Christ Our Kinsman Redeemer

The book of Ruth is, in short, awesome.  The story is intense, suspenseful, thrilling, a bit risqué, and mightily redemption focused.  By the end of chapter 1 there is nothing but bitterness and covenant curse present for leaving the land of promise.  Elimelech and his two sons Chilion and Mahlon are dead.  Orpah turns back for Moab while Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem empty and hopeless.  This is as bleak as it can be for two women in a society like this one.  Who will take care of them?  Where will they get food?  How will they survive?

Then throughout the rest of chapters 2-4 we meet Boaz and see the wonderful story of redemption unfold before our eyes.  You see, Naomi and Ruth were full of bitterness, having no hope any longer in this present life.  We are like Naomi and Ruth, bitter, having no hope in this life, empty, with no reason for living day-to-day.  But then comes Boaz, who takes Ruth and Naomi under his wing as their kinsman redeemer.  Just as Boaz redeemed Ruth and therefore Naomi also, Christ has redeemed us.  Christ is the greater Boaz who redeems us, His people, from bitterness and the covenant curse of Adam.  But what is astonishing is that Christ did not redeem us according to the levirate marriage laws of Deut. 25 like Boaz redeemed Ruth.  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the covenant by becoming a curse for us (Gal. 3:13).  In this way, we see that Boaz is a type of Christ.  He points forward to the greater Redeemer who will one day come.  Ruth exists to point us to Christ.