1. Chapter Four
Redemption and Reward
THE BOOK OF RUTH

2. Ruth 4:6-11a
BOAZ REDEEMS RUTH

3. 1Then went Boaz up to the
gate, and sat him down
there: and, behold, the
kinsman of whom Boaz
spake came by; unto whom
he said, “Ho, such a one!
turn aside, sit down here.”
And he turned aside, and
sat down.
Ruth 4:1

4. 2 And he took ten men of the
elders of the city, and said,
“Sit ye down here.” And
they sat down. 3 And he said
unto the kinsman, “Naomi,
that is come again out of the
country of Moab, selleth a
parcel of land, which was
our brother Elimelech's:
Ruth 4:2, 3

5. 4 “And I thought to
advertise thee, saying, „Buy
it before the inhabitants,
and before the elders of my
people. If thou wilt redeem
it, redeem it:
Ruth 4:4a

6. “but if thou wilt not redeem
it, then tell me, that I may
know: for there is none to
redeem it beside thee; and I
am after thee.”
And he said, “I will redeem
it.”
Ruth 4:4b

7. “…none…beside thee…”
• Boaz says there are only two who can redeem
the parcel of land
• Nearer kinsman (nameless here)
• Boaz is next in line
• There appears to be no other
• Nearer kinsman is ready and willing (and
apparently able) to redeem the land

8. 5 Then said Boaz, “What
day thou buyest the field of
the hand of Naomi, thou
must buy it also of Ruth the
Moabitess, the wife of the
dead, to raise up the name
of the dead upon his
inheritance.”
Ruth 4:5

9. 6 And the kinsman said,
“I cannot redeem it for
myself, lest I mar mine own
inheritance: redeem thou
my right to thyself; for
I cannot redeem it.”
Ruth 4:6

10. “I cannot redeem it…”
• Twice the nearer kinsman states, “I cannot
redeem it…”
• When something is repeated in Scripture,
especially so close together – take note!

11. 6 And the kinsman said, “I
cannot redeem it for
myself, lest I mar mine own
inheritance: redeem thou
my right to thyself; for I
cannot redeem it.”
Ruth 4:6

12. “…my own inheritance…”
• The nearer kinsman is able to redeem the land,
but is not able to redeem Ruth.
• Why?
• Let‟s read on…

13. 6 And the kinsman said, “I
cannot redeem it for
myself, lest I mar mine own
inheritance: redeem thou
my right to thyself; for I
cannot redeem it.”
Ruth 4:6

14. “…my right…”
• Right gellulah
• kindred, redemption, right of redemption, price of
redemption
• Used in only 13 verses
• Leviticus 25 – Law of Redemption
• Jeremiah 32 – Purchasing land before captivity
• Ruth 4 – Boaz and the nearer kinsman
• Ezekiel 11:15 – God promises to return Israel to
her land

15. 7 Now this was the manner
in former time in Israel
concerning redeeming and
concerning changing, for to
confirm all things; a man
plucked off his shoe, and
gave it to his neighbour:
and this was a testimony in
Israel.
Ruth 4:7

16. 7 (Now in earlier times in
Israel, for the redemption
and transfer of property to
become final, one party
took off his sandal and gave
it to the other. This was the
method of legalizing
transactions in Israel.)
Ruth 4:7 NIV

17. “…plucked off his shoe…”
• Shoes and feet symbolized possession, power,
and domination
• Joshua 10:24; Psalm 8:6
• Moses removed shoes on holy ground
• Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:15
• Barefoot: powerless and humble
• 2 Sam. 15:30; Isaiah 20:2-4
• God gave Israelites land they walked on
• Deuteronomy 1:36, 11:24; Joshua 1:3, 14:9

18. 8 Therefore the kinsman
said unto Boaz, “Buy it for
thee.” So he drew off his
shoe.
Ruth 4:8

19. Transfer of Property

20. 9 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.
Ruth 4:9

21. 10 “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.”
Ruth 4:10

22. 11a And all the people that
were in the gate, and the
elders, said,
“We are witnesses…”
Ruth 4:11a

23. “I have purchased…”
• Boaz speaks in front of all the witnesses
• Elders
• People of the city
• “I have purchased” and “I have bought”
• 15 times in this chapter, reference is made to
paying the price of redemption.
• Compare Revelation 5 to this scene in Ruth

24. The Scene in Revelation 5
• Someone is sitting on a throne
• He is holding a scroll, written on the inside and
the backside, sealed with seven seals
• A mighty angel asks who might be worthy and
able to open the scroll.
• No man on earth, under earth, or in heaven
was able to do it

25. The Scene
• Four “beasts” (living creatures) are present
• Twenty-four elders are present
• In their midst, on the throne, is the Lamb Who
was slain. He has been found worthy to open
the scroll.
• He takes the scroll from the One on the throne
• The elders say that the Lamb has redeemed
them and has made them “kings and priests”

26. So… Who IS the Nearer Kinsman?
• There are at least two theories of who is
represented by the Nearer Kinsman.
• The most common theory is that he represents
the Mosaic law.
• The Law cannot redeem us.

27. 20 Therefore no one will be
declared righteous in God‟s
sight by the works of the
law; rather, through the law
we become conscious of
our sin.
Romans 3:20

28. 7 Now if the ministry that
brought death, which was
engraved in letters on
stone…
9 If the ministry that
brought condemnation was
glorious, how much more
glorious is the ministry that
brings righteousness!
2 Corinthians 3:7, 9

29. Not Able to Redeem
• The Law was never meant to redeem us to
God.
• God‟s intention for the Law was to reveal our
sinful condition.
• Instead of redemption and life, the Law
brought condemnation and death.

30. Jesus – Willing and Able
• The nearer kinsman may have been afraid to
redeem Ruth because the Law prohibits
marriage to a Moabite.
• The kinsman would have sacrificed too much
if he took a Gentile bride
• Jesus is willing and able to redeem both Jew
and Gentile.
• Grace overcomes Law – Love is the real law.

31. 10 Forall who rely on the
works of the law are under
a curse, as it is written:
“Cursed is everyone who
does not continue to do
everything written in the
Book of the Law.”
Galatians 3:10

32. 21 Isthe law, therefore,
opposed to the promises of
God? Absolutely not! For if
a law had been given that
could impart life, then
righteousness would
certainly have come by the
law.
Galatians 3:21

33. 24 So the law was our
guardian until Christ came
that we might be justified
by faith. 25 Now that this
faith has come, we are no
longer under a guardian.
Galatians 3:24-25

34. 1Therefore, there is now no
condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus, 2
because through Christ
Jesus the law of the Spirit
who gives life has set you
free from the law of sin and
death.
Romans 8:1-2

35. 3 For what the law was
powerless to do because it
was weakened by the flesh,
God did by sending his own
Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh to be a sin offering.
And so he condemned sin
in the flesh,
Romans 8:3

36. 4 inorder that the righteous
requirement of the law
might be fully met in us,
who do not live according
to the flesh but according to
the Spirit.
Romans 8:4

37. The Law Cannot Save
• The Law requires MAN to do the work.
• No grace or faith is required for salvation.
• If a man keeps ALL of the Law, he will be
saved.
• But… man cannot do it.
• Works cannot save us.
• “I cannot redeem!” says the nearer kinsman.

38. The Law = Nearer Kinsman?
• Like the nearer kinsman, the Law has no name.
• The law is able to redeem the land, but not
able to redeem people.
• The law forbid marriage to Gentiles.
• But there is another theory…

39. Another theory…
• Could the nearer kinsman be God the Father?
• We do not know the real name of the Father.
• Compare with Revelation 5
• Boaz redeems Ruth at the city gates. Liken
this to the throne room (seat of authority) in
Revelation 5.
• There are many other similarities between
Ruth and Revelation.

40. Type / Antitype
• The Old Testament picture of something
revealed later in the New Testament is called a
“type.”
• The revealed mystery in the New Testament
(that was foreshadowed in the O.T.) is called
an “antitype.”
• The Book of Ruth is a “type” of the marriage
of the Bride in Revelation (the “antitype.”)

41. Type / Antitype
• A type in the Old Testament must match its
antitype in the New Testament.
• If Ruth is a type of the redeemed church, we
must compare Ruth / Revelation to see if the
type/antitype match up.
• Do they match?

42. Type / Antitype
• Type: After working in Boaz‟s fields
throughout the harvest, Ruth goes to meet
Boaz on the threshing floor
(threshing=judgment)
• She uncovers his feet (same word as used in
Daniel 9 – bronze feet = judgment)
• Antitype: Revelation begins with the judgment
of the Church (chapters 1-4)

43. Type / Antitype
• Type: Boaz seen on threshing floor, but
immediately afterward begins the process of
redeeming Ruth and the land.
• Antitype: Lion of Judah (Revelation 5) is
connected with judgment, but immediately
after the judgment comes the redemption
(Lamb Who was slain.)
• Jesus is both judge (lion) and redeemer (lamb)

44. Type / Antitype
• Type: Boaz purchased Ruth through a forfeited
inheritance
• Antitype: Jesus will purchase His bride
through a forfeited inheritance (Adam)
• Type: Ruth automatically becomes his bride
through the redemptive process
• Antitype: We will automatically become bride
of Christ through redemptive process (Rev. 5-
19)

45. Type / Antitype
• Type: nearer kinsman will mar his inheritance
if he redeems Ruth
• Antitype: Father is judging/redeeming His
wife Israel on earth while Church is in heaven
with Jesus
• Type: nearer kinsman hands Boaz his shoe.
Boaz is now free to redeem.
• Antitype: the Father hands the scroll to Jesus,
who is now free to redeem.

46. Type / Antitype
• Type: nearer kinsman cannot redeem without
marring his own inheritance.
• Antitype: God the Father is said to be the
husband of the nation of Israel.
• Jeremiah 3:6-8 (unfaithful Israel – divorced)
• Verse 14 – Israel returns as wife
• Hosea 2:2 (“not my wife”)
• Verse 16 – Israel brought back as wife