The Cost of Redemption - July 29

Read Ruth 4:6-10

Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.” Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other., and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal. Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in her inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.”

Reflect

Have you ever decided to buy something but changed your mind when you saw the price tag? What was the item? Do you regret not buying it?

Remember that Boaz was meeting at the city gate with ten elders and the unnamed kinsman-redeemer in order to legally resolve the matter of the redemption of Elimelech’s land, his widow, and his son’s widow (his heir). Boaz had already promised Ruth that he would be the redeemer if he could. The problem was that there was a closer relative who was first in line to be the redeemer.

God ensured that the closer relative went by the city gate that morning and Boaz called him over to the meeting. The elders were needed as witnesses of the transaction. The other relative initially agreed to being the redeemer. It seems that he was excited about acquiring more land. But then, Boaz reminded him that if he was going to redeem the land, the right thing to do would be to also marry Ruth in order to father a child with her, thus ensuring that Elimelech’s family line would not die out. Yesterday, we were left wondering what decision the man would make. Would he agree to marry Ruth and redeem the land?

Today, we got the answer. No. He was not willing to be the redeemer after all. Why? He said that it would “impair his own inheritance.” But what did he mean by that?

The other man was willing to redeem the land as a kinsman-redeemer. But he was not willing to engage in a levirate marriage with Ruth. You can read about the law of levirate marriage in Deuteronomy 25:5-6. But the first example in Scripture of the principle actually precedes the law of Moses. You can read the entire tragic and disturbing story of the widow Tamar in Genesis 38. She was wronged by the men in her family in multiple ways but the duty of a brother to “raise up offspring for your brother” by marrying the brother’s widow and conceiving a child for your brother is first mentioned in Genesis 38:8.

The issue for the closer relative in Ruth’s story seems to be the matter of producing an heir that would not be his. He wasn’t a brother but he was the closer male relative. So, if he married Ruth and had a child with her, that child would inherit Elimelech’s son Mahlon’s land. If that child ended up being his only heir, then both Mahlon’s estate and his own estate would go to Elimelech’s family. He didn’t want to perpetuate his dead relative’s name at the risk of his own name. (Ironically, we don’t know what his name was! Maybe there is a lesson there…)

So, Mr. Unknown, abdicated his own right to be the redeemer by taking off his sandal and giving it to Boaz in the presence of the witnesses. This makes us modern readers scratch our heads but it likely has something to do with God’s command to walk the land that He promised to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 13:17). In Deuteronomy 11:24 (repeated in Joshua 1:3), God promised, “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours.” The passing of the sandal likely symbolized that he was passing his right to that land off to Boaz instead. He was not willing to pay the full price of redemption. He didn’t want to have to buy back Elimelech’s land and have it potentially cost him his own inheritance in the future.

Redemption comes with a cost. To redeem means to buy back. It requires a personal sacrifice. Boaz was willing to pay the full price of redemption for Ruth. You see, Boaz is a type of Christ. His actions foreshadowed Christ being willing to pay the redemption price for us. He bought us back with his own blood (Ephesians 1:7). He paid for us with His very life! Praise the Lord for His selfless gift!

Respond

Lord, thank You for being my Redeemer. Thank You for being willing to sacrifice Your own life and pour out Your own blood in order to save mine. Amen.

Reveal

Being willing to personally sacrifice for the benefit of others can reveal the love of Christ to them. Today, make a sacrifice for someone else. Give them your time, your money, your abilities, etc. all in the name of Jesus.