy in the sense of meeting certain qualifications. For one thing, He had to be a relative. Not just anyone could be a redeemer. He had to be a kinsman. We read in Leviticus 25:25,  If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold.

Boaz met this qualification (Ruth 2:19-20). Boaz was a near kinsman, thus was qualified. Did the Lord Jesus meet this qualification? We read in John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

He that was God became man. He that was Divine became human. He became one of us. He became a relative of the human race. We read in Philippians 2:7, “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”

There was a day that the Lord of Glory forsook His royal chariot to alight on this earth. You could say that he undressed Himself. He gave to the clouds His white robe. He gave to the sky His azure mantle. He gave to the stars His jewels. He gave to the sun His brightness. He that was from eternity was embodied in human flesh, demonstrated in human life, and was crystallized in human form. He became kin to us!

Not only did the redeemer have to be a relative, but he also had to have the resources. He had to have the money and means to pay the price. He had to be rich enough.  Did Boaz meet this qualification? Notice Ruth 2:1, “And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.”  He was a man of wealth. He was financially able to be her kinsman.

Did Jesus meet this qualification? Was He able to redeem? Ephesians 3:20, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.”  Also we read in Hebrews 7:25, “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

He was more than able. He was a relative and He had the resources. When Ruth asked Boaz to be her redeemer, He said yes, for he knew that he could be her redeemer. Our Lord is qualified to be our redeemer.

When you look at the wonderful story of redemption, you see Jesus stepping into the situation; and He steps into it as a qualified, able redeemer.

Secondly, the kinsman had to be:

B) Willing
        Boaz was a relative and had the resources, but there was one slight problem. Notice Ruth 4:3-4.

Boaz was a near kinsman, but there was one that was nearer. The nearer kinsman was the first one in line to be Ruth’s kinsmen redeemer. Boaz said, "Ruth, if he chooses to redeem you, then I'll have to let him. But if he doesn't, then I will redeem you."

        Now notice how things happened. We read, "Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Turn aside, friend, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down (4:1-2).

        The first thing the next morning Boaz went up to the gate. The gate was the center of the life of a community and a city. It was the place where people met and fellowshipped. But more importantly, it was the place that cases were heard and contracts were made.

Boaz waited until the nearer-kinsman passed by and he hollered at him to turn aside and sit down. “I want to talk with you about something.” Then Boaz asked that the elders sit down. Boaz was asking for a court hearing. Boaz put the case before the elders and the nearer-kinsman.

        Then he said to the closest relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. “So I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’ ” And he said, “I will redeem it.” (4:3-4). 

Boaz told him about the situation. There was a parcel of land that Naomi had lost. He carefully lays out the details of the case. He reminds the nearer kinsman that he was the first one with responsibility of redeeming Naomi. Boaz asks if he would redeem the land for Naomi? He said, "Sure, I'll redeem it." 

        I'm sure Ruth's and Naomi's heart sunk when they heard him say "yes." But Boaz had a trump card up his sleeve. Notice Ruth 4:5, Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.”

        He says, "By the way, if you buy the land, you will also have to marry Ruth. She is the wife of one of Elimelech's sons." When he hears that, he changes his tune. We read, The closest relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it” (4:6).  When he realizes that a wife comes in the deal, he decides that he doesn't want to be a kinsman redeemer. Legally he was qualified, but personally he disqualified himself. He said, "I don’t think I want to do that"

        That opened the door for Boaz, the next in line to be a redeemer. He was both worthy and willing to be a kinsman-redeemer. Notice Ruth 4:7-10,  Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel.  So the closest relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal.  Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. “Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.”

Boaz says, "I’ll buy her." In those days the transfer of a sandal symbolized a change of ownership and came to be used as a sign of any agreement made and publicly witnessed between two parties. The nearer-kinsman pulled his shoe off and said, "Here, she's yours."

In our case there was a nearer-kinsman. That nearer-kinsman was the law. That law declared we were sinners. That law showed that we were sinners. That law showed that we needed a Savior, but it could not redeem us. But there was one that was both worthy and willing, both available and able.

Paul said in Romans 8:3, “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” 

Our flesh is a nearer-kinsman. But our flesh cannot save us. But Jesus is able and willing! Praise God He was willing! He is the kinsman who was able and willing! He is our kinsman redeemer.

3. THE RESULTS OF REDEMPTION
We see two things that resulted from Boaz becoming Ruth's kinsman-redeemer and the results of our redemption.

First, there is:

A) The Position of the Saints Is Established
        Notice Ruth 4:11,  All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.

She is no longer called a Moabitess, but a woman. They express their wishes that she be like Rachel and Leah. the mothers of Israel. She has a new position in life. Redemption takes the outcasts and makes them part of God's family. It makes a sinner a saint. It makes a hell-bound sinner a heaven-bound saint.

B) The Praise Of The Savior Is Expressed
        Notice the latter part of verse 11,  and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.

They said in effect, "May you be praised for what you have done."  When we stop and think of what Jesus has done for us, the heart wants to sing out: "To God be the glory - great things He has done."