4/25 Ruth 2:20

²⁰ And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!"Naomi also said to her, "The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers."

Every tribe and family had land that God had given to them. It was to remain with that tribe or family. You could rent it but you could not sell it permanently unless it was to someone within the tribe. Because there were no male heirs for the property of Naomi's husband, the closest kinsman had the option of buying it from her. To do so was called "redeeming the land."

It just so happened in God's providence that the field Ruth was gleaning belonged to Boaz, a close relative of Naomi's son. But there was a closer relative than he. The one who redeems the land must also take the wife of the son to raise up children as heirs of the property. Boaz decided to redeem the land and take Naomi as wife. He first had to ask a closer relative if he would do so. The man said he could not, so Boaz took Ruth as his wife and purchased the property. The couple became the grandparents of King David, and they are in the lineage of Jesus.

The earth was given to Adam to tend and enjoy. Sin caused the spiritual death of the human race. Satan claimed the earth as his own because sin caused us to be his slaves. We needed a kinsman redeemer. We needed someone to purchase us back and take us as his bride, but no man could because all men were slaves to sin. Then came Jesus, one of us, but sinless. He alone could redeem the earth and us vessels of dirt and take us for His bride.

The price was very high. The penalty for our sins was death. He paid it in His own blood. The earth has been redeemed and we are His bride. There is some cleanup work yet to do, and the marriage is not yet consummated. Satan, the usurper, will not give up without a fight. The battle is coming. The earth will be cleansed, and those who receive Jesus will be His bride forever. The story of Boaz and Ruth was a true event, but in God's providence it was also a picture of God's great story.

Consider: If you are in Christ, you have been redeemed. That is a reason for great joy!