Ruth 2:20
Boaz Is One of the Closest Relatives
To Naomi, the name of Boaz is a new ray of light in her dark circumstances. In her hopeless situation she is suddenly reminded of Boaz, the blood relative, the Redeemer. She should have known that in him there is salvation, but she has forgotten him. God makes sure that she gets in touch with him again. Mentioning his name suddenly opens the blessing of the LORD for her. Ruth has faith, Naomi has knowledge. Naomi sees the kindness of the LORD to the dead, that offspring could come, and therefore kindness to the living. His kindness to the dead means that everything He promised will be fulfilled by Him to their offspring. He will do so through the ‘close relative’ or the Redeemer. As soon as eyes are turned to Him, hope appears with all consequent blessing.The word here translated as ‘close relative’ is literally ‘redeemer’. The word comes from family law. The word contains the meaning of demanding back, buy out, release, redeem. The person of the redeemer occurs in four connections:1. The redeemer may reclaim a piece of land; he may redeem it from someone who bought it from the original owner (Lev 25:25). Thus, the land will be ransomed (Isa 63:16-18) in relationship with the remnant, who will again be put in the possession of their inheritance. 2. There is also a meaning of redeeming people who have sold themselves out of poverty (Lev 25:48-49). They can also be ransomed (Isa 43:1; Isa 51:11). God buys back His people from all the nations of the earth. 3. The redeemer also releases debt. We see that with the blood avenger (Num 35:16-27), that is literally a blood redeemer. What does he redeem? He redeems by killing the killer (Isa 47:3-4). 4. The redeemer is also the one who releases his brother’s wife from childlessness – the duty of a husband’s brother (Deu 25:5-6). Boaz will redeem Ruth (Rth 3:13). He will not redeem something for or on behalf of Ruth, the inheritance, but herself. This makes him both her redeemer and her husband. These are also the relations in which the LORD stands to His people (Isa 54:5). To Naomi, Boaz is still “one of our redeemers”, not yet the only redeemer. She is similar to people who have a high appreciation of the Lord Jesus, but for whom He is not yet the unique Redeemer (cf. Mt 16:13b-14). But she is on the right track.
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