
Boaz discussing Ruth and her future with nearest unnamed kin
by Chuck Ness
As I peruse through my notes in my preperation to make outlines for the Book of Ruth, I was struck by a thought that makes me again put forth an idea. We are told that the fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom and knowledge, and in James 3:1 we are told that those who teach will be held to a higher standard. Well, I always fear being wrong lest I condemn myself by misleading others.
So, my theory would be that the unnamed Kinsman could also be a symbol of the Law of Moses. Allow me to elaborate.
Just as God handed down the Law to Moses, who in turn gave it to the people. It was actually given so that they could see what sin was. Paul tells us in Romans 3:20 “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” So the Law came first to show us what sin is, and thus we realize we are sinners, as Paul wrote in Romans 7:7 “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET."