The one who redeems us

In the relationship of Boaz and Ruth, we see a beautiful picture of how Christ redeems us.

Here we have a woman named Ruth, widowed, poor, and nothing to offer, yet coming to Boaz and basically asking him to marry her. She said to him,

Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer. (3:9)

That might seem a strange way to propose, but even in modern orthodox Jewish weddings, a bridegroom covers his bride with his prayer shawl, its tassels at each corner, to symbolize his taking her into his care.

And that’s what she was basically saying, “Please take me into your care.  Be my husband.”

There was a problem, however.  The right to marry her belonged to another relative.

This is another custom that seems strange to us, but in those days, if a man had no sons to carry on the family name, one of his female relatives (usually his wife, but in this case his daughter-in-law) would marry a close relative and have children through that marriage.

This man she married was called a kinsman-redeemer.

The children that resulted from this marriage would not belong to the husband but to the deceased man.  And these children would be the ultimate inheritors of the land and the family name of this deceased man.

But in Ruth’s case, another man had first rights to marry her and take on the property and land that came with her.

Fortunately for Ruth and Boaz, the man refused to do so, possibly because he was already married.  And so Boaz bought the rights to marry her and take on the land with his own money.

Now Ruth was no longer a penniless woman with no hope for her future.  She now had a wealthy husband who loved her and cared for her, who gave her a future and a hope.

Ruth and Boaz had a son named Obed.  Obed had a son named Jesse.  And Jesse had a son named David who became king of Israel.  And it was through this same David’s line that Jesus, our ultimate redeemer, came.

Now, in the same way that Ruth came to Boaz, we come to Jesus with nothing to offer but ourselves.  And we can do nothing but ask him to take us under his protection and love.

And not only does Jesus do this, but he he paid a price to do so.  He died on a cross to take the punishment for our sins and shed his blood.

Now through his blood, all of our sins are washed clean.  And because of our relationship with him and his love for us, we too have a future and a hope.

As Ephesians 2:12-13 says,

Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ…without hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.