Ruth 3-4: Redemption, Marriage, and Some Sandals

Redemption. I’m sure some of you out there in Internet-land know what his word means. But honestly, “redemption” is one of those big Christian words that us adults use all the time and often forget to explain. So before we start our story today, let’s make sure we’re clear about what we mean by “redemption.” 

To redeem something literally means “to pay off a debt” or “to buy back.” So, if you sell that super cool scooter that’s been collecting dust in your garage but then realize that you really want it back, you would be redeeming the scooter when you buy it back.

Now we could spend an entire one of these story times just talking about how Jesus redeems us – in fact, we’ll be doing that soon since Easter’s just around the corner. But before we get to that, we need to finish up the story of Ruth and find out what redemption has to do with her story.

So, to tell us more about that, let’s hear from a guy named Boaz. He’s been waiting for a cousin of his at the city gates of Bethlehem for a long time now to have a really important conversation about redemption, marriage, and some sandals. Now, the Bible doesn’t actually tell us what this cousin’s name was, but I’m going to call him Loshami so that it’s easier for us to listen in:

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Boaz: Come on Loshami, where are you?!? What’s taking him so long? I mean, sure, it’s not unlike Loshami to be late for things, but he was supposed to be here an hour ago! I’m already nervous enough, and this isn’t helping! Wait… I think that’s him over there!

Loshami: Boaz! There’s my favourite cousin! Sorry I’m late... Things were pretty crazy back at home and I just lost track of time.  

Boaz: It’s okay Loshami… I’m just glad you made it here alright. Did you get everything sorted out?

Loshami: More or less. I got stuck talking with one of my neighbours. One of my goats went missing a few days back and I hadn’t been able to find him. Then this morning, this neighbour – Ameeth his name is – Ameeth comes by all angry that one of my goats had gotten into his fields. I told him I’d been looking for that goat for a week and thanked him and told him it wouldn’t happen again. But then I had to bring the goat back to its pen so it wouldn’t run away again when all of a sudden I realized how late it was and hurried right over.

Boaz: Missing goat, huh? Well, glad to hear you got it all sorted out.   

Loshami: Thanks cousin. So am I! But we’ve got more important things to talk about than goats… If memory serves, you have some important business you wanted to talk over with me. Family business.

Boaz: Yes… It’s about Naomi and Ruth.

Loshami: Ah yes, Elimelek’s wife and the Moabite girl who came back with her. It’s too bad about Elimelek and his sons dying. How’re the two women doing?

Boaz: Fine, for the most part… Ruth’s been working in my fields for a while now collecting grain. That’s been giving her and Naomi food to get by in the meantime.

Loshami: Good good. We wouldn’t want anyone in our family to suffer, now would we?

Boaz: Actually Loshami, that’s partly why I’m here.

Loshami: But you just said they were doing fine! Are they fine or aren’t they?

Boaz: Well, yes, they’re fine right now. But I don’t know how long that’ll last. There’s still the whole issue of their kinsmen redeemer to be worked out.

Loshami: Well yeah, of course… Kinsmen redeemer. Gotta get that figured out… Definitely…

Boaz: …You do know about what a kinsmen redeemer is, don’t you?

Loshami: Oh, it’s something very important, I’m sure. I know it’s talked about it in the Law somewhere. It’s just that, well, goat herding takes up so much of my time, and I’m just not as well versed in all those laws Moses gave us as other people… Someone like you for instance.

Boaz: (Sighs…) Alright, then let me explain. Long story short, our Law states that when a man dies, like Elimelek did just before Ruth and Naomi came back from Moab, all of that man’s land and belongings are to be given to that man’s sons and daughters.

Loshami: Well yeah, that’s an inheritance. I know all about that! I got one of those a few years back myself. But what does any of that have to do with this kinsmen redeemer thing?

Boaz: Well, when Elimelek died, he didn’t have a son or daughter to give his inheritance to. Both of his sons had died already, and Ruth only married into the family so she isn’t allowed to receive the inheritance.

Loshami: What!?! But then who gets Elimelek’s land and stuff?

Boaz: That’s what the kinsmen redeemer is for! Someone related to Elimelek needs to redeem his land and goods – needs to buy it back so that some other family doesn’t take everything away from Ruth and Naomi.

Loshami: (short pause) …and you’re coming to me because you want me to be the kinsmen redeemer!

Boaz: (Slight pause) You are Elimelek’s closest relative, so that job would fall to you, yes.

Loshami: Hoooo, boy! Well, if it isn’t my lucky day! I get my goat back, and now I have the chance to double my land size in one go!

Boaz: Now hold on a second Loshami. There’s something else you need to know.

Loshami: Eh…? What’s that?

Boaz: Well, there’s still the matter of what happens to Ruth and Naomi…

Loshami: Oh, I won’t kick them off their land or nothing. And I’m not a terrible cousin. I won’t charge ‘em too much for rent!

Boaz: No… That’s not what I meant… Look, if you’re going to be their kinsmen redeemer, then you’re going to have to marry Ruth.

Loshami: …I’m sorry… I have to marry Ruth? What’s that got to do with anything? I’ve never even met her!

Boaz: It’s part of the Law. The kinsmen redeemer doesn’t just redeem the land by buying it back. He also has to marry into the family so that Elimelek’s family line can continue.

Loshami: So if I marry Ruth, I continue Elimelek’s family instead of growing mine.

Boaz: Correct.

Loshami: Oh… Uh, listen Boaz, I’m not sure this is a good idea after all… I mean, did you hear my story? I can barely take care of my goats… How do you expect me to take care of Ruth and Naomi? No… If marriage is involved, I don’t want any part of it! Isn’t there someone else who can be their kinsmen redeemer?

Boaz: (blushes) Actually, that’s the other reason I’ve come to talk to you. If you said no, I’m the next closest relative. And between you and me, Ruth’s made quite an impression on me. She’s a hard worker, she’s kind and considerate. She even came to visit me the other night asking about this whole kinsmen redeemer thing. I wanted to say yes, but I knew I had to talk with you first.

Loshami: Don’t say another word Boaz. If you think you’re up to the job, then you have my blessing! You redeem the land and marry Ruth!

Boaz: Well I appreciate that, but we still need to make it official.

Loshami: Official? You mean we have to do the sandal thing? I thought that was only for business deals like buying homes.

Boaz: Well, in a way, that’s what we’re doing. Not the home part, but sealing a deal. To show that you agree to let me buy back the land and marry Ruth in your place, you need to take off your sandal and hand it to me.

Loshami: Never did understand what sandals have to do with anything but… (Takes off sandal). Done. (Hands it to Boaz).

Boaz: (smiling) Thanks Loshami. You have no idea how glad I am. I can’t wait to tell Ruth!

Loshami: Glad to hear it cousin. You’re a good man Boaz. And may God bless you and your soon to be wife.

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I hope you understood most of that. There’s a lot of stuff in this story that’s confusing because we’re dealing with laws and deals that happened thousands of years ago. But even if you didn’t quite catch it all, what’s important is that Boaz did everything that was necessary to help take care of Ruth and Naomi. He didn’t just let Ruth pick grain in his fields; he redeemed everything they owned so that it wouldn’t be taken away from them.

Not only that, but in our story from two weeks ago, we learned Naomi had prayed that Ruth would find a home with another husband, and that prayer was answered through Boaz, the owner of the field that Ruth just happened to choose to work at. But this wasn’t just coincidence; this was God at work fulfilling His plans in amazing ways!

What’s even crazier about all of this is that Ruth and Boaz are a pretty important couple in the Bible. They had a son named Obed, and eventually Obed had a son named Jesse, and eventually Jesse had a son named David. And yes, I mean that David… King David – one of the greatest kings in all of Israel’s history.

But even more importantly, one of David’s descendants hundreds of years later was Jesus Himself! It was God’s plan for Boaz to redeem Ruth and her family so that, hundreds of years later, their great grandson Jesus would redeem everybody!

That’s right, kind of like how Boaz redeemed Ruth and Naomi, Jesus redeems each of us! But Jesus does this in a much bigger way. When we sin – when we do wrong things – it’s like we become trapped by sin and are stuck under its control. And no matter how many good things we try to do, we can never escape from that control on our own. But when Jesus died on the cross, He redeemed us – He bought us back from the control of sin so that we can serve and love God instead.

As a result, it’s our job is to tell others about how they can also be redeemed! How when any of us believe in Jesus, we get to experience redemption from sin right then and there!

So when you think of Naomi or Ruth or Boaz, I hope you’ll remember some of the things we’ve talked about… I hope you’ll remember that God gives us reasons to be joyful or that God always knows how He’s going to provide for us. But above all, kind of like how Boaz redeemed Ruth, I hope you’ll remember that Jesus is the ultimate redeemer who saves us from sin’s control.