Why didn’t the unnamed redeemer want to marry Ruth? As we saw back on August 6, the Law of Moses said that if a man died without children, it was his brother’s duty to marry his widow so that she could have a child that would inherit her husband’s property and perpetuate his name. According to this passage, this duty fell first to the unnamed “redeemer,” the closest kin that Naomi’s husband Elimelech had.

So, why didn’t he want to do this? At first he was interested, as we see in verses 3 and 4. As long as he himself would benefit, as long as it just involved him getting Elimelech’s inheritance for himself, he was willing to get involved. But then Boaz pointed out that there were significant strings attached. The land would not become his – instead his job would simply be to raise up an heir to Elimelech who would inherit all that land someday. Oh, and that also meant marrying a Moabite woman, Ruth, someone who would in all likelihood be despised by the rest of his family.

At that point, this unnamed redeemer lost interest. And frankly, that’s the point where so many of us do too. As long as we can help others at arm’s length, as long as we can just write a check to a charity or help the poor from behind the serving line at a soup kitchen we are more than happy to volunteer. But getting personally involved with sinners in the messes they’ve made of their lives? Helping people sort out conflicted marriages or escape from addictions? Fostering or adopting children to get them out of dangerous environments? That’s where most of us check out.

But Boaz was willing to get personally involved. Now, he didn’t know what marrying a Moabite would do to his reputation. And it would involve a lot of hard work to take care of Elimelech’s property until Ruth’s son could inherit it. But in spite of her ancestry, Boaz thought Ruth was worth the risk.

And that’s the same choice that Jesus made. For He didn’t stay up in Heaven, aloof from the mess we have made out of our lives. No, He chose to get personally involved. He chose to redeem us from our bondage to sin, even though it involved the shame of taking our sin upon Himself, even though it cost Him His whole life. And He did all of this because of His love for sinners like us.

So, in response to this amazing grace, it is only fitting that we follow Him, that our lives look a whole lot more like Boaz’ than like that other, nameless redeemer. What risks can we take, what labor of love can we do for Christ and His people today?

Ruth 4:1-10 (ESV)

Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down.
2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.
3 Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech.
4 So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.”
5 Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.”
6 Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”
7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel.
8 So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal.
9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon.
10 Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.”