My Kinsman Redeemer

It doesn’t matter what has happened if you choose to change your circumstances, commit, and stick to your decision. This is what happened in the life of Ruth; a young lady from Moab. Life became as bad as it could get then it became worse. She had no place to go. No hope for a future, so she committed herself to an uncertain future.

Life can be like this. What you thought would happen did not. What you had hoped would be the right decision was not. It just got worse.

Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and his two sons left Israel for Moab. In Israel at the time there was another famine; not Abraham’s, not Isaac’s, not Jacob’s, but Elimelech’s. He took his family to Moab where there was opportunity.

Moab was the son of Lot, the nephew Abraham. Lot compromised his position with his uncle to live among Sodom and Gomorrah. When Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, Lot and his daughters survived by running away and hiding in a mountain cave. Lot and his daughters compromised to create an inheritance for themselves. And from that compromise came Moab and Benammi – two people groups that fought with Israel for centuries.

Compromise is not a part of the promises of God. What you compromise to gain has no blessing with it.

There was a famine in Israel. Instead of relying on the promises of God, Elimelech took his family to Moab. They started over. Elimelech’s sons married. Then bad things happened. Elimelech died. Then his sons died. Naomi now found herself with no future, no inheritance, two daughters, and no support. Naomi decided to go back to the land of promise, Israel. She told her daughters to go back to their families and their gods. One left, one committed to stay with Naomi.

Compromise results in dead works. If you want things to change, commit with your whole life to the change you want.

Ruth had nothing except Naomi. Ruth committed to Naomi that her people will be Ruth’s. Naomi’s god will be hers, too. Where Naomi lives, Ruth will live. Where Naomi dies, Ruth will die, too. Where Naomi is buried, Ruth will be buried, too. Ruth committed to an uncertain future. Ruth only knew whatever happened she would be with Naomi. They arrive in Israel. Naomi tells her story.

They begin to live their lives. It was harvest time. Naomi suggested to Ruth that she go the fields to glean grain. It was the custom in Israel to not glean your fields to the very corners, but to leave some to allow the poor to gather some grain too. Ruth went to the fields and began gathering.

Ruth was noticed for her hard work. Boaz, the owner of the fields found out who she was. He had heard of her commitment to Naomi. All had been reported to him. Boaz gave very specific direction: she was to gather only at his fields, no one was to bother or harass her, they were to leave extra for her, she was to eat and rest with his people. Ruth worked through the barley harvest and continued through the wheat harvest. Everyone watched and noted Ruth’s hard work.

Your hard work and commitment will garner you favor.

Now Naomi had no husband, no sons, and in her culture, no future. Naomi had Ruth go to Boaz to ask him to be their kinsman redeemer. Ruth took Naomi’s direction and prepared herself appropriately. Ruth went and did as directed. Boaz was impressed by Ruth’s honesty, behavior, and integrity. She could have pursued her own way, but instead she followed her mother-in-law’s direction.

Boaz went to the city elders and the relative who had the right to purchase Naomi’s family inheritance. Boaz even told him he would was willing to purchase all that was Naomi’s as her kinsman; including to take her daughter-in-law as his wife. The first kinsman said he could not without putting his inheritance at risk. Boaz announced he would purchase all that was Naomi’s – all that was Elimelech’s and his sons – and take Ruth as his wife.

Doing what you need to do, told you should do will put you in position to receive.

Favor from someone who can give it can change your current circumstances in an instant. And, everyone will see it. People will bless you. You will have an inheritance, a hope, and a future.

Things to consider:
1. In this life you will have trouble.
2. Compromise away from the promises of God will result in destruction; death.
3. Make a decision to change, to return, to commit to a new life.
4. Let go of the old life; leave the past and walk back into the promises of God.
5. Commit to the new future. Walk in it. Live in it.
6. Work it. What work you have to do, do that as unto the Lord, and wait on the Lord.
7. Be seen doing well, be known for doing well, you will be redeemed.

Ruth’s story is one of compromise, commitment, an uncertain future, hard work to survive, recognition of effort, redemption, and hope with a future.

In the same way, Ruth’s story is ours; all of ours. There may have been compromises we made. There were choices made. Life commitments made. Those commitments led to death. Left with no choice, a choice had to be made; a choice to return, a choice to repent, to turn around and start over. Commit to the new life. Work at the new life. Focus on living and being in your new life. Others will see this. Favor will come to you. And your redeemer is God. He knows you and wants to give you a new life; a life of hope with a future. God, the creator of all there is, loves you so much He gave you Jesus. If you believe Jesus and what he did was enough, you will be saved from judgment and can have a new life walking with the God of the Bible.

Do you want that? All you have to do ask and receive that very life.

Just ask: God of the Bible, I repent. I commit myself to a new life with you. You will be my God and I will be with you. Help me walk with you. Give me a hope and a future. I believe and accept what Jesus did at the cross was enough for us to have no judgment and to be with you. I thank you. Amen – so be it.