Naomi’s husband would have mortgaged or leased his family land in the famine days when he left for Moab. Naomi, returning penniless with no resources to buy back her late husband’s farm, is dependent on charity. Her widowed daughter-in-law has to glean in the harvest field. To recover the inheritance of her husband was beyond Naomi’s means. She did have a near kinsman who could have acted to redeem her inheritance but he had no such interest. Yet the gracious Lord who cares for the widow has arranged for another kinsman, a man of spiritual character and conviction, to step into the breach. Not only had he the resources to redeem the inheritance but he had a love for Ruth. Wedded to Boaz she would become a mother for the preserving of the name in Israel. What amazing grace to the stranger from Moab, and all through Boaz.
In this little book, Boaz has been presented in the harvest-field (ch. 2) as he makes provision for Ruth; he has been seen on the threshing floor (ch. 3) as he makes promises to Ruth. Now we see him at the gate of the village in the presence of the elders when he purchases the inheritance, and with it Ruth to become his bride. As soon as Boaz paid the price, in keeping with the land law in Israel, Lev. 25. 25, he purchased from Naomi all that had belonged to Elimelech. This secured Naomi’s future. As a ‘brother’ to Elimelech, v. 3, he could then act according to the law, Deut. 25. 5-10, to marry the widowed Ruth and raise a family to continue the name of Elimelech in the land. This Boaz did, clearly out of love for Ruth. The child in Naomi’s arms is love’s answer to faith and hope.
In Boaz there is a beautiful picture of Christ acting as the Redeemer. He stepped in where a nearer kinsman had failed. The only possible alternative kinsman would have been another man; none ‘can by any means redeem his brother’, Ps. 49. 7. Mankind having failed Christ stepped in and paid the price. Through redemption Israel has recovered what she lost (pictured in Naomi), and Christ has won the church to be his bride (pictured in Ruth). What a glorious picture of millennial, even eternal, bliss!
