The Kinsman Redeemer, A Study Through Ruth: Redemption at Last 4:1-22

Today, we come to the end of our study through the book of Ruth. We saw Naomi and Ruth return from Moab—there was a kind of hopeless repentance in this. Naomi came back to God’s Promised Land, but she was still wracked with grief. Then we saw God direct Ruth’s steps as she went about to glean in random fields. Ruth met Boaz, and began to feel God’s mercy and grace on her life—and what is more, so did Naomi! Last week, we saw Ruth (as instructed by Naomi) approach Boaz for redemption. It was an act of abject humility, acknowledging that she was helpless to save herself. Boaz revealed that he was not the first in line to be her redeemer, but the episode ends with the promise that he would see to it that Ruth and Naomi would receive the redemption they were seeking!
Today’s passage is all about this redemption. We see redemption refused by the nameless relative, redemption realized by Boaz, and finally redemption rewarded in the lives of each of our protagonists.