Boaz: The Kinsman Redeemer

Ruth 2:1 (KJV)

And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz

I don’t think I am the only person who would see Naomi and Ruth as the star players of in the book and Boaz in more of a “supporting role.”

I think that is an oversight.

Naomi is more the supporting player.

The godly character of Boaz is what makes this book work!

He is the principle, though subtle, actor in this drama.

By the way, before we even begin to consider Boaz’s spiritual qualities, this is already a great lesson in who is spiritual in the church.

The most spiritual person in the church does not have to be the one whose picture hangs in the church’s hall.

• He or she may not be the most noticed or talked about in the church
• He might not be the one in charge of the most ministries
• He or she does not have to be the one who shows up at the most church events.

Boaz may not be the first person you think of when you think about the Book of Ruth, but he is at least as significant to the story as is Ruth.

His role is “the kinsman redeemer.”

And as such, he is a picture of Jesus Christ.

Notice with me four things about Boaz,

I. HE IS IN THE RIGHT FAMILY

Ruth 2:1 (KJV)

And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

Boaz is found in three of the four chapters,

There is a reference to his being a kinsman of Elimelech, in all three of those chapters.

Let’s just get this out of the way up front:

Our world has about as many sorts of ideas about being spiritual and there historical cultures.

• Aboriginals
• Orientals
• Hindus
• Muslims
• Pagans and
• Atheists

all claim a kind of spirituality.

For some people being spiritual is just singing.

When my brother in law, Ron was buried. The chief of the tribe he was a member of lined all of the tribe up single file into two lines.

• Male on one side of the grave
• Females on the other side of the grave

Then he said that heaven will look just like that - all the men on one side and all the women on the other side. “And we can all go there, “ he said, “if we keep singing.”

Some people think it is spiritual to practice witchcraft and to worship the devil.

I want to insist to you that the only kind of spiritual that matters is the kind that God’s Word describes.

And that kind of spirituality begins by being born again into the family of God.

Jesus said, John 3:7 (KJV)

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 

He did not say, “You could be born again.” or even, “You should be born again.”

He said “Ye must be born again.”

Even Ruth needed a new family.

She was born the first time into the family of the Moabites.

But she was converted and became a member of Naomi’s family.

She became a member of Naomi’s family:

• By personal choice
• By principle and character and
• By marriage to Boaz and finally
• By her kinship to Christ
  

No one is truly spiritual who is not born into the family of God through salvation in Jesus Christ.

Secondly

II. HE POSSESSES THE NECESSARY SUBSTANCE

Ruth 2:1 (KJV)

And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

The Bible says that he was a “mighty man of wealth.”

• We know he owned property and
• We know he employed a good number or people during his harvest

Once I figured out what this verse meant, years ago, it became one of my favorite in the book of Ruth,

Ruth 2:14 (KJV)

And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

When I was in High School I worked two summers for a wheat farmer.

The summer began by putting up hay. Once August came around it was time to harvest wheat and things got crazy.

Harvest was a huge production you only have so much time to harvest the wheat before it goes bad and you can’t start until its ripe.

Once harvest began, the farmer would pick us up before daylight so we would be in the fields as the sun rose. Soon as it was light enough each of us would begin to service our equipment. 

I drove a truck and was responsible to lube all the points, top off the oil and radiator and clean out the air filter every day before I fired up the motor.

After about a half hour to 45 minutes, He would tell us that the dew had dried off the wheat, we’d go to work until dark.

Nightfall, he would load us up in his trucks and we would head to his house - sometimes more than an hour away, where his wife had fixed a banquet for us to eat.

I think that’s what Boaz’s mealtime must have been like.

• •Pork chops and
• •Mashed potatoes and
• •As many biscuits as a guy could eat with
• •Sweet tea and
• •Pie and ice cream to finish it off.

I had just turned 16 years old - learned how to drive in one of that farmer's trucks.

We worked 16 hours a day, 7 days a week for 2 1/2 to 3 weeks.

This farmer had a great big brand new ranch house on the outskirts of Waitsburg. He owned: 

• •4-5 $250,000 wheat combines and
• •10-12 wheat trucks worth a few thousand each
• •His wife drove a new Mercedes Benz

He had been a bomber pilot in his younger years. Was one of the first guys to attempt to break the sound barrier by climbing his bomber to his maximum elevation and then pitching it into a nose-dive.

He was a mighty man of wealth.

But the Jewish scholars said that Boaz had a different kind of wealth too.

Gill’s commentary says, “…also of great virtue and honour, all which the word "wealth" signifies; to which may be added the paraphrase the Targumist gives, that he was mighty in the law; in the Scriptures, in the word of God, a truly religious man, which completes his character”

III. HE HAS THE RIGHT HEART

Ruth 2:4-16 (KJV)

And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.

Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:

And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.

Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:

Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.

And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:

And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

There are several notable things about this passage:

A. His care for his workers

Ruth 2:4 (KJV)

And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.

He’s obviously wealthy able to afford  a lot of laborers.

But he is personable and accessible to every one of them.

They care for his spiritual welfare and he cares for theirs.

B. His notice of others

Ruth 2:5 (KJV)

Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

It’s the middle of the busiest time of the year for a man like Boaz.

• He has a lot to do
• He has a very short amount of time to get it done
• He needs to be focused on the harvest

But he still has his eyes open to those around him.

• He knows his own workers and
• He is aware of those gleaning in the corners.

When we are too busy to notice people we have gotten too busy.

Some people just naturally avoid looking at others.

• To look around
• To see those who pass by you
• To acknowledge those you know and
• To get to know those you don’t

these are great qualities to have.

C. His interest in her welfare

Ruth 2:8-9 (KJV)

Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:

Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

Ruth 2:15-16 (KJV)

And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:

And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

Boaz wants to make sure she has:

• Plenty to glean
• Water ask she works and
• Protection from oppressors

He didn’t take her dignity by giving to her without work.

But he did “give her a raise” by having his workers purposefully leave some extra for her.

D. His favor of good character

Ruth 2:11-12 (KJV)

And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

Spiritual people take note of and favor those who are also of godly, spiritual character.

Remember, there are others who are also gleaning the corners of the fields.

Boaz is not withholding from them.

He is merely showing favor to one he has learned is godly and spiritual.

Finally I notice of Boaz

IV. HE DID THE RIGHT THING

Ruth 4:9-10 (KJV)

And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.

Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.

His role was that of the kinsman redeemer.

What that means is that he was near enough relative to Elimelech, and to his son Mahlon, to carry on their inheritance.

There was another kinsman closer to Boaz.

We do not know his name, but Boaz would not entertain the idea of a relationship with Ruth if the other kinsman was interested in Ruth.

After I was done preaching last week, one of our church members suggested that that it would be as if Boaz was maybe a second born son.

• The firstborn in those days would have been responsible to carry on his family’s heritage
• Boaz, as “a younger son”, was not responsible for his family’s heritage and was therefore free to carry on the heritage of Elimelech.

I did a bit of research this week. 

It doesn’t appear that Boaz was the nearer kinsman’s brother, probably a cousin.

But the point is still valid.

• The nearer kinsman was likely responsible to carry out his family’s heritage.
• Boaz was likely more free to carry on another relative’s heritage for them

The point is, he was willing to do it.

He was able and he was willing to meet the needs of another.

Conclusion:

The book of Ruth is not named after Boaz.

But, without taking anything from Ruth, I see his as the leading character of the book.

He is the picture of Christ.

He is the one who emptied himself so that someone else could have life.

He is a model of spiritual character.