The Little Town of Bethlehem Part 3 – Kinsman-Redeemer

We are looking at the book of Ruth which I said is like Christmas in July. It is a great way to get ready for Christmas. There are a lot of amazing parallels between what is happening in the book of Ruth and the Christmas story. This week, we are going to talk more about Boaz and dig into what it means to be a kinsman-redeemer.

While Ruth and Naomi now have food (the famine problem has been resolved, there is bread in the House of Bread again), they are still not in a good place because they have no one to carry on the lineage, which will always leave them in a very precarious position. There is a way forward, however, by what is known as a kinsman-redeemer. The kinsman-redeemer was a close relative who was responsible to help a family member out in their time of need. If a family member became poor and had to sell off their land, the kinsman-redeemer was supposed to purchase the land back for them.

Leviticus 25:25 (NIV)
25 “ ‘If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold.

The kinsman-redeemer was also responsible to purchase back family members sold into slavery.

Leviticus 25:47–49 (NIV)
47 “ ‘If a foreigner residing among you becomes rich and any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan, 48 they retain the right of redemption after they have sold themselves. One of their relatives may redeem them: 49 An uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in their clan may redeem them. Or if they prosper, they may redeem themselves.

There was also the special case of a widow who had no children. If this situation developed, the man’s brother was to marry the widow, and the first son she bore to him would carry on the name of the dead brother so that the lineage of the family would continue.

Deuteronomy 25:5–6 (NIV)
5 If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. 6 The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.

Boaz steps us as the kinsman-redeemer for Naomi and Ruth. It is a loving response but also a costly one. How does this relate to the Christmas story? The Christmas story is the story of the most incredible kinsman-redeemer ever, Jesus. We will be tying all these neat threads together this weekend at Keys Vineyard Church. If you can’t make it in person, be sure to tune in online.

Steve Lawes is a church encourager and the founder of the Online Bible Institute.