3 Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. Ruth 1:3-5 NIV
In this passage, we find Naomi at a desolate time in her life. She had lost her husband and her sons. She had sent her daughter-in-laws away, or so she thought. One of her son's wives remained with her, Ruth. In this time, having no children was a disgrace. Naomi had lost everything she loved. She wandered away into another land. She was lost; she was sad; she felt hopeless. She felt like God was against her. She felt she had nothing left.
16 But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. Ruth 1:16-18 NIV
Ruth understood that standing with Naomi would also lead her into hardship. Yet, she felt a bond strong enough to her former mother-in-law that she was willing to die with her if it came to that. She loved her that much.
After Naomi and Ruth went back to Bethlehem, Boaz bestowed grace on Ruth which she was able to share with Naomi. Boaz was a kinsmen to Ruth through her husband.
20 "The LORD bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead." She added, "That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers." Ruth 2:20 NIV
Kinsman Redeemer- The word means to redeem, receive, or buy back. Back in the day of Moses, if someone became poor and was forced to sell part of his property or himself, his nearest of kin could step in and "buy back" what his relative was forced to sell. The nearest of kin had the responsibility of redeeming his kinsman's lost opportunities. They had to be willing and able to do what the relative could not do on his own.
Jesus is our Kinsman Redeemer. He paid a price for us. He redeemed us. He paid that which we were not able to pay.
The book of Ruth is one of devotion, obedience, and loving sacrifices. At some point in our lives, each of us will find ourselves to be a Ruth or a Naomi. Sometimes you feel desolate. You feel like God has given up on you. You wander away, and you feel like Naomi. Sometimes you find yourself loving someone so much that you refuse to leave their side, even if it means going through the hardships with them. You are so devoted to that person that you will die by them if need be. You feel like Ruth. Which one are you today? Naomi, look to Ruth to lead you to the Redeemer when you are too weak or hopeless to look on your own! Ruth, remain obedient to those God has given you in your life! Stand by them and bring back to them the grace from our Kinsman Redeemer! It might be hard for a time, but God will honor the obedience and sacrifice in your life just as he did for Ruth.
Sometimes God calls us to hard places to do hard things, but it never goes unnoticed! May God give you strength to lead loved ones out of the wilderness and into grace through the Redeemer! May God give you wisdom to follow those who are reaching out to you in your time of wilderness! Wherever you find yourself today, the Kinsman Redeemer is waiting to offer His Grace!
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