Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.

I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.

I know that the last post was to address Boaz as the Kinsmen Redeemer, but I fell into the discussion on Boaz as the obedient Jew and couldn’t help pursuing that topic.

For this post, let’s consider Boaz as the Kinsmen Redeemer in relation to Ruth.

For you see, the legal hoops Boaz jumped through to perform that which was right was not merely a wealthy man seeking to expand his holdings, to amass wealth and increase his portfolio. This seems obvious for thoughout the book of Ruth, it seems he had a thing for that “worthy” girl, an eye on her that he couldn’t resist.

Yes she was not a Jewish woman, but she was a righteous lady, one who wanted join the faithful, those who trusted in the true God. And her actions showed that, (as it is with all believers) for she followed after Naomi into a strange land, accepting a lifestyle of servanthood for her mother-in-laws sake. That alone is an incredible statement of her character.

Ruth 2:11 But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before.

And Boaz saw this in Ruth, saw her character, her humility, her desire to serve Naomi, her willingness to glean the fields, a task left to the poorest of the poor.

Boaz, as the obedient Jew, performed all the righteous acts he needed to pave the way to getting to Ruth. He was obedient, but let us never forget the motivation spurring Boaz on.

Ruth 2:13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”

Love.

A love that would not let hurdles remain in his path. A love that required he buy the land of Naomi and out of that action, the hand of Ruth. He sought to fulfill the law of perpetuating the lineage of the family with a lady he favored, a lady named Ruth.

Ruth 4:9, 10 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon.
Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.”

Boaz married Ruth.

We too have a Kinsmen Redeemer, motivated by love for those unworthy, those who were poverty stricken, living the life of the poorest of the poor. He completed the task, but beyond mere obedience, His actions were motivated by a love that was resident in Him, a self sacrificing love that finds its’s source in the heart of God.

His love motivated Him to become our Kinsmen Redeemer.

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