![]() ![]() In Philippians we see the willingness of Jesus to become our redeemer. Jesus became just like you and me, which put him in position so that he could redeem us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” ( John 1:14). “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” ( John 1:1). This is what Jesus did, and in the Gospel of John we see this spelled out very clearly. This would require the infinite God to take on human flesh. Since sin came into the world through one man, it would take another man to bring about our salvation and righteousness. If Jesus did not take on humanity, there would be no way of redemption for us. Let me show you how Jesus met all the requirements necessary to be our redeemer.īecause the redeemer had to be of like kind, Jesus had to become like us. We needed someone who could step in and become our redeemer.Įnter Jesus. We had no hope, and we were all lost in our sinful condition. We were just like Naomi and Ruth, desperate and destitute. Why Is Jesus This for Us?Īs you look closer at the story of Ruth, I hope you can recognize the parallels between her plight and ours. It was truly an all or nothing proposition. Unless the full price was paid, there was no redemption. There was no such thing as partial redemption when it came to being a kinsman-redeemer. It did not matter how good your intentions were. If you did not have the financial means to make the redemption, then you could not be the redeemer. You actually had to be able to follow through with the redemption. Willingness alone was not enough to be a kinsman-redeemer. Being willing is at the heart of what a kinsman-redeemer is. If the person was not willing, they could not be forced to do it. In the Ruth and Boaz story the person who was the next redeemer in line was simply not willing to follow through with the redemption. ![]() Someone from another family could not bring about the redemption because they were of a different kind. I like to think of it as you had to be of the same kind. The only way you could be a kinsman-redeemer was that you had to be of the same family. To be a Kinsman redeemer there were four requirements that had to be met. Photo credit: ©Getty Images/kieferpix What Are the Requirements of a Kinsman-Redeemer? You are all witnesses today’” ( Ruth 4:9-10). This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown. And with the land I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife. “Then Boaz said to the elders and to the crowd standing around, ‘You are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. This would prevent them from losing everything. The only hope they had was for someone to see their plight and be willing to pay the price of redemption. In short, they were desperate and destitute. To be in this position meant loss of income and support, loss of possession and ultimately loss of property. There were few things worse in those days then being a widow with no sons. This left Naomi and her two daughters-in-law as widows. In case you are not familiar with the story, here is a very abridged version. You can see what a kinsman-redeemer is by looking at the story of Ruth and Boaz. Where Do We See the Kinsman-Redeemer in the Bible? As you will see shortly there were some obligations necessary for the person who would be the kinsman-redeemer. This was not a passive obligation, nor was it something that should be entered into lightly. In short, the kinsman was a rescuer and restorer. The kinsman might also be called upon to exact revenge on someone who may have killed their relative. This could be the other persons’ property, their freedom, or even their name. “If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold” ( Leviticus 25:25).īy definition, a kinsman-redeemer was someone who redeemed what was lost. The concept of a kinsman-redeemer comes out of the book of Leviticus. What Is a Kinsman-Redeemer - Meaning and Description? That’s why it is important for you to know what a kinsman-redeemer is. If you just read the story without truly understanding what a kinsman-redeemer is then it is possible you will miss the beauty in the story. This is not only a beautiful story but it is a wonderful foreshadowing of our redemption. When you read the Old Testament, especially the story of Ruth, you see what is defined as a kinsman-redeemer. ![]()
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