Jesus, our Redeemer, and the Bridegroom are intertwined and foreshadowed in the book of Ruth through the story of Boaz and Ruth.
The story begins with Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi, and the death of her two sons: Ruth’s husband and also Naomi’s other son. In the culture of the day, women who had been widowed were left vulnerable. They were often without provision unless they remarried or were cared for by their son or other family members. Naomi had no sons left, and her daughters-in-law had no children, so she gathered her two daughters-in-law together and tearfully released them. She encouraged them to remarry, and she would return to her homeland. You can tell there is love between them. One daughter agrees and goes home, and the other is Ruth. She declares complete loyalty to her mother-in-law even though it means she is giving up her chance of a promising future. She tells Naomi that wherever she goes, she will go too, and she declares that she will join her people and serve her God.Ruth is not Jewish by heritage, so when she chooses to return with Naomi to her people, she will also be an outsider.
Ruth is choosing a very difficult life to remain with Naomi. Back in Naomi’s homeland, Ruth provides for Naomi by picking barley from the leftovers in Boaz’s field. He notices her and protects her by telling his workers to leave her alone and not harm her. Ruth is not Jewish by heritage, so when she chooses to return with Naomi to her people, she will also be an outsider. Ruth is choosing a very difficult life to remain with Naomi.
Back in Naomi’s homeland, Ruth provides for Naomi by picking barley from the leftovers in Boaz’s field. He notices her and protects her by telling his workers to leave her alone and not harm her. Boaz also instructs his workers to let her continue to glean the fields, and he even instructs them to leave some barley that is easy for her to collect. Through a series of events orchestrated by Naomi, Ruth goes to Boaz and tells him that he is a guardian redeemer to their family.
In those days that meant that Boaz had the right to all of the property of his relative.To redeem or save it, he also had to take Ruth to be his wife. Which he did willingly and gladly! He turned Ruth and Naomi’s sorrow into joy when Ruth had a son. And that son was part of the genealogy of Jesus. To redeem is to pay the price for someone, to restore them, to pay a ransom, or to pay off a debt for someone. Boaz was Ruth’s guardian-redeemerr because, based on Levitical law, the close relative of a deceased man was responsible for paying off all debt to buy back his property as well as receive the man’s widow as his wife so that she would be restored to protection and provision. The marriage was a new covenant.
Boaz redeemed Ruth and restored her dreams and those of her mother-in-law, Naomi. These two women were destitute, without a family, without provision other than collecting leftovers in the field, and without any children. Boaz redeemed them by marrying Ruth who was a foreigner from the land of Moab.
Ruth lost everything when her husband died. Whatever land he owned was lost. Any dream of having a new husband was lost when she didn’t return to her own homeland, because for a Jewish man to marry her in that culture was rare. Her first husband was Jewish, but he was living in the land of Moab. Now she was in the Jewish territory of Bethlehem. She didn’t fit in. She didn’t belong, and the culture was difficult for foreigners. But God. Through Boaz ALL was redeemed.
And how amazing is it that she bore a son in Bethlehem, and then many, many generations later another son was born in Bethlehem as well! This was a huge redemption! Through marriage, he grafted her back into the Jewish faith AND the lineage of Jesus. She becomes the mother of Obed, and her grandson is Jesse, and her great grandson is King David!!!
And, through the lineage of King David, Jesus came! God used Ruth, a foreign woman, not a Jew to be the great grandmother of David and ultimately in the genealogy of Jesus Christ!Our Guardian Redeemer was born in that same town of Bethlehem! Our redeemer who would save us from our sins, pay our debt in full, redeem earth by canceling the curse against it, and restore humanity back to original design.
Jesus has redeemed you and me. He has paid our price and restored us. He removed our shame and sorrow and has given us joy in it’s place.How beautiful is God’s ability to redeem hope when all seems lost. He redeems and revives lost dreams, relationships, and futures. When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you are redeemed. God has redeemed your story! He bought you back at a high price so that you can live life and life abundantly!
God has redeemed your story!
Redeemed your past.
Redeemed the trauma.
Redeemed your life and has snatched you from the plans of the enemy and bought you back at a high price so that you can live life and life abundantly!
Dear Lord,
Your plans are perfect and so beautiful. Thank You, Lord, that You can redeem anything we lay down and surrender to You. Thank You, Lord, for paying the highest price to redeem us from the bondage of death, sin, and condemnation. You made a way when it seemed there was no way. Thank You, Lord, for choosing us and re-writing our story to reflect Your plans for us! Thank You for Your goodness, abundance, peace, joy, and the power of the Holy Spirit! Remember that You came to earth from heaven to redeem us once and forever.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
