Kinsman Redeemer

Ruth 1:1-6

Leviticus 25:10, Deuteronomy 25

Introduction: As we are here on this Communion Sunday, I want to explain to you what is commonly understood as a ‘kinsman redeemer’.

To understand, we have to go back to Leviticus to gather the necessary information about Sabbatical Years.

Question: What is a Sabbatical Year? What is a Year of Jubilee?

Leviticus 25 outlines the laws concerning the sabbatical year (every seventh year) and the Year of Jubilee (every fiftieth year) for the Israelites.

Every seven years – It includes provisions for rest for the land, the release of debts and slaves, and the restoration of property.

Key aspects of Leviticus 25:1-7 – provides instructions for the sabbatical year to be observed after the Israelites moved into the Promised Land.

Sabbatical Year (every seventh year):

The land was to be left fallow (unworked) and allowed to rest. Israelites were to live off what grew naturally, and debts were to be released.

Year of Jubilee (every fiftieth year):

This year was to be a time of great rejoicing and restoration. It involved the release of all land to its original owners and the freeing of all Israelite slaves.

Key to these years was the understanding of Redemption:

• If an Israelite sold land or became enslaved due to debt, a relative was allowed to redeem (buy back) the land or the person.

Restraints on Debtors:

• The laws also addressed the treatment of those who fell into debt, emphasizing compassion and fairness.

Treatment of Slaves:

• While the chapter addresses the release of Israelite slaves, it also mentions the ownership of non-Israelite slaves.

Justice and Compassion:

• The chapter as a whole emphasizes themes of justice, compassion, and social equality within the Israelite community.

The Jubilee year, in particular, was a powerful symbol of God’s grace and provision, aiming to prevent the accumulation of wealth and power in the
hands of a few and to restore social and economic balance within the community.

Transition: In the Book of Ruth we find an individual by the name of Boaz.

Ruth1:1-6

• The book of Ruth opens with a sad narrative about a Judean family: Elimelek, his wife Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, move to the pagan territory of Moab due to a famine in Bethlehem, their hometown.
  
  
• Soon after that, Elimelek died, leaving Naomi with the sons, who had both married Moabite women.
  
  
• Tragically, after ten years had passed, the sons of Elimelek died, too.

The widow Naomi later heard that “the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them” (Ruth 1:6).

• She decided to return home to Judah, and one of her daughters-in-law, Ruth, chooses to go with her. Notably, Naomi and Ruth turn up in Bethlehem just as the barley harvest begins (Ruth 1:22).

Ruth

• Ruth works in the fields as a gleaner, one who picks up leftover grain after the harvesters have moved through.
  
  
• “As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek” (Ruth 2:3).
  
  
• Boaz, who had already heard of Ruth’s care for Naomi, speaks to her and assures her that she will be provided for in his field.

Boaz then secretly tells his harvesters to leave behind some stalks of grain so that Ruth will have more to gather (Ruth 2:16).

That evening, when Naomi finds out that Ruth has been working in Boaz’s field, she identifies him as a close kinsman and one of their guardian-redeemers.

A guardian-redeemer, or kinsman-redeemer, is a relative who had the privilege or responsibility to act on behalf of a relative in need. A guardian-redeemer was one to whom an Israelite could turn in times of trouble. laws governing the guardian-redeemer are found in Leviticus 25:25 –55.

Ruth went to Boaz and let him know that she needed a guardian-redeemer.

Boaz told Ruth that he was pleased to offer her redemption, which would include marriage to her, but there was one relative who was closer in line to be the guardian-redeemer.

• The next day, Boaz met with the other relative and presented the situation.
• The man declined to marry Ruth, and Boaz then made a commitment in front of the town’s leaders that he would take Ruth as his wife (Ruth 4:1–10).
• Boaz and Ruth were married, and Obed was born.

In the role of guardian-redeemer, Boaz becomes a picture of Jesus Christ.

Transition / Application: “The word guardian-redeemer finds ultimate fulfillment in the coming of the Messiah (see Isa 59:20).

Jesus is our near guardian who came to buy us back into God’s family. In the New Testament the concept is reflected in the various words for redeem, which suggest paying a ransom, making a purchase or saving from loss”

Jesus as Kinsman Redeemer:

1. A kinsman redeemer was a male relative obligated to protect and provide for his family members who were in distress.

This could involve redeeming land that a relative had sold, marrying a widow to provide her with support and children, or simply offering financial assistance.

The concept is rooted in Leviticus 25 and Deuteronomy 25, which outline the responsibilities of a kinsman redeemer.

2. Boaz’s Actions as a Kinsman Redeemer:

Providing for Ruth and Naomi:

Boaz demonstrates his willingness to care for Ruth and Naomi by allowing them to glean from his fields and providing them with food and security.

Publicly Declaring his Commitment: Jesus and the Cross.