Today’s reading is Ruth 4.
The book of Ruth is packed full of learnings about loyalty, faithfulness, and trusting in God’s plan through challenges as laid out by other Bible Journal writers this week. In Ruth 4 we get to the culmination where Boaz acts as redeemer and purchases Naomi land. Then, he marries Ruth, who stood by Naomi, and they have a child Obed who is the part of the bloodline of Jesse, David, and ultimately Jesus.
So, what is a redeemer or kinsman-redeemer? This is laid out in Leviticus 25:25. A redeemer is someone who buys land back on behalf a relative who had to sell land due to hardship. They do what that person cannot do for themselves. In Ruth 4:14 other women said to Naomi…
“Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel.’”
We know that a some generations later, from the same bloodline, God gave us our ultimate Redeemer, Jesus. Maybe some way and someday Naomi could have bought the land back on her own, but Jesus did for us what we could not do for ourselves when He became our Redeemer for our sins. No other human who has ever lived is without sin and could do what He did for us which now gives us the guarantee of forgiveness of our sins and eternal life in Heaven with God the Father as long as we believe in Him and ask for his grace which we could not earn.
As I read the glory given to God in Ruth 4:14 above for Boaz, Naomi’s redeemer, I could only think of similar glory given by the angels after Jesus’ birth in Luke 2:14…
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among those with who He is pleased.”
Both verses praise a redeemer with Luke 2:14 praising our ultimate Redeemer who was foreshadowed in Ruth 4.
Let us do the same and praise our Redeemer, who did for us what we could not do for ourselves!
We are redeemed!