Kinsman-Redeemer

 Read Ruth 2

Leviticus 25:47-55

And so we come to a term not used much in the Bible, but of importance to us. The term is kinsman redeemer. To understand it, we need to understand the word redeem.

To redeem is to compensate for something in one definition, but the concurrent definition is to regain possession of something. For instance, you pawn your guitar because you are a musician, and if you want to be a good musician you have to do this at least once in your lifetime if you want the lyrics to come later on.

You get your hundred bucks from the pawnbroker, which just happens to be what you told your wife you paid for the instrument, and you receive a pawn ticket.  What’s the ticket for?

You may redeem your guitar with this ticket and a specified amount of cash. You have the right to redeem the property within the specified time.

Back in the day, when you finally filled that book with S&H Green Stamps, you could redeem them for a toaster, or an oven mitt, or a Corvette—if you saved enough.

You could be redeemed by a close relative, if somehow, you had sold yourself or your property because they were out of money. Most of the instructions involve calculating the time between the redemption and the Year of Jubilee, and thus the price of redemption.

A kinsman redeemer could also be a brother who stepped into the role of a deceased husband to give his brother’s wife a child.  

And so we come to the fact that every Christian must wrestle with: Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law. The law was not and is not bad, but it was obtainable only by Jesus. We do our best to do what God wants us to do, but we continually fall short.

We fall short of complying with the law.

We fall short of getting close to the intent of the law.

We fall short on those things that God tells us to do as he answers our prayers.

We fall short of putting the words of our Master into practice.

We fall short of taking the yoke of our Master and learning from him.

We fall short on so many things, but God did not leave us there. He does not leave us there.

But we are redeemed.

The person who was not able to make it in the world and had to sell property or themselves just to survive could be redeemed. The redeemer did not have to ask how did you get into such a mess?

That question may come later or that discussion may have transpired already,  but at the point of redemption, all that matters is relationship and means. Are you a close relative and do you have the cash? The transaction required a close family relationship and some cash.

Whether the one being redeemed was just a hard luck story in progress or the sum of consecutive bad decisions did not come into the equation. Are you a close relative and do you have the means?

If the guy in debt or otherwise without means was a real bum, the kinsman redeemer might not want to redeem him or might just seize the opportunity to increase his holdings.

We see Christ as our Kinsman Redeemer. He is Savior, Lord, Master, Friend, Priest, Intercessor, and more. But he is our Redeemer as well.

He is bringing us into his Father’s family as was intended all along. That makes us kin and Jesus is our Kinsman-Redeemer. We are now related by blood, blood that was shed for our atonement.

This Kinsman Redeemer concept is part of taking care of your family. God does this and continues to do this. We take care of our families on a regular basis.

We need to have eyes to see those who are in our family. It’s growing with each profession of faith.

God is redeeming people from all over the world every day. He is redeeming people right here in western Oklahoma as well. We must welcome them and disciple them and be brothers and sisters to them for they are now kin.

The story of Ruth continues with what approaches something of a courtship. It concludes with Ruth coming into the line of David and the Christ. It is good to know stuff.

Today, my challenge is to take this simple story and give you a challenge or charge to apply in today’s world. How about this?

You are redeemed. God thought you to be worth enough to pay a huge price to reclaim you from sin and death and bring you into his kingdom. You have been redeemed from your sin and death because of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He took the sin of the entire world upon him and died in our place.

You have been redeemed!

So, whenever you are feeling good, don’t forget to thank God for your redemption.

Whenever you are feeling down and out, don’t forget to thank God for your redemption.

Whether you feel up or down, always be inclined towards thanksgiving for we have been redeemed.

We have been redeemed. God has said that you matter. While humankind was given over to sinful ways, Christ died for us. You matter.

We are redeemed in the blood of Jesus.

We are redeemed!

Let us continue to invite others to be redeemed and join the family of faith.

We are redeemed!

Amen.

Who are these people?

 

Read Ruth 2

Leviticus 25:47-55

What have we gotten ourselves into? Ruth looks like a short book, but do we know if it’s history or just a story, perhaps a story with a lesson.

If it were fiction, what would be the significance of Ruth coming into the line of Christ? So if we hold the line of Christ which we have canonized in our Bibles, should we not also hold this story as historical as well?

There is a lot of stuff out there. I’m going with this as an account not a work of fiction for some teaching purpose. The Good Samaritan didn’t end up in the lineage of David or Christ. That’s a story with a purpose which also happens to be a parable.

Ruth, I put it in the historical category. It is part of the story of God and his people. Yes, we are an odd bunch now and again and again and again. Perhaps that’s why I am drawn to the Cumberland Denomination. I didn’t say church. The church belongs to Jesus, but those of us who come to the building that says Cumberland Presbyterian Church are an odd bunch.

If you don’t believe me, I keep notes. It’s good to come to a place where I feel at home.

So who are these people from 3100 years ago?

Who is Ruth?

·       Widow.

·       Daughter-in-Law to Naomi, Elimelech’s widow. I will add a faithful daughter-in-law from what we can glean from the scriptures.

·       From pagan ancestry. The false god Chemosh was the main god of Moab. There are some parallels to Molech and Baal, but Chemosh appears to be a separate god, not just another name for one of the many others.

·       Foreigner now that she is in Judah.

·       A stranger in the land (but Naomi is not).

Who is Boaz?

·       A man of some standing in his community. That would be the Jerusalem and Bethlehem area.

·       Relative of Naomi on her husband’s side.

·       God fearing man.

·       Man of compassion.

·       I will add, concur or not, that his heart was taken at the first sight of Ruth.

What does Boaz see in this pagan girl whom he has never met before?

·       Loyalty, noted specifically towards her mother-in-law.

·       A solid work ethic. She isn’t begging. She is working.

·       A caretaker. Ruth provided for Naomi and her needs.

·       Something godly that prompts Ruth to do good again and again.

·       A relative. Even though there is no blood relationship, Boaz treats Ruth like family from early on.

Who is Chemosh?

·       Pagan god, sometimes considered the god of victory.

·       A national god. Chemosh is often considered to be Moab’s god.

·       On a peer level with Baal and Molech.

·       A god who is out of the present picture. There is no pressure here to worship him or be alienated from her own people.

Who is Naomi’s God?

·       He is the one true God. Jehovah, Yahweh, Elohim. He is the great I Am!

·       And now, Ruth resides among his Chosen People.

·       And now this God of Abraham—who was Lot’s God as well, though it didn’t continue for long with Lot—is Ruth’s god as well. 

·       Your God will be my God!

This could have been a daytime soap set for sure but it turned out to be a story in which God provided every step of the way. What a clear-cut story. You all should feel guilty about getting off so easily this week.

Did you notice that Ruth caught Boaz’s eye early in the story? I think the whole Kinsman Redeemer thing worked out well for Boaz.  He will soon enough throw in Ruth as his wife in addition to redeeming Naomi’s land.  I hope that you have read the whole book and I didn’t spoil it for you.

Did you notice that despite having a first-chapter attitude from hell, Naomi’s advice and direction to Ruth have been very sound?  Naomi can surely see her part in God’s plan for her, and yes, it’s that part that women love so much—match-making.

This is the connecting part of the story. It’s a courtship with no flowers or good night kiss, but with plenty of anticipation. Ruth is on Boaz’s radar and Ruth is on her way into the line of Christ.

Naomi and Ruth will be redeemed by Naomi’s Kinsman-Redeemer.

We are redeemed by our Kinsman-Redeemer! That's Jesus, in case you needed a reminder.

So as you had an easy week of reading, I will include an easy takeaway. It’s a simple challenge.  Just remember:

You are redeemed!

You are redeemed!

Let us praise the Lord, we are redeemed, in spite of ourselves.

You are redeemed!

Amen.