Victor Font

Under the law, when a widow requested a next of kin to perform the role of kinsman-redeemer, he was never forced to comply. He had to do it voluntarily. In fact, there were only three conditions that had to be met:

1. He had to be qualified as a kinsman;
2. He had to be able to perform;
3. He had to be willing.

In Ruth’s case, her kinsman paid the price to redeem her in accordance with the levirate law. But did you know, that as human beings, we also need to be redeemed? Our redemption is different from Ruth’s, but just like Ruth, we have a kinsman-redeemer who is qualified, able, and willing. And the best news is that He has already paid the price for our redemption. Our kinsman-redeemer is Jesus Christ and to receive His redemption, all we have to do is believe. Believe what, you ask?

Believe that Jesus is our nearest kinsman through His incarnation.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:—Romans 8:3

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.—Romans 8:29

Believe that He was like us in every way except that He never experienced sin:

Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.—Hebrews 2:17

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.—Hebrews 4:15

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.—2 Corinthians 8:9

Believe that He assumed our debt and paid it with His life.

Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.—Titus 2:14

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.—1 John 1:7

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.—1 John 2:2

But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”—Hebrews 10:12

Believe that Jesus is willing to redeem us

For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.—Mark 10:45

Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.—John 10:17–18

Believe that Jesus gave His life voluntarily and sacrificially as the vicarious or substitutionary atonement of our sin debt in obedience to God the Father as payment to release us from the bondage and penalty of sin.

Believe that Jesus paid the price in full and we can receive redemption if we choose to:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.—John 3:16

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.—Hebrews 4:16

Believe that the invitation for redemption by Jesus is open. Jesus is our nearest kinsman. It is our responsibility to come to Him and ask Him to redeem us.

In 2 Timothy 1:12, the Apostle Paul writes:

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

“I have believed,” is in the perfect tense in the Greek text. Paul is saying, “I have believed and my faith is a firmly settled conviction.”

God is keeping guard over him. “Persuaded” is also in perfect tense in the Greek. Paul had come to a settled persuasion regarding the matter. It is a fixed and permanent position. Nothing could move him from his belief.

I’ll never pretend that I know everything in the Bible, but there are some things of which I am absolutely sure.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.—Romans 10:9

You must ask Him to give you the righteousness.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.—Romans 10:13

If you’ve ever visited a Bible believing church, you’ve heard the Gospel preached. Chances are good that you’ve heard it, heard it, heard it, and heard it.

Do you realize you run 3 huge risks if you reject the Gospel. You are gambling with your eternal soul in three ways:

1. When you die, you don’t get a second chance. The moment you die every decision is over. Your destiny is sealed.
2. Just before Jesus Christ returns to this earth, which I believe we may see in our lifetime, 2 Thessalonians 2:11 is very plain. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

   If you have not responded to the Gospel by the time the Anti-Christ ascends to power, you will not get another chance.

3. When you finish reading this message and walk away from your computer tonight, you run the risk that the Holy Spirit who’s been dealing with you throughout this series will quit dealing with you forever.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;—Romans 1:28

That’s exactly what happened to Judas Iscariot. He had every single gift all the other Apostles had, but tonight he is burning in hell because he never made a conscious choice to trust God’s son.

(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)—2 Corinthians 6:2

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:—Isaiah 55:6

Today is the day of salvation, now is the accepted time. And to remind you in Luke 14, when Jesus gives the parable of the great supper.

For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.—Luke 14:24

What’s holding you back?

If you knew that the moment you stand up and go out your front door, you’d be damned forever, would you want Jesus to save you first?

If you knew that when you pillow your head tonight, somewhere during the night the death angel would come and take your soul out of your body, would you want Jesus to save you tonight?

If you knew that next time you ride in a car, you wouldn’t make it to your destination, would you want Jesus to save you before you pull out of the driveway?

Well, you don’t know when any of these things will happen. Now is the time to call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. If you want to learn a little bit more about what this all means, the please visit then Gospel page on this site.

True to his word, Boaz went to the city gate to find the closer kinsman and discuss the situation with him. In biblical times, city gates were central places of commerce and legal activity, as well as being part of a city’s protection against invaders. Important business transactions were conducted, court was convened, and public announcements were heralded at the city gates.

When Boaz sees his relative approaching, he calls out to him and then assembles a group of 10 men to witness their discussion.

Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.—Ruth 4:1–2

As the conversation progresses, Boaz asks him if he would redeem a parcel of land from Naomi that had belonged to Elimilech. The man readily agrees. In fact, he seems excited about it.

And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s: And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.—Ruth 4:3–4

Next, Boaz tells him that Ruth is part of the deal. Under the levirate law, redemption is an all or nothing proposition. This time, the closer kinsman balks and says he can’t do it.

Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.—Ruth 4:5–6

There are three meanings for the word can’t:

1. Not have the ability to do something;
2. Not have the ability to do something yet (as in learning a new skill); and,
3. Won’t

Let me illustrate. I can’t fly without mechanical means. I do not have the ability to flap my arms and go air-born. No matter how hard I attempt to, it just will not happen. I can’t fly.

Have you ever taught a child to ride a bicycle? While the child is learning, there are typically training wheels on the bike. When you think the child is ready to ride without the training wheels, you may be tempted to take them off. The child may reply, “Please don’t take the wheels off yet. I can’t ride without them.” The child is still learning and has not yet acquired the ability to ride without the training wheels.

The third way we use the word can’t really means I won’t. I love to go fishing. Let’s say one day you see me in my driveway loading my fishing gear into the trunk of my car. You love to go fishing, too. You walk up my driveway to say hello. I greet you and mention that I’m going fishing on Saturday and ask, By the way, are you doing anything Saturday morning? You think you’ve just hit the mother lode and that I’m going to invite you to come fishing with me. You reply, I’m not doing anything Saturday morning. What do you have in mind? I answer, Great! I need your help. Would you come over Saturday at 8am before I leave for the lake and help me move this sofa from the basement to the attic? Startled, you stutter,Ummm …I’m sorry, I just remembered I promised to take my nephew to the ball game. Maybe some other time.

What just happened here? When you thought the offer would be to your benefit, you readily willing to go along with me. When you found out that there would be work involved, hard work at that, you basically lied about what had to do. Your can’t actually means I won’t do that. I don’t want to. The same thing happened with the unnamed kinsman redeemer. He had the means to redeem the property, but when he discovered the transaction included Ruth, he backpeddaled and said he couldn’t do it because it would impact his inheritance. He doesn’t explain how or why, he just backs out of the transaction. Not only do we ever learn his name, but he’s never mentioned in God’s word again.

Things worked out great for Boaz and Ruth though. They married and had children.

So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.—Ruth 4:13

Not only did they have children, but they had a very special child. His name was Obed. Is Obed not familiar to you? Obed is the father of Jesse, who is the father of David. Yes, that David! Ruth is the great-grandmother of Kind David. As such Ruth is in the direct lineage of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.—Ruth 4:17

We could end the study here, but we’re not finished yet. In our concluding chapter, we’ll explore how this all relates to us today and why it’s so important.

And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.—Ruth 3:9–10

Ruth did not go after any young man, whether poor or rich. Above all, she preferred Boaz, her first husband’s kinsman. Boaz was Elimilech’s contemporary. He was probably about the same age as Ruth’s deceased father-in-law. Verse 10 substantiates that Boaz may have been restrained from pursuing Ruth because of his age. He might have gotten hold of the idea that this beautiful young widow might reject him. However, instead of being the least bit offended by the steps she had taken, he was relieved, and felt full of gratification on the one hand, and of gratitude on the other. In fact, as he accepts her proposal, he goes on to let her know that he thinks of her as a virtuous woman.

And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.—Ruth 3:11

There’s a twist in this love story, however. The levirate law requires that the nearest kinsman redeem Ruth. There is a closer relative to Ruth’s first husband than Boaz. Boaz needs to make certain that the closer relative isn’t interested in fulfilling the requirements of the levirate law before he can seal the deal, so to speak, with Ruth and Naomi. He tells her to go to sleep and he’ll follow-up in the morning.

And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman’s part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.—Ruth 3:12–13

Ever mindful to preserve the sterling reputation of this virtuous woman, Boaz sends her home early in the morning while it is still dark before people can know what happened and jump to conclusions about their relationship. He adds an extra blessing for Naomi and Ruth by giving them 6 measures of grain for their pantry.

And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor. Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.—Ruth 3:14–15

And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.—Leviticus 19:9–10

In this context the word glean means, to gather grain or other material that is left after the main crop has been gathered. Harvest time is a time of rejoicing amongst the Israelites. During the harvest, rich landowners shared their crops with the poor, orphans, and strangers. Landlords harvested the central portion of their fields and left the outer edges and corners to be gleaned by the poor. This custom derives from Leviticus 19:9–10. This is also how Ruth and Naomi survived. Ruth gleaned the fields of a rich man named Boaz who just happened to be a relative, or kinsman, of Naomi’s late husband Elimelech.

We’ve already talked about the “husband’s brother” or levirate law in part 1. In practice, this law extends much further than just a husband’s brother, it also includes the nearest of kin to the deceased. Ruth Chapter 3 begins with Naomi initiating the idea that Boaz should fulfill the levirate law with Ruth.

Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor. Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.—Ruth 3:1–5

It’s important to note that Naomi is absolutely not telling Ruth to do anything unseemly as some may suggest. We need to understand the customs of the day to fully grasp the solemnity of these actions. As the story continues, we see that Ruth obeys Naomi’s instructions:

And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.—Ruth 3:6–7

Many commentators infer that the phrase his heart was merry in verse 7 means that Boaz was drunk. This is not true at all. The Hebrew word rendered was merry, literally means was good. After an exhaustively hard day at work, doesn’t it feel good to you to come home, eat a nice meal, and retire for the evening? Boaz is no different. After the labors of his day, Boaz relished his simple meal. It was good to him and he supped to his heart’s content, enjoying the bounties of a gracious God with a grateful spirit. After he had eaten his full, he went to bed.

And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.—Ruth 3:8–9

Ruth observed Naomi’s orders, went and laid herself down, not by his side, but across his bed’s feet, fully clothed. She kept awake, waiting for an opportunity to tell her errand. When he awakened in the night, and perceived there was somebody at his feet, he asked who it was. She told him her name and then her errand, that she came to put herself under his protection,

Ruth’s modesty led her to account for her position by a reference to the law of kinship. She had rights, and she stood upon them. She knew that Boaz had correlative duties to discharge; but we may be sure that she would have never made the least reference to her rights, or to the correlative duties, had she not known that his heart was already hers.

Christianity is a Missionary Faith

Bible believing Christianity is—at its very core—a missionary faith. From the very beginning of the church age, our Lord’s command to Christians is the great commission.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.—Matthew 28:19–20

Indeed, this is seen in Jesus’ very last words to His disciples, as He departed into heaven:

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.—Acts 1:8

This command was taken literally after Pentecost. The early church turned Jerusalem upside-down. Mass conversions of the Jews are again and again reported, particularly of Jews in Jerusalem

In Acts 2:41, three thousand Jews are converted:

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

In Acts 4:4, there are five thousand:

Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

In Acts 5:14 multitudes of both men and women are added:

And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.

In Acts 6:7, the number of the disciples in Jerusalem has multiplied greatly:

And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

In Acts 21:20, Paul is informed about many thousands of believing Jews:

And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:

Jesus and the Jewish People

In Jesus’ ministry we see numerous situations in which He came to the Jew first. At the very beginning of John’s Gospel account, we are told that Jesus …came unto his own, and his own received him not.

He came unto his own, and his own received him not.—John 1:11

He ministered to and among the Jewish people:

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.—Matthew 4:23

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.—Matthew 9:35

Jesus ministered to non-Jewish people only in unusual circumstances. For example, there’s the Syrophenician woman in Mark 7:25-30 and the Roman centurion’s servant in Matthew 8:5-13. His primary directive was to first go to the people of Israel. When Jesus sent out the twelve apostles, He told them in Matthew 10:6, But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Our LORD Jesus Christ spoke of the Jewish people as the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and He commissioned His disciples to go and preach saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

After His resurrection, Jesus gave His disciples a similar command to go to the Jewish people. As before, they are to go out among the Jewish people with the message of salvation in Messiah Yeshua. But now there’s an addendum to that command. They also are to spread the Gospel message beyond the confines of the Jewish people and take it to the Gentiles as well. Luke 24:46–47 says:

And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Based on this and similar verses, many Bible believing preachers teach that evangelistic efforts should begin in their immediate surroundings before reaching out to the uttermost parts of the world. But with that little phrase beginning at Jerusalem, Jesus is clearly saying “to the Jew first.” Who else lived in Jerusualem but the Jews?

Conclusion

In this study, we’ve seen Paul boldly affirm:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.—Romans 1:16

As Christians, we are not to be ashamed of sharing the good news of the gospel with anyone. The fact remains that this good news came through the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.—John 4:22

Based on our Lord’s example and command, the gospel of Jesus Christ is first and foremost to go to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles. Christians owe a great debt of gratitude and our thanks to the Jews. Our entire spiritual heritage is derived from them. Indeed, we have been grafted into the olive tree of Israel, not the reverse.

For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou [Gentiles], being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;—Romans 11:16–17