“And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit, there is a kinsman nearer than I”– Ruth 3:12 (KJV).
Following the death of Elimelech and his two sons and the return of Naomi with Ruth the Moabite who cleaved to her to follow her to Bethlehem and identify with her people and her God, there was the need for one to redeem the late brother’s household. To redeem is to buy back that which originally belonged to the family but was lost, due to the cold hand of death. There are certain conditions to meet, to qualify one to be a kinsman redeemer.
He must be a near kinsman to the late man.
He must be able to redeem the person
He must be willing to redeem.
When the need to redeem Ruth arose, Boaz explained that there was one more qualified to redeemed her seeing there was a kinsman nearer to Elimelech than him. He approached the nearer kinsman in the presence of other elders informing him of his right to redeem Ruth.
Although, the man was a nearer kinsman, he would not take responsibility for fear that he could mar his own inheritance. He declared he could not redeem Ruth and Elimelech inheritance. Boaz accepted to redeem the inheritance seeing he was in position and was willing to do so.
What the law could not do, Jesus did for us. The law could not help us even though it was aware of our predicament, it lacked the capacity to do so but grace did. What the law could not do, God sending his son, did for us.
To qualify to redeem us, Jesus came as a seed of Abraham, identified with us by taking on flesh; he became our kinsman meeting the first condition. He was tempted at all points, yet without sin so he will be able to deliver as seeing he was spotless. A sinner could not have delivered the lost man. To meet the third condition he said “then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do they will” Hebrew 10:7(KJV). Notice that he was not forced to do so, he willingly offered himself, seeing that the blood of bulls or rams could not redeem man. “For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” – I Peter 1:18-19(KJV). Not even the angels were qualified because they are not kinsmen; neither were they able to redeem. “For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham” – Hebrews 2:16 (KJV).
Prayer: Thank you Jesus for redemption
Rev. Vincent Diolu