Risk, Courage, & Unlikely Redemption
The Kinsman Redeemer: A Love Story That Points to Something Greater
There is a short book tucked into the Old Testament that reads almost like a dramatic miniseries. It has compelling characters, unexpected plot twists, a slow-building romance, and a theological depth that reaches all the way forward to the cross. The book of Ruth is, on the surface, a story about two widows trying to survive. But underneath that surface, it is one of the most powerful pictures of the gospel found anywhere in Scripture.
To understand it, you have to start at the beginning.
A Story Born in Bitterness
A man named Elimelech, whose name means "my God is king," leaves his hometown of Bethlehem with his wife Naomi, whose name means "pleasant," and their two sons. A famine has driven them out, and they settle among the Moabites, a pagan people on the other side of the Dead Sea. The sons marry Moabite women. Then Elimelech dies. Then both sons die. And Naomi is left alone in a foreign land with two daughters-in-law and no real future.
When she decides to return home to Bethlehem, one daughter-in-law, Orpah, stays behind. But the other, Ruth, refuses to leave. She makes one of the most famous declarations of loyalty in all of Scripture, pledging to go where Naomi goes, to live where Naomi lives, and to make Naomi's God her own God. It is a stunning act of devotion from a woman who owed Naomi nothing and had everything to lose.
When Naomi returns to Bethlehem, she tells her neighbors to call her Mara, meaning "bitter," because of everything she has suffered. And perhaps you know that feeling. Perhaps you have lived through a season so difficult, so stripped of everything you counted on, that bitterness felt like the most honest word to describe your life. The story of Ruth does not pretend those seasons do not exist. It begins right in the middle of one.
But bitterness is not where the story ends.
Character Before Appearance
As the story unfolds, Ruth goes out to glean in the fields, gathering leftover grain after the harvesters have passed through. This provision for the poor, rooted in Old Testament law, was designed to preserve dignity. Ruth was not receiving a handout. She was working. And it is in those fields that she comes to the attention of a wealthy and respected man named Boaz, whose name means "strength."
Here is what is worth noting about that first encounter. Boaz does not notice Ruth because of how she looks. He notices her because of her reputation. Word has spread throughout the community about this young Moabite woman who left her homeland and devoted herself to caring for her grieving mother-in-law. Her character preceded her. Her nobility was already known before Boaz ever laid eyes on her.
This is a thread woven throughout the entire story. Noble character attracts noble character. Ruth was not trying to turn heads. She was simply being faithful, and faithfulness has a way of being seen by the right people at the right time.
The apostle Peter captures this same idea when he writes that true adornment is not merely external, but is found in the hidden person of the heart, in a gentle and quiet spirit that is precious in the sight of God (1 Peter 3:3-4). This does not mean outward appearance is irrelevant. It means that if appearance is all there is, the depth simply is not there.
The Kinsman Redeemer
As the story moves into its third chapter, Naomi begins to counsel Ruth about a man who might be able to change both of their futures. Under Old Testament law, a close male relative known as a "goel," or kinsman redeemer, had the responsibility to step in and do for his family what they could not do for themselves. He could buy back forfeited land, redeem a family member from poverty, and in certain circumstances, marry the widow of a deceased relative to preserve the family name and inheritance.
Naomi recognizes that Boaz may be willing to fill this role. And when Ruth approaches him at the threshing floor in an act of cultural humility and submission, asking him to spread his covering over her, she is appealing to him to become her redeemer and provide a secure future for both herself and Naomi.
Boaz responds with warmth and integrity. He affirms her character. He calls her a woman of excellence. He tells her that everyone in the city knows she is virtuous. And then he makes a promise: if the one relative who stands closer in line chooses not to redeem her, then Boaz himself will do it.
A Picture of the Gospel
This is where the story becomes something far larger than a romance between two people in ancient Israel. The kinsman redeemer had to meet several requirements, and each one points unmistakably to Jesus Christ.
The redeemer had to be a family member. He had to be near enough to the one in need. Hebrews 2:17 tells us that Jesus had to be made like us in every way in order to become a merciful and faithful high priest and to atone for our sins. He became our kinsman by taking on flesh and blood. He stepped into our humanity so that He could step into our rescue.
The redeemer had to have the means to pay the price. First Peter 1:18-19 reminds us that we were not redeemed with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. Caring was not enough. The price had to be paid, and only Jesus had what was required to pay it.
The redeemer had to be willing. Boaz was not forced to take Ruth. He chose her. And Jesus was not coerced into the cross. He laid His life down willingly, declaring that no one could take it from Him (John 10:18). Galatians 2:20 puts it plainly, describing the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself up for us.
Finally, the redeemer acted to restore what had been lost. Colossians 1:13 tells us that God rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son. The kinsman redeemer secured the family inheritance and provided a future. Jesus does the same, not just for a season, but for eternity.
Placing Yourself Under His Wing
When Ruth asked Boaz to spread his covering over her, the most literal translation of that request is to take her under his wing. It is the same image found in Psalm 91, where God is described as a refuge whose faithfulness is a shield, under whose wings we find shelter.
That is the invitation that runs through the entire book of Ruth. It is the same invitation that runs through the entire gospel. The Redeemer is near enough to save. He is strong enough to save. He is willing to save. And He is loving enough to make us His own.
The only question that remains is whether we will place ourselves under the protection of the One who has come to redeem us.
There is a short book tucked into the Old Testament that reads almost like a dramatic miniseries. It has compelling characters, unexpected plot twists, a slow-building romance, and a theological depth that reaches all the way forward to the cross. The book of Ruth is, on the surface, a story about two widows trying to survive. But underneath that surface, it is one of the most powerful pictures of the gospel found anywhere in Scripture.
To understand it, you have to start at the beginning.
A Story Born in Bitterness
A man named Elimelech, whose name means "my God is king," leaves his hometown of Bethlehem with his wife Naomi, whose name means "pleasant," and their two sons. A famine has driven them out, and they settle among the Moabites, a pagan people on the other side of the Dead Sea. The sons marry Moabite women. Then Elimelech dies. Then both sons die. And Naomi is left alone in a foreign land with two daughters-in-law and no real future.
When she decides to return home to Bethlehem, one daughter-in-law, Orpah, stays behind. But the other, Ruth, refuses to leave. She makes one of the most famous declarations of loyalty in all of Scripture, pledging to go where Naomi goes, to live where Naomi lives, and to make Naomi's God her own God. It is a stunning act of devotion from a woman who owed Naomi nothing and had everything to lose.
When Naomi returns to Bethlehem, she tells her neighbors to call her Mara, meaning "bitter," because of everything she has suffered. And perhaps you know that feeling. Perhaps you have lived through a season so difficult, so stripped of everything you counted on, that bitterness felt like the most honest word to describe your life. The story of Ruth does not pretend those seasons do not exist. It begins right in the middle of one.
But bitterness is not where the story ends.
Character Before Appearance
As the story unfolds, Ruth goes out to glean in the fields, gathering leftover grain after the harvesters have passed through. This provision for the poor, rooted in Old Testament law, was designed to preserve dignity. Ruth was not receiving a handout. She was working. And it is in those fields that she comes to the attention of a wealthy and respected man named Boaz, whose name means "strength."
Here is what is worth noting about that first encounter. Boaz does not notice Ruth because of how she looks. He notices her because of her reputation. Word has spread throughout the community about this young Moabite woman who left her homeland and devoted herself to caring for her grieving mother-in-law. Her character preceded her. Her nobility was already known before Boaz ever laid eyes on her.
This is a thread woven throughout the entire story. Noble character attracts noble character. Ruth was not trying to turn heads. She was simply being faithful, and faithfulness has a way of being seen by the right people at the right time.
The apostle Peter captures this same idea when he writes that true adornment is not merely external, but is found in the hidden person of the heart, in a gentle and quiet spirit that is precious in the sight of God (1 Peter 3:3-4). This does not mean outward appearance is irrelevant. It means that if appearance is all there is, the depth simply is not there.
The Kinsman Redeemer
As the story moves into its third chapter, Naomi begins to counsel Ruth about a man who might be able to change both of their futures. Under Old Testament law, a close male relative known as a "goel," or kinsman redeemer, had the responsibility to step in and do for his family what they could not do for themselves. He could buy back forfeited land, redeem a family member from poverty, and in certain circumstances, marry the widow of a deceased relative to preserve the family name and inheritance.
Naomi recognizes that Boaz may be willing to fill this role. And when Ruth approaches him at the threshing floor in an act of cultural humility and submission, asking him to spread his covering over her, she is appealing to him to become her redeemer and provide a secure future for both herself and Naomi.
Boaz responds with warmth and integrity. He affirms her character. He calls her a woman of excellence. He tells her that everyone in the city knows she is virtuous. And then he makes a promise: if the one relative who stands closer in line chooses not to redeem her, then Boaz himself will do it.
A Picture of the Gospel
This is where the story becomes something far larger than a romance between two people in ancient Israel. The kinsman redeemer had to meet several requirements, and each one points unmistakably to Jesus Christ.
The redeemer had to be a family member. He had to be near enough to the one in need. Hebrews 2:17 tells us that Jesus had to be made like us in every way in order to become a merciful and faithful high priest and to atone for our sins. He became our kinsman by taking on flesh and blood. He stepped into our humanity so that He could step into our rescue.
The redeemer had to have the means to pay the price. First Peter 1:18-19 reminds us that we were not redeemed with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. Caring was not enough. The price had to be paid, and only Jesus had what was required to pay it.
The redeemer had to be willing. Boaz was not forced to take Ruth. He chose her. And Jesus was not coerced into the cross. He laid His life down willingly, declaring that no one could take it from Him (John 10:18). Galatians 2:20 puts it plainly, describing the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself up for us.
Finally, the redeemer acted to restore what had been lost. Colossians 1:13 tells us that God rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son. The kinsman redeemer secured the family inheritance and provided a future. Jesus does the same, not just for a season, but for eternity.
Placing Yourself Under His Wing
When Ruth asked Boaz to spread his covering over her, the most literal translation of that request is to take her under his wing. It is the same image found in Psalm 91, where God is described as a refuge whose faithfulness is a shield, under whose wings we find shelter.
That is the invitation that runs through the entire book of Ruth. It is the same invitation that runs through the entire gospel. The Redeemer is near enough to save. He is strong enough to save. He is willing to save. And He is loving enough to make us His own.
The only question that remains is whether we will place ourselves under the protection of the One who has come to redeem us.
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