by John O’Malley
“And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down” (Ruth 4:2).
With the nearer kinsman seated beside him, Boaz seeks ten men of the city’s elders to be witness to this moment of redemption. From the book of Genesis forward, God taught His people to use witnesses to establish any matter. You will read in the Old Testament accounts where animals, rocks, altars, pillars, and people were used for a witness.
A witness was sought to establish integrity, secure property, initiate the death penalty, and prove an accusation. The law of God showed that any matter would be established between two or three witnesses. The calling of these ten witnesses certainly would play a future role in the worship and weddings of Israel. A synagogue will not function unless there is a quorum of ten. Even Jewish weddings need ten witnesses.
Yet there are occasions where more witnesses are called. On one occasion, when Abraham wanted to prove to the king of Gerar that he had dug a well, he gave seven lambs as a witness. A multitude of people in Joshua’s day became witness to their commitment to the One True God. However, the impact of the twelve witnesses—ten elders and the two involved parties—would certainly make this a significant moment.
Ordinarily, there would be only a group of two or three for a matter of a kinsman-redeemer to buy land. Yet Boaz chose five times the minimum requirement. The elders of the city must have wondered what was so important that ten witnesses were need. This could not just be a matter of the harvest; this had to be a matter of the heart. Jewish writings indicate that Ruth’s Moabite heritage was the reason Boaz sought for ten men; securing these witnesses would make clear her conversion to Jehovah and the redemption by Boaz.
Boaz would waste no time; he had a promise to fulfill, and the love of his heart was waiting for an answer. He asked these ten elders of the city to sit beside him and the nearer kinsman. This gesture made every man an equal in stature and status. The men would listen eagerly because something was on Boaz’s heart. Knowing the family relationship of these men and the recent events in Boaz’s field, it would be easy to think they were going to witness the redemption of Elimelech’s land.
Yet their witness of this redemption would not solely meet the minimum requirement of the law. Today, these ten would witness a level of redemption that exceeded the law’s limit. This moment of redemption would allow them to enter a realm of redemption characterized solely as one of grace.
The cross stands witness of our Eternal Boaz’s redemption for the world. All who see it know full well that, not only did He meet the legal requirement of redemption, but also He exceeded it and offered redemption of love. His redemption reveals His grace to mankind. When He could have rejected man, He redeemed them. When He could have met the legal requirement and paid the penalty, He exceeded it. His redemption by grace made us joint heirs with Himself. All who believe know well that His redemption knows no limit; it will reach the lowest sinner. What person will you be witness to today of His offer of redemption?
Think about it...