by John O’Malley
“And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen” (Ruth 2:20).
Naomi’s words reflect how quickly she was mentally working her way through the family tree. Boaz was a kinsman. How close was he? She began to consider, “The man is near of kin unto us.” Certainly it was the thought of the Levirate laws (laws of the kinsman redeemer or goel) and Boaz’s placement in their family that brought about the next phrase, “one of our next kinsmen.” Cautious hope sprang within their hearts. Would they be sentenced to live with their property at arms’ reach but still out of their grasp? Would there be no goel to stand for them?
These two phrases, “near of kin” and “one of our next kinsmen,” help us to see the turmoil in Naomi’s heart. Since Boaz had been so gracious to Ruth and had been prepared by Jehovah to care for them, this must have placed her in a quandary. Ever the matchmaker, Naomi was forced to declare upon careful inspection, “Boaz is close to us. However, in order to fulfill the requirements of the Levirate laws, there is one closer.”
Boaz's placement in Elimelech’s family tree is not clear from this text, but without question, he was family. Some Old Testament rabbis teach by conjecture that Elimelech and Salmon, Boaz’s father, were brothers, making Naomi a niece to Boaz. No matter the manner of the relationship, Naomi, the city elders, and the nearer kinsman, all recognized Boaz was a rightful kinsman.
Before salvation, the believer stood before God separated and in need of redemption. The law, our means to follow God’s ways, was a next kinsman to us, but could in no way serve as our Goel. Jesus Christ, as a declaration of His grace, stepped in and announced He would be the Goel for mankind. He paid the price of our redemption with His own blood.
What a delight for the child of God to look back upon what Jesus has done as our Goel! We must share with others that their own righteous attempts to purchase their own redemption will never work. They must be told of our Goel. Whom will you tell today?