kinsman redeemer

Ride or Die

Posted on by Betsy

Do you have someone in your life who is your “ride or die”? A ride or die friend or relative is one who will come to your side no matter what the situation. They are the first to call, the first to show up, the first to take your side, the first to defend you, and the last to leave. They are the person who will sit at the vet’s office with you for hours on a Sunday morning, call you 30 minutes after a particularly stressful meeting to make sure you’re okay, rush to your side with hot soup when you are ill, and always sends flowers for your birthday. I hope you have someone in your life like that, and I especially hope you are a ride or die for someone else.

In today’s lectionary passage, we meet a young Moabite woman who was a ride or die for her Jewish mother-in-law. Does that surprise you? Not everyone is blessed with a strong relationship with their mothers-in-law. I was, and I count myself very blessed. The story of Naomi and Ruth is an inspiration for any committed relationship between two people.

Naomi’s husband and adult sons have died, and so she and her daughters-in-law have decided to move to Naomi’s hometown. Watch what happens:

Ruth 1 (The Message)

8-9 After a short while on the road, Naomi told her two daughters-in-law, “Go back. Go home and live with your mothers. And may God treat you as graciously as you treated your deceased husbands and me. May God give each of you a new home and a new husband!” She kissed them and they cried openly.

10 They said, “No, we’re going on with you to your people.”

11-13 But Naomi was firm: “Go back, my dear daughters. Why would you come with me? Do you suppose I still have sons in my womb who can become your future husbands? Go back, dear daughters—on your way, please! I’m too old to get a husband. Why, even if I said, ‘There’s still hope!’ and this very night got a man and had sons, can you imagine being satisfied to wait until they were grown? Would you wait that long to get married again? No, dear daughters; this is a bitter pill for me to swallow—more bitter for me than for you. God has dealt me a hard blow.”

In Jewish tradition, women who were widowed at an early age could marry their husband’s brother to keep the family line going. But because all of her sons are gone, Naomi cannot provide husbands for these women. By urging them to leave her, she is offering them a second chance at life.

14 Again they cried openly. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye; but Ruth embraced her and held on.

15 Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law is going back home to live with her own people and gods; go with her.”

16-17 But Ruth said, “Don’t force me to leave you; don’t make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I’ll live. Your people are my people, your God is my god; where you die, I’ll die, and that’s where I’ll be buried, so help me God—not even death itself is going to come between us!”

This is some of the most beautiful language in the Old Testament. Wherever you go, I go. Wherever you live, I will live. Your people are my people! Such devotion and commitment is remarkable, especially in the context of an in-law relationship. Ruth had her heart set on staying with Naomi.

18-19 When Naomi saw that Ruth had her heart set on going with her, she gave in. And so the two of them traveled on together to Bethlehem.

We can see the Holy Spirit at work here. Naomi and Ruth move to Bethlehem, and you remember what happened in Bethlehem. Ruth eventually married Boaz, who became her kinsman redeemer. They had a son named Obed who had a son named Jesse who had a son named David, who became king. As Jesus was from the line of David, Ruth is forever remembered as one of Jesus’ direct ancestors.

This story points out another thing to us. We have someone in our lives who promises to go wherever we go and live wherever we live. A descendant of Ruth, he is our own personal kinsman redeemer. He rode a donkey into Jerusalem and died on a cross for our salvation.

Jesus is the greatest ride or die we will ever have.

Sky Ride by Kathy Schumacher

Kinsman Redeemer

Posted on by Betsy

The marvelous book of Ruth in the Old Testament shows the kinsman redeemer law in action. Based on Leviticus 25, the law simply said that when a husband/father dies, it falls to the nearest male relative to take the wife/mother/children into his household to provide for them. Women and children had no status in those days, and this compassionate law was their only defense in a patriarchal society.

In the third chapter of Ruth, we see Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, preparing Ruth to approach Boaz to become her kinsman redeemer. Naomi has lost her husband and both her sons, and so their situation is precarious, to say the least. Ruth makes her way to Boaz in a very favorable moment:

Ruth 3 (Contemporary English Version)

7 Boaz ate and drank, and he was in a good mood. He went over to lie down by the edge of the grain pile. Then she quietly approached, uncovered his legs, and lay down. 8 During the middle of the night, the man shuddered and turned over—and there was a woman lying at his feet. 9 “Who are you?” he asked.

She replied, “I’m Ruth your servant. Spread out your robe over your servant, because you are a redeemer.”

10 He said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter! You have acted even more faithfully than you did at first. You haven’t gone after rich or poor young men. 11 And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I’ll do for you everything you are asking. Indeed, my people—all who are at the gate—know that you are a woman of worth.”

When it was ascertained that Boaz was indeed the next kinsman redeemer available, he married Ruth and took in Naomi as well.

I love this story because the mother-in-law is the hero. Think about that. How many bad mother-in-law jokes have you heard? I have always resented those because I was blessed with an OUTSTANDING mother-in-law. And now that I am a MIL, I really like a story that shows one in a positive light.

Ruth and Boaz had a child whose lineage provided YOU with your kinsman redeemer. Through the generations, and through the house of David, came a child of that line whose name was Jesus. He came to redeem us, and truly is our own kinsman redeemer through our adoption by his Father:

Ephesians 1:5 (New Living Translation)

5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

And thus a resourceful mother-in-law was pivotal in the salvation of the world. (I told you this is a good MIL story!)

So if you ever find yourself doubting your place in the family of God and unsure of your position, remember that YOU are a kinsman to the Redeemer. All of this happened for your salvation! Thanks be to God.

Family Lineage