Kinsman Redeemer

For the past few days, everywhere I have looked I have seen a reference to Ruth in the Bible. It would bring a smile to my face because I know that story. From the time I was a child, I have been taught about the Moabite woman who refused to leave her mother-in-law, leaving the only home she had ever known to go to a land where she had never been, finding favor in the sight of a righteous man, marrying and raising up an heir to the name of her deceased husband. I've heard the parallels of Boaz and Jesus my entire life. So I had to ask myself why this story was becoming so prevalent for me right now.

When you begin to read the first chapter of Ruth, it says that Elimelech, his wife Naomi, along with his sons Mahlon and Chilion went from Bethlehem-Judea to Moab. The reason for this trip is not stated other than that they went, although there is speculation that the trip was due to famine in the land.  The next thing we read is that that Elimelech dies. Then it says that the sons take wives of the women of Moab and they live there for ten years.

We are not told what Maholn or Chilion did as an occupation, if they had wealth, if they were farmers or anything else. The next thing we are told is that they died, leaving their mother with no male heir and leaving their wives as widows, also with no heirs.

Naomi decides that she's been in Moab for long enough and that she will return to her home. After all this time, the famine which had sent them to Moab was over and there was now bread in Bethlehem-Judea.  She drew her duaghters-in-law to her and told them to return to their homes. Both declared their loyalty to Naomi saying they would go with her instead of returning home. Following an impassioned plea from Naomi in which she told them (my words here) look, I'm not going to have anymore sons in this life. Even if I got married tonight, conceived and had a son, are you really going to wait that long for him to grow up. No. Go ahead and cut your losses. Go back to your families and maybe you will be redeemed and given an heir.

It is at this point where Orpah hugged her mother-in-law and returned home to her family. It is also the last time we hear anything about Orpah in scripture. But Ruth was different. She clung to her mother-in-law, begging to be able to come with her. She had left her family to become one with her husband (the two shall become one flesh) and she vowed that her people would become hers and that she would even make the God of Naomi her God. 

Once the two ladies returned to Bethlehem-Judea, they had to find a way to fend for themselves.  With no man in their lives, neither had a job or a way of earning a living for the two of them. Introduce the premise of gleaning the fields. A widow could gather the grain which was left on the edges of the field or any that may have been dropped on the ground. This grain was considered not as good as what was gathered in the baskets so the landowners did not miss out from anything that was taken. 

Ruth goes out to glean so that she and Naomi can have something to eat and she just happens to end up in the field of Boaz. She knew no one in this town so there is no way this was a planned rendezvous. It wasn't a set-up to make him notice her. While the story of Ruth takes place in the Old Testament, this was still God at work, putting her into the position that she needed to find herself in. 

As Ruth gleans, the story continues that Boaz came to the field to check upon the reapers and the work they were doing.  He notices this woman gleaning in the field and questions the one who was in charge of the workers as to who she was. The boss man answered that it was the Moabite who had come with Naomi. He told Boaz how she had requested permission to glean behind the workers and told how she had been working all day. Due to the heat, she was resting in the house to recover a bit from the heat showing that she had already received favor in the eyes of the lord of the field. 

From there, Boaz told Ruth to not go to any other field but to stay in his. He also commanded that she would be protected from the young men who may come try to take advantage of her. He also told the lord of the harvest to purposely drop grain to the ground so that she could gather more. Boaz knew she was special but at this time, he didn't even know what was going to happen.

As Ruth went back home that evening with all she had gathered, Naomi could not believe what she had. It was well over a days gleaning, so she questioned her as to where she had been. When she said in the field of Boaz, I am sure that for the first time in a long time, Naomi had hope arise within her. She knew that Boaz was kin and could redeem Ruth, and ultimately Naomi as well.  Naomi instructed Ruth on exactly what to do and how to do it. As an obedient daughter-in-law, she did exactly as instructed. 

Boaz was an honorable man. While he knew that he was kin and able to redeem her, he also knew that there was someone who was above him in order who would be a closer relation and had the ultimate choice to take Ruth as his own. This other kinsman, while he wanted to take Ruth for himself, he did not want to raise up an heir for another man to redeem the family. He severed his rights of redemption and Boaz stepped to the plate.

Boaz was to Ruth what is known as the kinsman redeemer. Defined as a male relative who, according to various laws found in the Pentateuch, had the privilege or responsibility to act for a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need of vindication.

Throughout the entirety of this story, we have seen how Boaz served to protect Ruth, to provide for her and vindicate her from the death of her husband. As I said when I started writing, I know this story back and forth. They get married, have a son named Obed, who is in the lineage of king David and of Jesus. We see the redemption and how a Moabite who did not know God, came to a foreign land to follow a God she didn't know, to ultimately become part of His genealogy of His earthly incarnation. But I had to ask myself what all of this had to do with me. I had to ask myself some questions: how I compared to Ruth and who was my kinsman redeemer. 

So I asked how do I compare to Ruth? Well, the obvious one is that we are both widows. We lost the man who was our protector. We were both left without an heir. Neither Ruth nor I had children to carry on our family name. While Ruth was not a Jew and had to learn who God was, I am still learning what I believe coming into the Apostolic faith. I've had to learn to walk in places that I haven't had to, do things that were always handled by my husband, had to find favor with businesses that I was asking something of that I didn't know would happen or not. Those businesses were like finding favor with the lord of the harvest, they stepped outside of what was the normal to make the exception to the rule

If you go back and read some of the posts I have made in this season, I have been all over the place. I have praised God and exalted Him for walking me through, thanking Him for my peace. In the next, I am doubting and seem to be struggling with my own salvation.  There's been a dilemma for sure. The question for me that I have to answer is who is my closest kinsman? Is the world and things it has to offer me the closest thing that I have or is Jesus Christ with the Holy Ghost inside of me the closest? If I am true to the story of Ruth, I choose the One that has been there when the hard time started. 

As I was praying last night, revelation came that Jesus Christ is my kinsman redeemer. In my times of trouble, He is there. When an outside danger comes against me, He is there. He provides to keep me from failing. He intervenes when something rises up to come against me.

Just since Matt passed away, He has given me protection by keeping those who are perverts and trying to make passes at me at bay. When one went overboard in what he had to say to me, He provided someone with righteous indignation to silence the foul mouth. When danger came at me in the form of a deer running out in front of my vehicle, somehow the impact that was unavoidable resulted in only a broken headlight. When there have been some tight weeks waiting on payments and settlements from insurance, He has provided for every need. Things that I had been looking for and praying for since this time last year, I get called into the boss's office and asked if I would like for this to happen. 

The world with all of its wiles and charm may seem enticing, but it will take you in and leave you as it found you. If you are found in brokenness, you will be found in brokenness.  If you are found with nothing, you will leave with nothing. Just as the closest kinsman only wanted Ruth for her beauty and nothing else, the world will use you and leave you.

Jesus will never leave you or forsake you. If you come to Him broken, He will restore you. If you come to Him empty, He will fill you up. He is my Kinsman Redeemer and He will redeem that which the enemy has taken from me.