Chapter 4
Here it is! The good news of a kinsman-redeemer! This is the only passage in Scripture that gives details of this pivotal aspect of our belief. The concept is discussed in Leviticus Chapter 25 verses 25-28 where Moses instructs the people to ensure that land promised to a family will always be available for later generations. Jesus as our kinsman-redeemer has ensured the fullness of our inheritance.
Note that from verse 1 judgements were considered and declared by the elders and witnesses ‘in, or at, the gates’ of the city. Justice must always be seen to be open and transparent. Too often we see things perpetrated in closed rooms at night (such as the trial of Jesus by the Sanhedrin).
Verses 4-6 remind us to ‘read the fine print’ before entering into arrangements; for we need to consider the longer term consequences of our choices. For example, does one party hard Friday night, or study for an upcoming exam? And another question to ask from these verses is, how far are you prepared to go to help others? Some people will try to ‘pass the buck’ rather than make a commitment.
The seventh verse shows the practice of how an agreement was contracted in those days. Note that the ‘handing over’ aspect can be abbreviated to give one’s hand to the other; in other words, make your transactions based on the bond of your word and a handshake. And thus we see the transaction conducted in verses 8-10. And we see great joy and blessing when the dispossessed are redeemed, just as there is joy in heaven over our redemption (Verses 11-12).
And the Kinsman-redeemer took the redeemed and married her (verses 13-17), and they lived happily ever after (not a fairytale!). This we see with the wedding between Christ and His Redeemed Bride (us), who shall rejoice always.
Thus, we have seen how God redeemed all of humanity into His family, bringing together Jew and Gentile (Jew and everyone else) (2 Corinthians 5:-18-19). Through Rahab the prostitute of Jericho, and Ruth the Moabitess we join the family of King David and later Christ Jesus. But we have ALL always been of the family of Adam, the son of God (Luke 3:38).
