And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's: (4) And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it. (5) Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. (6) And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.
If I do not greatly err, the chief point in the whole history turns upon this hinge. And if so, it will serve to throw a light upon the subject all along intended from it, in introducing under this endearing part of his character, by the representation of Boaz, the Lord Jesus Christ as our kinsman-Redeemer. Behold it in this light, and we see Jesus assuming our nature for the purpose of redemption.
We view him going forth from everlasting, as the great covenant head of his people. And when he saw our ruined nature, and everyone of the stock of Adam totally unable to redeem themselves, much less to save his brother, then Jesus, moved with compassion; resolved to undertake their cause. Angels durst not venture on redemption-work, for this would have been to have marred their own inheritance; therefore his own arm brought salvation, and of the people there was none with him.
In the law of redemption there were several things included which became necessary for the complete recovery and happiness of our ruined nature, and which none but our (Goel) kinsman-Redeemer, the Lord Jesus, could be competent to perform. He was, as Boaz proposed to the nearer kinsman to do, not only to redeem the mortgaged inheritance, but he was to marry the widow of the deceased kinsman, in order to raise up seed unto his brother. That our original birthright was lost is evident from our ruined and impoverished state. Our first father, deceived by Satan, sold his inheritance by tasting the forbidden fruit; and never could any of his own fallen seed have been found in circumstances sufficiently affluent to ransom it. But yet it must be recovered; and therefore the year of jubilee, which was typical of redemption by Christ, sent the insolvent home again to his possession. Jesus our brother, and Goel-Redeemer, then accomplished redemption. See Leviticus 25:23-28
But the redemption of the mortgaged inheritance was connected also with the marrying the widow of the deceased brother, and to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And this the Son of God did, when in the fulness of time, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that he might redeem them that were under the law. Galatians 4:4. Hence, by virtue of this mystical union, a foundation is laid for the marriage of believers with him, and that our nature, purified and made clean by this union, might recover its lost fruitfulness, without which it would have been forever barren and dead before God.
Neither was, this all. Though it be not noticed in this book of Ruth, there were two other grand offices belonging to our Goel-Redeemer, which the law enjoined, and which none but Jesus could perform. The one was, to ransom the poor brother who had not only lost his inheritance, but was in bondage also. And the other was, to avenge the blood of his slain kinsman on the slayer. Concerning the former, the, law enjoined, If a sojourner or stranger was rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger; after that he is sold he may be redeemed again. One of his brethren may redeem him. Leviticus 25:47-48
Blessed Jesus! were we not sold in the loins of Adam, when the enemy sojourned in Paradise, and our unhappy parent sold himself and all his posterity? Were we not brought into bondage, slaves to sin and Satan, and justly exposed to the anger of the broken law of God! And didst not thou, dearest Redeemer, as our brother, redeem us from the curse of the law, by being made a curse for us'? Galatians 3:13
And concerning the latter: here again, blessed Jesus, we behold thee the avenger of the blood of thy slain kinsman; for when the devil, who was a murderer from the beginning, (John 8:44.) murdered our whole nature in Adam; and no avenger could be found equal to the vast work of taking vengeance on the manslayer, then didst thou, because the children were partakers of flesh and blood, thyself likewise take part of the same, that through death thou mightest destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage. Hebrews 2:14-15. And then was that sweet scripture literally fulfilled. Deuteronomy 19:11-12. These are all sweet and interesting views of the Lord Jesus. And though I do not take upon me to say that all, or either of these things, are shadowed out in this scripture, yet I hope I may be forgiven for introducing them in this place, at the subject itself, without doing violence to it, seemed to lead that way.