A Type Of The Law

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."

Also as we read in Hebrew 10:1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. So we see that the Law tells us very plainly, “I cannot Redeem!” Well, that is what Naomi's closest kinsman tells Boaz. Oh he was willing and thought he was able. That was before he realized that the redemption of Naomi's property also called for him to take Ruth as his wife to carry on the name of her diseased husband Mahlon. His reason was that he would mar his own inheritance. This is similar to the Law being unable to lower it's standards to allow for our inability to follow its strict rules.

Now I also would like to come to this kinsman's defense in that the Talmud and Josephus tells us that this gentleman was already married. We all know that times were different and while God forbade men from having more then one wife, He knew our hearts and allowed it for our weakness only. However, a truly Godly man would not have more then one wife, and that very well could be the case here. Already having a wife and sons, he did not want to mar the inheritance that he already owed his children. Especially when he knew Boaz would be the next in line to redeem Naomi's property, and honor her husbands name by taking on Ruth as his wife so that the Mahlon's name would not be blotted out of Israel as Deuteronomy 25:5-6 says.

I digress though. Allow me to sum up my point so you can let me know if I have something, or if I am just thinking too much as Origen was famous for.

By marriage the right of ownership for Elimelech's property would inevitably fall upon Ruth, but because her husband was deceased she needed a goel. Ruth is informed by Naomi that the kind landowner who showed her such respect was a near kinsman who could redeem that which her husband had sold. Like a dutiful daughter, Ruth follows Naomi's advice and we are blessed with a beautiful example of the Love God shows to the lost.

Boaz offers to be her goel and her voice in front of the elders of the town. We, as sinners are born to sin through Adam and thus lost our inheritance to eternal life with God. Jesus offers to be our goel and our voice in front of His father. The nearest of kin accepts his right to redeem the property of Naomi, until he finds out that he must also marry the Moabitess Ruth. Thus, he declines on the grounds that he would jeopardize his own inheritance. The Law was given to us so that we could see what sin was, and thus help us strive to exist in a perfect union with God, the key word is strive. However we were born in sin and thus cannot live up to the Law, and the Law is unable to lower it's standards just so we may be saved. Boaz steps up and humbles himself while threatening his own inheritance by marrying Ruth and raising a son to carry on the name of her diseased husband Mahlon, thus ensuring both Ruth and Naomi's redemption from poverty.

Likewise, God lowered Himself to become man and thus fulfilled the role of the Redeemer, so that we could have the riches of heaven and not spend eternity in the depths of true poverty which would be an eternal separation from God, as Paul wrote in Philippians 2:7-8, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

One last point and then I'll leave it to you to decide the merit of my thoughts.

I said Boaz threatened his own inheritance. Well unlike his relative who was married, Boaz was single and did not have sons who would be in jeopardy of losing out to the heir he would raise up for Mahlon. However Ruth was a Moabite, whom the Lord specifically said would not enter into an inheritance of Israel to the tenth generation, Deuteronomy 23:3.

However, the Scriptures are even more explicit in Nehemiah 13:1, in that it states “they shall never enter the assembly of God”. Now seeing that Nehemiah is of a later date then Boaz, it is my guess that Boaz never received that memo. However all that still works into the great love God shows us, in that He also died for us Gentiles who were outside the Mosaic Covenant. So like Boaz, who went beyond what the nameless kinsman was willing to do, Christ went beyond the Law and redeemed even us, of the unclean. I await your response.