“Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel!” (Ruth 4:14 ESV)

The little book of Ruth is unique. Only one of two books in the Bible named for a woman, it is considered one of the great literary works of the Bible. It is a book about faith, love and redemption. It illustrates the application of the redemption law as found in Leviticus 25, which provided for a woman who had no male heir to retain her family’s property. This provision in the law called for a close family member to become a “go’el,” which is the Hebrew word for “kinsman-redeemer.” In Ruth, a man named Boaz takes the role of the “go’el,” a selfless act that enabled Naomi and Ruth to not only have an inheritance, but gave them a son to carry on the name of their dead son and husband. It seems ironic that it was a foreign woman who activated this law. Yet, God loves to draw those far away, near to Him in faith. So, the love story of Boaz and Ruth informs us of the kinsman-redeemer practice and also prepares us for the ultimate Kinsman-Redeemer, Jesus Christ.