Our Kinsman Redeemer

I'm sure we're all familiar with the book of Ruth.  Elimelech took his family out of Bethlehem because of the famine. He heard things were a little better in Moab. In time he died. His two sons married Moabite women. Then the sons died leaving only the women. Naomi urged her daughters-in-law to return to the families  Ruth loved Naomi and told her "Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried." They headed back to Bethlehem.

When the people saw Naomi they knew her and called her by name. She said to call her Mara because the Lord had dealt bitterly with her. She had gone away full and came back empty. Naomi sent Ruth to glean in the fields. While she was there Boaz saw her and asked who she was. He had heard about her, what a good woman she was and how faithful she was to her mother-in-law. He told her not to glean in other fields and to eat and drink with only his servants. He also told his servants to leave some grain on purpose for Ruth to pick up. Upon finding out where Ruth was gleaning and knowing that Boaz was a kinsman redeemer, Naomi told Ruth to fix herself up and lay at his feet when he came to the threshing floor that night. When he awoke he was startled; Ruth asked him to take care of her by what she was doing. This is how it worked in those days.

When serving God, He always has a plan and He carries it out. Boaz promised to do the same. He did what was required since there was another man closer kin that he was. Buying Namoi's land back sounded great to him until he was told he had to marry Ruth. He refused. Boaz was then clear to marry Ruth himself and take care of her. What a story here!  A Moabite woman married a man named Boaz; their son was named Obed. Obed's son was Jesse; Jesse's son was David.  She's in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

We don't have a Boaz, but we do need a redeemer. We've sold all we have to the devil; we're under his bondage. It is the bondage of death. Yet at the time appointed a Son was born to a virgin. He grew among the people in His hometown of Nazareth. He was like them. At the age of 30 He began preaching about redemption. The devil tried everything to break Him. In His weakness he tempted Him. Jesus did not break; He used the Word of God as a tool to withstand the devil.  Pilate was able to say he found no guile in His mouth. He was like us but without sin.

Jesus had been beaten unmercifully. The Jewish law says a man cannot be beaten over 40 times; the Romans had no such law. Jesus could have called for help at anytime. If He had done so, we would have no hope.  God told Jesus to do THIS and THIS is what He did. The devil can't deny it. Every soul cries out for a redeemer. Ours was born of man to be like us in order to be our kinsman Redeemer.

Boaz did the job to save Ruth and Naomi. Jesus did the job to save us.