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 worshipful recognition of the kindness of God led to her recollection of the kinship of Boaz. Her worshipful inspiration led to wonderful instruction for her disciple in the faith. Naomi had to step into her role as instructor of this Moabite. She showed her God's provision for the widowed and orphaned in this world. Let us listen as she could have taught her spiritual charge:
“Mother, what exactly do you mean when you say Boaz is a kinsman (goel)?”
“You see dear, God gave us His laws to govern us in times of peace and persecution. God wanted us to know what we should do at all times. His law is perfect.
In His law, He has established a principle that protects people in our situation. God instituted the rule of a kinsmen-redeemer to assist those who have been in dire straits. A goel, a kinsman, is the nearest living blood relative. It is the goel’s responsibility to restore the rights of another and to avenge any wrongdoing. God designed his law for a goel to assist his next of kin when they encounter difficulties in matters of finance, murder, and slavery.
As God’s people, if we cannot redeem our own inheritance, it becomes the duty of the goel to redeem it for us. If we sell ourselves into slavery, a goel can redeem us from slavery. If an Israelite is murdered, a goel will avenge his death.”
“Mother! Jehovah is so good! I left the house today looking for the wings of Him whom I had come to trust. Of all fields for Him to direct me to, He took me to the field of Boaz, our near kinsman. Oh, I wish I could say the words that could properly express my joy.”
“Truly, dear, God is good to His people.”
Because of the laws of the kinsman-redeemer, Elimelech’s name and lands would not be left in desolation. The women in his family would not be left without claim to the lands that they had left more than a decade ago. God had visited His people in Bethlehem-judah in giving them both bread and a redeemer.
In the Garden of Eden, six millennia ago, mankind sold himself into the slavery of sin. This slavery held man in captivity. The same day Adam became aware that he could not redeem himself, God in his kindness looked at our hopelessness and offered man a Goel to redeem us. Four thousand years later, Jesus Christ took on human form to become our Goel to God. Calvary’s cross became the place where He declared His position as our Goel to redeem us from the slavery to which we had sold ourselves.
We could easily read over this and carelessly move on to the next thing. Yet we must not ignore that we were sold into slavery and stood without a Kinsman-Redeemer. Our Eternal Boaz became our Goel and provided redemption because He loved us.
His declaration to redeem the world unto Himself must be our motivator to share with mankind. There is a clear message of hope in His declaration to redeem. What else could be more important this day than to find someone still sold into slavery and tell them of their Goel?