Year of the Bible: Part Five of Twelve Sample

Redeemed and Recognized

Boaz kept his word to Ruth and approached the closer kinsman-redeemer with the opportunity to redeem the land of Elimelech. The other man agreed until he realized he would also need to marry Ruth! Boaz rejoiced and eagerly offered to marry her and redeem the land himself. He had seen the character in this woman and wanted her as his wife.

Boaz arranged to marry Ruth and fulfilled his role as a kinsmen-redeemer. This marriage led to Ruth being incorporated into the line of David and the Messiah. She was the great-grandmother of King David, whose line would lead us to Jesus. God gave loyal and loving Ruth the unique honor of being in a line of succession that her birth would never have given her. Her choice to follow the one true God gave her an opportunity she would never have had otherwise.

Boaz got the honor of redeeming a terrible situation and being a father in the line of Jesus. When God offers unconventional opportunities, our spirit gets to respond. We get to choose His way or our own understanding. Proverbs tells us not to lean on our own understanding (3:5-6). When we acknowledge that God has more knowledge and allow Him to lead, we end up in unimaginable places!

Question: Would you have agreed to be the Kinsman Redeemer to a foreigner? What would make you say yes or no?

Prayer: Ask God to give you ears to hear Him calling. Ask Him for His wisdom in place of your own. He loves to give wisdom liberally.