Redeemer!

Ruth 2:20

²⁰ “The LORD bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our closest relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.”

Observation:

            Naomi’s husband has died; her two sons have also died. She has traveled back to Israel to the land of the husband’s family in hopes of surviving. This is no small task for her as with the loss of her husband and sons she has no position in society. Both Naomi and he daughter-in-law Ruth are widows. In the male dominated society they lived in, they have now become lower than a slave.

            Nevertheless, Boaz one of Naomi’s closet kin, on her husband’s side, has taken a liking to Ruth. He discovers that she is family and orders his servants to treat her kindly, in fact he instructs them to leave extra grain for her to glean. Naomi explains to Ruth that he is a guardian-redeemer. This is one who would pay an obligation or debt of a family member if for some reason they could not fulfill their obligation.

Application:

            In Ruth we see the strength of a young woman who lovers her mother-in-law. She loves her so deeply she abandons the opportunity to go home. Earlier in the chapter, she whole-heartedly commits herself to Naomi, and Naomi’s God, Yahweh. She cries, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay” (Ruth 1:16-17). Ruth is an image of the one who has fallen in love with Jesus. When one believes on Jesus a deep sense of devotion floods his/her heart. When one fully, turns from all selfish ambition, with no plans for a future a part, with only a steadfast commitment that he/she will stay with Jesus whether in life or death.

            Boaz becomes the image of the Savior. Jesus seeing our great need makes away for us to have life, and life more abundantly. The life Jesus promises is not one financial, or possession prosperity. The life of abundance flows from the great love that fills our hearts. The agape image of God fills our life and we find that have more than we could ever hope for, in him. Jesus is our redeemer. He looks at our hopeless condition and stepped in to meet our need. What Jesus paid was his life.

            It is wonderful to stop the story there if that is all there is to it. After all, why not, we can stop here and look at how blessed we are. The image of God with in us does not stop to merely change our situation and condition; rather, it flows through us moving us to assist in changing the situation and condition of others. We become like Jesus. We become like Ruth & Boaz. We love with a persistence, and we meet the need of others in hopes of lifting them out of their situation.

Prayer: Jesus, you are my redeemer. You have bought me and rescued me from my hopeless situation. You forgave me, and cancelled the debt I owed. Thank you for loving and saving me. Forgive me for my failure in reciprocating this action to others. For those who I have held as indebted to me. O’ Lord forgive me debts and I forgive my debtors. Strengthen my feeble heart so that I may offer you redeeming grace to others. - Amen