Book of Ruth – Kinsman Redeemer

I think the main theme of the book of Ruth is the theme of the "Kinsman Redeemer". There are two things that strike me about this that I wish to bring up. The first and foremost is the idea of the kinsman redeemer. When Naomi and her family went to Moab they had sold her husband's birthright inherited land. The Jewish law made provision so that a close relative could redeem this land for the original family ownership to remain in that family. This idea of a kinsman redeemer is a small picture of what our redeemer does for us. Jesus is our kinsman redeemer and he redeems our souls. He also took upon him the form of a man so that he could be our kinsman. So Jesus is our true kinsman redeemer to redeem us from the penalty of sin.

It also strikes me that Naomi and Ruth grasp this concept In the book of Judges this is contrasted. Even the faithful in the book of Judges seem to be casting about and happening upon the truth occasionally. They seem to of lost their connection with the Jewish law and set about doing "that which is right in their own eyes". The book of Ruth never instructs us as to how Naomi knew this facet of the Jewish law. We are left to our imaginations. I think she grew up and listened to those who taught and remembered. Then when she went to Moab with her husband and sons her daughter-in-law Ruth saw something in Naomi that drew her to the Lord. To me this is amazing that Naomi grasped the truth when so many in Israel could have but didn't. I think it says in Proverbs "buy the truth and sell it not". Naomi knew about the kinsman redeemer and gave Ruth testimony and Ruth believed. This reminds me of verse it says "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God". We see these workings in Naomi's life even though we do not see directly how she learned them. She passed on something to Ruth and that is how faith works. One person's faith passes on to others so that they see Jesus and come to faith in him as their redeemer!