RUTH
In Ruth He is “our
Kinsman Redeemer.”
Boaz was a
“kinsman-redeemer.”
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the
corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."
Ruth 3:9 NIV
The concept of the kinsman-redeemer is an important
portrayal of the work of Christ.
There are four criteria that qualify a
kinsman-redeemer.
1.) The one must be related by blood to those he
redeems. Christ shared in our
humanity, and His Blood in our spirit-man keeps us spiritually alive unto God.
Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their
humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death
— that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery
by their fear of death (Heb 2:14-16 NIV).
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have
seen His Glory, the Glory of the One and Only, Who came from the Father, full
of Grace and Truth (John 1:14 NIV).
2.) A kinsman-redeemer must be able to pay the
price of redemption. We are redeemed by the precious Blood of the Lamb.
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as
silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to
you from your forefathers, but with the precious Blood of Christ, a Lamb
without blemish or defect (1 Peter 1:18-19 NIV).
3.) A kinsman-redeemer must be willing to
redeem. The Son of
Man came to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to
minister, and to give His life a ransom for many (Matt 20:28 KJV).
4.) A kinsman-redeemer must be free himself. Christ was free
from the curse of sin.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for
our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to
his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his
mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her
shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall
declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for
the transgression of my people was he stricken.
And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his
death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief:
when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he
shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied:
by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear
their iniquities.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he
shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul
unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of
many, and made intercession for the transgressors (Isa 53:5-12 KJV).