AS WE GO THROUGH THIS CHAPTER, TAKE SPECIAL NOTICE HOW OFTEN RUTH WILL BE REFERRED TO AS “RUTH THE MOABITESS”, OR “RUTH THE FOREIGNER”. YET THE LOCALS OF BETHLEHEM ARE AWARE OF THE SWITCH OF ALLEGIANCE THAT RUTH HAS MADE TO YAHUSHA AND TO YISHARAL, AND THEY ARE ALSO AWARE OF RUTH’S LOVING CARE OF NAOMI. SO CALLING RUTH A MOABITE IS NOT MEANT AS A SLAP OR REJECTION OF HER CROSSING OVER AND CONVERSION; RATHER IT’S JUST NOTING A FACT OF HER BACKGROUND, THAT SHE HAS MADE THE DECISION TO LEAVE MOAB AND ITS DEITIES BEHIND TO CLEAVE TO YISHARAL - IT’S BEEN ACCEPTED AND THE FACT THAT SHE’S NOT A BIOLOGICAL HEBREW IS EQUALLY ACCEPTED TOO.
REDEEMER (RUTH.2)
One day, Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Hey Mum, I’ll go see if I can find someone who’ll let me pick up the grain left by the harvest workers in the fields.” IT WAS THE CUSTOM AT HARVEST TIME TO LEAVE SOME GRAIN IN THE FIELD FOR THE POOR TO PICK UP (LEV 19).
“Go for it Luv,” Naomi agreed, so Ruth went straight out and Yahusha guided her over to a field owned by an important rich man named Boaz (who also turned out to be a relative of Naomi’s husband Elimelech).
NAOMI IS NOT BLOOD-RELATED TO BOAZ, RATHER BOAZ IS A WEALTHY MAN BELONGING TO NAOMI’S HUSBAND ELIMELECH’S CLAN, WHO WERE A FRUITFUL (WELL-TO-DO) CLAN OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH. WHEN THE TEXT SAYS THAT NAOMI HAD A “RELATIVE”, THE HEBREW WORD BEING TRANSLATED IS 'MODA'. OFTEN THE ENGLISH TRANSLATOR WAS JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS AND RENDERS THIS INTO “KINSMAN” (REFERRING TO A KINSMAN REDEEMER), HOWEVER 'MODA' SIMPLY INDICATES A FAMILIAL ASSOCIATION OR AN ACQUAINTANCE. SO IN NO WAY IS BOAZ AT THIS POINT IN THE STORY BEING PAINTED AS ANYTHING BUT A RATHER DISTANT RELATIVE IN ELIMELECH’S CLAN. THERE IS NO ASSUMPTION OF FAMILY OBLIGATION ON BOAZ TOWARDS NAOMI AT THIS POINT.
YISHARAL'S CENTRELINK WELFARE
RUTH AND NAOMI REPRESENT THE POOR OF BETHLEHEM, AND AS WIDOWS THEY HAVE NO VISIBLE MEANS OF SUPPORT SO RUTH DOES WHAT WAS THE NORM FOR THAT ERA, SHE DECIDES TO GO OUT AND “GLEAN”. GLEANING WAS THE “FOOD STAMP / WELFARE PROGRAM” OF ANCIENT TIMES; GLEANING GAVE THE POVERTY STRICKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBTAIN FOOD. BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT IN THIS AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY GLEANING OCCURRED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH HARVESTING. SO JUST AS A FARMER HAS TO SOW, THEN TEND, AND THEN WAIT FOR THE CROP TO GROW UP AND RIPEN BEFORE HE CAN HARVEST IT AND USE THE PRODUCE, SO IT WAS FOR GLEANERS. THE POOR HAD TO WORK
BEHIND THE REAPERS (THE HARVESTERS), IMMEDIATELY PICKING UP WHAT THE REAPERS LEFT BEHIND, WITH THE IDEA OF GATHERING MORE THAN THEY WOULD USE IN A SINGLE DAY. THEY WOULD NEED TO STORE UP THE PRODUCE (USUALLY GRAIN) THAT THEY GLEANED TO USE DURING THE BULK OF THE TIME THAT WAS THE PLANTING AND GROWING CYCLE, WHEN THERE WAS NO GATHERING OF FOOD (NO HARVESTING) OCCURRING.
LET’S ALSO BE CLEAR THAT GLEANING WAS A RIGHT OF THE POOR IN YISHARAL, NOT A PRIVILEGE; IT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE FIELD’S OWNERS COULD GRANT OR NOT GRANT TO GLEANERS ACCORDING TO HIS CHARITY. THE TURAH MADE IT YAHUSHA’S LAW THAT THE OWNER’S MUST NOT HARVEST ALL THEIR CROPS BUT RATHER LEAVE SUFFICIENT FOR THE POOR, AND ESPECIALLY FOR WIDOWS. SO RUTH COULD LITERALLY WANDER AROUND AND CHOOSE AT HER OWN DISCRETION WHICH FIELD SHE WOULD LIKE TO GLEAN. IN FACT PART OF THE LAW ON GLEANING WAS THAT IN LEAN TIMES THE OWNERS OF THE FIELDS WERE REQUIRED TO MAKE MORE OF THEIR CROPS AVAILABLE TO THE GLEANERS THAN USUAL. THAT IS QUITE A CONTRAST TO THE MORE TYPICAL HUMAN REACTION WHEREBY IN TOUGH TIMES (LIKE OUR NATION AND THE WORLD IN GENERAL ARE EXPERIENCING NOW) THAT PEOPLE GIVE LESS OF THEIR INCOMES TO CHARITY EVEN THOUGH THE NUMBER OF NEEDY IS ON THE RISE.
When Boaz left Bethlehem and went out to see the reaping progress in his field, he said to the harvest workers, “G'day guys, Yahuah bless you eh!”
“You too Boss!” they replied.
A STANDARD GREETING FOR THAT LOCAL AREA. WHEN WE REMEMBER THAT RUTH LIVED DURING THE DAYS OF THE JUDGES, AND RECALL THE SPIRITUAL DARKNESS THAT HOVERED OVER YISHARAL DURING THAT ERA, THIS GREETING AND RESPONSE INDICATE THAT BETHLEHEM WAS A COMMUNITY OF TRUE OBEDIENT BELIEVERS OF YAHUSHA, THE ALAHIM OF YISHARAL WHO CONTINUED TO DEDICATE THEMSELVES TO THE PURER WAYS RATHER THAN TO GIVE IN TO THE RAMPANT FALLIONG AWAY AND IDOLATRY OF THE TIMES.
Then Boaz asked the man in charge of the reapers, “Who’s that gorgeous young shelah over there?”HIS LANGUAGE IMPLIES THAT HE ASSUMES HER TO BE UNMARRIED AND LIVING UNDER HER FATHER’S AUTHORITY, NOT A MARRIED WOMAN OR A WIDOW.
“She’s the young moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi remember? She asked if she could pick up the grain we left, and she’s been out there slav’in in this bloody hot sun all morning with no rest.” IN SMALL TOWNS AND CITIES VERY LITTLE HAPPENS WITHOUT IT GETTING AROUND, ASO RUTH AND NAOMI’S STORY WAS WELL KNOWN AMONG THE LOCALS.
So Boaz went over to Ruth and said, “Young lady listen to me, I think it’d be best for you to stick around here in my field and not move onto anyone else’s to pick up grain, because the women will rock up here soon to gather up what my men have cut and it’d be much easier and safer for you to follow along behind them. Don’t worry my daughter, I’ve warned my men not to bother you, and whenever you are thirsty, you can drink from the water jars they’ve all filled.” “MY DAUGHTER” IS NOT SAYING THAT SHE IS HIS DAUGHTER OR EVEN UNDER HIS FAMILY AUTHORITY, IT’S JUST THE WAY AN OLDER PERSON WOULD SPEAK TO A YOUNGER PERSON AFFECTIONATELY. SO JUST AS WE SAW NAOMI REFER TO RUTH AS “MY DAUGHTER”, WE NOW HAVE THE EQUALLY ELDERLY BOAZ ADDRESSING THE CONSIDERABLY YOUNGER RUTH IN THAT SAME WAY. SO, SORRY LADIES BUT THIS IS NOT THE TALE OF A DASHING YOUNG MAN RIDING TO THE RESCUE OF A LOVELY DAMSEL IN DISTRESS.
BOAZ IS AN OLD GUY!
And Ruth bowed down to the ground, “You know I’m a foreigner here from far away, so why are you being so kind to me?” RUTH WAS GETTING SPECIAL TREATMENT, BUT WHY? WAS SHE EXCEPTIONALLY BEAUTIFUL AND THIS OLD MAN, BOAZ, WAS ATTRACTED TO HER? THAT MAY HAVE PLAYED A MINOR ROLE, BUT PROBABLY NOT AT ALL. SO WHY WOULD HE BE ACTING SO FAVOURABLY TO HER (ESPECIALLY SINCE SHE IS A FOREIGNER). THERE IT IS AGAIN, THAT REFERENCE TO RUTH AND HER MOABITE HERITAGE. ALTHOUGH RUTH (TO NAOMI’S SURPRISE) REJECTED HER PAST IDENTITY TO TAKE ON A NEW ONE WITH YISHARAL AND YISHARAL’S ALAHIM, HER ETHNICITY AS A MOABITE REMAINED WITH HER.
“Because I’ve heard how kind you’ve been helping your mother-in-law ever since your husband died. You even left your own father and mother to come and live in a foreign land among people you don’t know. It’s wonderful to see, and May Yahuah the Alahim of Yisharal reward you for what you’ve done, since it’s under His wings you’ve come to for protection, I ask that He bless your obedience.” BOAZ SAYS THAT IT’S HER CHARACTER THAT HE SO ADMIRES AND WE SHOULD BELIVE IT AS HIS HONEST TRUTH.
“UNDER WHOSE WINGS YOU HAVE COME FOR REFUGE”.
THE HEBREW WORD THAT IS TRANSLATED AS `WINGS' IS KANAPH. AND THE USUAL IMAGE IS OF A MOTHER BIRD STRETCHING OUT HER WINGS OVER HER CHICK TO GUARD IT AND PROTECT IT FROM STORMS AND PREDATORS. BUT WHILE THE IDEA OF PROTECTION AND REST IS CERTAINLY INTENDED, THE CHOICE OF WORDS IS TO DRAW A VERY SPECIFIC PARALLEL.
IF WE JUMP AHEAD ONE CHAPTER (SPOILER ALERT) WE SEE RUTH SNEEKING OVERE TO BOAZ WHILE HE SLEPT.
"IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BOAZ WAS STARTLED AND TURNED OVER, AND THERE WAS A WOMAN LYING AT HIS FEET! IN THE DARKNESS HE ASKED, "WHO ARE YOU?" AND SHE ANSWERED, "I'M YOUR HANDMAID RUTH. PLEASE SPREAD YOUR ROBE OVER YOUR ME, BECAUSE YOU ARE MY REDEEMING KINSMAN.""
THIS IS THE PART OF THE STORY THAT MOST OF US HAVE HEARD BEFORE BECAUSE IT IS SO DRAMATIC AND ALSO ROMANTIC. BUT LOOK AT THE LAST SENTENCE; IT SAYS THAT RUTH ASKED BOAZ TO “SPREAD YOUR ROBE OVER YOUR HANDMAID, BECAUSE YOU ARE MY REDEEMING KINSMAN”. WHAT IT ACTUALLY SAYS (WITH A LITTLE HEBREW ADDED BACK IN) IS, “SPREAD YOUR KANAPH OVER YOUR HANDMAID, BECAUSE YOU ARE MY GO’EL”. KANAPH (TRANSLATED METAPHORICALLY AS YAHUSHA’S WINGS BEING SPREAD OVER RUTH FOR HER DIVINE WELL-BEING) IS NOW USED IN THE VERY SAME WAY (JUST HIDDEN BECAUSE OF THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION) THAT BOAZ SHOULD SPREAD HIS KANAPH (HIS WINGS THAT ARE METAPHORICALLY HIS ROBE) OVER HER FOR HER EARTHLY WELL-BEING. AND THIS IS BECAUSE BOAZ IS RUTH’S GO’EL OR KINSMAN REDEEMER. SEE: THE SPREADING OF HIS ROBE OVER HER WAS A SIGN OF HIM “TAKING HER UNDER HIS WING”, TAKING HER TO A PLACE OF REFUGE AND SAFETY.
IS THE CONNECTION BECOMING CLEAR TO YOU? RUTH (A WIDOW BACK IN MOAB) DIDN’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT YAHUSHA, BUT YAHUSHA PUT ENOUGH TRUST INTO HER FOR HER TO KNOW SHE WANTED HIM. BUT NOW THIS NAÏVE GENTILE FROM THE OUTSIDE NATIONS IS IN THE PROCESS OF LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE TRUE YAHUSHA OF THE COSMOS WHOM SHE HAS GIVEN HERSELF OVER TO. YAHUSHA IS RUTH’S ULTIMATE PLACE OF REFUGE AND SHE HAS CHOSEN TO PUT HERSELF UNDER HIS KANAPH. RUTH DID THIS WHEN SHE MADE HER 6-PART DECLARATION BACK IN MOAB AND THEN RETURNED TO JUDAH WITH NAOMI. AND YOU KNOW, RUTH DIDN’T DO THIS PASSIVELY, SHE INSISTED. RUTH GLUED HERSELF TO NAOMI AND TO YAHUSHA AND WOULDN’T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. SHE ATTACHED HERSELF TO YAHUSHA AND TO HIS PEOPLE AND WOULDN’T LET GO NO MATTER HOW LOGICAL AND PRACTICAL NAOMI’S ARGUMENT AGAINST THIS COURSE OF ACTION SEEMED.
Ruth replied, “Sir, it’s so good of you to speak kindly to me and make me feel so welcome, for I’m not even one of your servants.” BOAZ WAS ATTRACTED TO RUTH BY HER YOUTHFUL BEAUTY AND HER RARE CHARACTER; THUS HE BEGAN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY TO SHOW HER SPECIAL FAVOR. BOAZ WAS AN OLD MAN AT THIS TIME, SUCCESSFUL AND WEALTHY, AND HIS UNMERITED KINDNESS TOWARDS RUTH IS A STUDY IN THE WONDERFULLY HEBREW CONCEPT OF CHESED; ACTS OF LOVING-KINDNESS TOWARDS OTHERS AS A RESPONSE TO YAHUSHA’S LOVE AND MERCY TOWARDS HIS REDEEMED. AND OF COURSE RUTH IS EXHIBITING THE SAME TOWARDS NAOMI EVEN THOUGH SHE’S NOT FULLY AWARE.
At mealtime Boaz said to Ruth, “Come, eat with us. Oy, you boys, scoot over, make some room. Here you go Ruth, grab some bread and dip it in the sauce.”
Right away she sat down with the workers, and Boaz handed her some roasted grain, and Ruth ate all she wanted and even had some left over. BOAZ WAS DEMONSTRATING ONE OF THE MOST VALUED QUALITIES OF A HUMAN: CHESED. HE WAS ACTIVELY SHOWING HER KINDNESS. GLEANERS WERE USUALLY AT BEST LEFT ALONE TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES; BUT BOAZ INSTEAD OFFERED RUTH FOOD FROM HIS OWN TABLE. HE OFFERED FOR HER TO DIP HER BREAD IN A CONCOCTION CALLED CHOMETZ, WHICH IS A SOUR SAUCE OF SORTS THAT IS USED TO SPICE UP DRY BREAD. NOT ONLY THAT BUT RUTH WAS ALLOWED TO SIT WITH THE REAPERS, THOSE OF HIGHER STATUS WHO WERE PAID WAGES TO HARVEST FOR THE OWNER, BOAZ. SHE WAS OFFERED ROASTED GRAIN, A RATHER STANDARD FARE FOR REAPERS DURING THE HARVEST SEASON, AND WAS ALLOWED ALL SHE COULD EAT AND MORE.
Then when Ruth went to start picking up grain again, Boaz told his men, “Don’t stop her, even if she picks up grain from where it is stacked. Infact, be sure to pull out some stalks of grain from the bundles and leave them on the ground for her. And make sure you don’t speak harshly to her either!” BOAZ’S KINDNESS IS MAGNIFIED WHEN AFTER THE MEAL RUTH GETS UP TO GO BACK TO HER GLEANING AND BOAZ INSTRUCTED HIS SUPERVISOR AND REAPERS TO ALLOW RUTH TO GLEAN “EVEN AMONG THE SHEAVES”. BOAZ IS GENEROUSLY TELLING HIS MEN TO HAVE HER GLEAN AMONG THE MARYM, THE ACTUAL BUNDLED SHEAVES. EVEN MORE THEY ARE TO PULL SOME OF THE STALKS AWAY FROM THE BUNDLES AND LET HER TAKE THOSE! THIS IS A MOST MAGNANIMOUS ACT OF CHARITY.
GRAFTED IN: RUTH & PAUL ALIGN
THERE’S SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT BOAZ PULLING OUT SOME OF THE STALKS FROM THE WHEAT AND BARLEY SO THAT RUTH COULD GATHER THEM. AND THAT 'SOMETHING' IS IN ROMANS 11 AND IT’S CONTAINED IN A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE OLIVE TREE BY PAUL THAT DEALS WITH THE MEANS BY WHICH THE OUTSIDE NATIONS (GOYIM/GENTILES) ARE ABLE TO COME UNDER YISHARAL’S ETERNAL BLOOD-COVENANT OF DELIVERANCE (“BRANCHES WERE BROKEN OFF THAT I MAY BE GRAFTED IN ETC”).
IN ROMANS 11 PAUL PRESENTS A QUESTION: HAS YAHUSHA CUT OFF HIS PEOPLE (THE HEBREWS) AND REPLACED THEM WITH NEW GENTILE CONVERTS (FROM THE OUTSIDE NATIONS) WHO WISH TO FOLLOW THE MESSIAH YAHUSHA? THE ANSWER HE GIVES IMMEDIATELY IS “HEAVEN FORBID” (NO!), AND THEN GOES ON TO EXPLAIN JUST HOW A GENTILE SHOULD VIEW HIS NEW RELATIONSHIP IN YAHUSHA WITH THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE OF YISHARAL (THAT WERE DIVORCED MIND YOU !)
AND WHEREAS IN THE BOOK OF RUTH THE HEBREW KINSMAN REDEEMER BOAZ HAS PULLED OUT SOME OF THE GATHERED STALKS OF WHEAT AND BARLEY FROM THE SHEAF SO THAT RUTH COULD JOIN IN THE CHOICE HARVEST, SO WE HAVE THE METAPHOR OF THE OLIVE TREE (A REGULAR SCRIPTURAL METAPHOR FOR YISHARAL) WHERE BRANCHES ARE REMOVED BY THE HEBREW KINSMAN REDEEMER YAHUSHA SO THAT GENTILES (ANYONE NOT BORN A HEBREW) CAN BE GRAFTED IN AND PARTAKE OF THE CHOICE HARVEST.
THE PRINCIPLE/PATTERN OF RUTH IS THE SAME AS PAUL. ALL NATIONS MUST JOIN YISHARAL IN THE WAY THAT COUNTS THE MOST, SPIRITUALLY (IE THROUGH THE BLOOD-COVENANT AND PORTAL CONNECTION ON THEIR CIRCUMCISED HEARTS), IN ORDER TO BE REDEEMED BY THE ALAHIM OF YISHARAL. AND TO ILLUSTRATE THIS FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH, AGRICULTURAL MOTIFS ARE USED BECAUSE YISHARAL WAS AN AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY AND SO THEY COULD BE MORE EASILY VISUALISED AND UNDERSTOOD.
PAUL ENDS HIS ARGUMENT BY EXPLAINING SOMETHING THAT OUGHT TO PUT ALL OUTSIDE NATIONS IN THEIR PROPER PLACE: THE REASON THAT YAHUSHA HAS ALLOWED GENTILES TO DO THE UNTHINKABLE (PARTICIPATE IN WHAT (UP TO THEN) HAD BEEN AN EXCLUSIVELY HEBREW BLOOD-COVENANT WITHOUT A NATIONAL CONVERSION) IS SO THAT ALL YISHARAL WILL BE DELIVERED (BECAUSE REMEMBER MOST OF THE TRIBES HAD BEEN SCATTERED AND ASSIMILATED INTO THE WORLD. GENTILES BEING DELIVERED ARE MERELY A BYPRODUCT OF YAHUSHA’S GOAL OF DELIVERING ALL OF YISHARAL! IF THAT DOESN’T POP YOUR TOP (AND YOUR PRIDE) WHAT WILL?
RUTH, FROM BEFORE TIME WAS TIME, WAS DESTINED TO BE THE GENTILE GRANDMOTHER OF THE HEBREW KING DAVID, WHO WOULD GO ON TO PRODUCE THE HEBREW MESSIANIC LINE THAT LED TO THE HEBREW YAHUSHA OF NAZARETH. RUTH (IN YAHUSHA’S EYES) WAS A NECESSARY ELEMENT (AS A GENTILE) TO BRING ABOUT THE HEBREW DELIVERER WHOSE PURPOSE IT WAS TO DELIVER ALL YISHARAL. BUT BECAUSE OF YAHUSHA INCLUDING GENTILES AT CRITICAL MOMENTS IN THE REDEMPTIVE PROCESS, GENTILES WOULD ALSO BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE REDEEMED UNDER THE BLOOD-COVENANT THAT YAHUSHA GAVE TO THE HEBREWS. THERE WAS NO SPECIAL NEW “GENTILE BLOOD-COVENANT” HANDED DOWN.
AN OUTSIDER MUST BE GRAFTED INTO THE COMMONWEALTH OF YISHARAL, BOTH THEN AND TODAY.
THERE ARE SEVERAL MORE CONNECTIONS LIKE THESE THAT WE’LL EXPLORE, BUT THE POINT WAS TO SHOW THE DIRECT PARALLEL IN RUTH OF THE STALKS REMOVED FROM THE SHEAVES FOR THE SAKE OF THE GENTILE RUTH, TO PAUL’S METAPHOR OF BRANCHES BEING REMOVED FROM THE OLIVE TREE FOR THE SAKE OF ALL GENTILES WHO WOULD TRUST YAHUSHA.
So Ruth worked in the field until evening, then after she had pounded the grain off the stalks, she had a large basket full of grain, which she took excitedly to town to show Naomi how much she’d picked up. Ruth also gave Naomi the food she had left over from the Luncheon with Boaz’s boys.
Naomi said, “Wow look at all this! Where did you work today? Whose field was it? May Alahim bless the man who treated you so well!”
Then Ruth told her that she had worked in the field of the man named Boaz. “May Yahuah bless Boaz, for he’s shown that he is still loyal to the living and to the dead. Did you know that Boaz is a relative of mine, one of those who's supposed to look after us?” (HEBREW: REDEEMER)
“Really? Boaz even said I could stay in the field with his workers until they had finished gathering all his grain.”
“My sweet daughter, it’s good that you can pick up grain alongside the women who work in his field, because who knows what might happen to you in someone else’s field!”
And so Ruth the Moabitess stayed close to the other women while picking up grain in Boaz’s field. So Ruth worked in the fields until the barley and wheat were all harvested, and all this time she lived with Naomi.
WHEN RUTH REVEALED BOAZ’S IDENTITY TO HER, NAOMI WAS PRACTICALLY IN SHOCK AT SUCH WONDERFUL FORTUNE. NAOMI INSTANTLY KNEW THAT IT WAS THE SAME YAHUSHA WHO HAD AFFLICTED HER WITH SUCH BITTERNESS WHO NOW WAS AFFLICTING HER WITH SUCH FAVOUR AND FAVOUR AS TO NOT ONLY PROVIDE SO MUCH GRAIN FOR THEIR SUSTENANCE, BUT ALSO TO LEAD RUTH DIRECTLY TO BOAZ, A FAMILY KINSMAN REDEEMER. AT LAST, AFTER SO LONG A TIME OF DARKNESS, THERE WAS HOPE!
LET’S HAVE AN EXTENSIVE LOOK AT THE KINSMAN REDEEMER CONCEPT BECAUSE FROM HERE FORWARD IN THE STORY OF RUTH THAT CONCEPT IS FRONT AND CENTRE. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND IT IN ITS FULLNESS BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE CAN GET SOME WRONG OR INCOMPLETE IMPRESSIONS ABOUT NOT ONLY THE OFFICE OF KINSMAN REDEEMER IN GENERAL, BUT ALSO IN YAHUSHA’S ROLE AS OUR KINSMAN REDEEMER AND HOW IT AFFECTS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
FIRST, THE HEBREW WORD IS GO’EL, AND IT IS THIS WORD THAT ENGLISH SCRIPTURES GENERALLY TRANSLATE INTO KINSMAN REDEEMER, AND IN FACT, THIS IS INCORRECT. MORE CORRECTLY GO’EL SIMPLY MEANS A NEAR RELATIVE WHO IS ABLE TO PERFORM A WHOLE RANGE OF CERTAIN DUTIES WITHIN HIS OWN CLAN OR TRIBE.
. . . ONLY ONE OF THOSE MANY DUTIES IS AS A KINSMAN REDEEMER.
WE NEED TO STEP BACK AND UNDERSTAND THAT THE SOLIDARITY AND CONTINUATION OF A TRIBE AND CLAN WAS PARAMOUNT IN ANCIENT HEBREW (AND MOST MIDDLE EASTERN) SOCIETIES. WE TODAY LIKE TO SAY THAT “THE FAMILY” IS THE BASIC SOCIAL UNIT THAT OUR COUNTRY OPERATES UNDER (AND THAT IS CERTAINLY TRUE). BUT WHAT IS A FAMILY? BECAUSE OF THE WAY FAMILY HAS EVOLVED IN THE WESTERN WORLD (AS OPPOSED TO THE EASTERN WORLD), THE IDEALISED WESTERN FAMILY HAS COME TO MEAN JUST DAD, MUM AND 2.5 KIDS LIVING TOGETHER IN A SINGLE HOUSEHOLD. GRAND-PARENTS, AUNTS AND UNCLES ARE GENERALLY SEEN AS FAMILY UNITS OF THEIR OWN, AND SECONDARY TO THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY.
BROKEN HOMES DUE TO DIVORCE OR CHILDREN BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK HAVE PUT THAT IDEAL OF IDENTIFIABLE FAMILY UNITS INTO REVERSE OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES, BUT NONETHELESS THIS NUCLEAR FAMILY FORMULA REMAINS (THOUGH FRAGILE) AS THE NORM FOR US. BUT THIS WAS NOT SO FOR ANCIENT CULTURES LIKE THAT OF YISHARAL. SCRIPTURAL FAMILIES ARE NOT LIKE MODERN WESTERN FAMILIES.
THE SCRIPTURAL “FAMILY” WAS NOT SEEN AS MERELY THE PARENTS AND THEIR IMMEDIATE CHILDREN; RATHER IT WAS MORE CLAN-LIKE AND FAMILIES JUST AUTOMATICALLY INCLUDED (WHAT WE'D CALL) “EXTENDED FAMILIES” TOO (IE GRANDPARENTS, AUNTS AND UNCLES, AND 1ST COUSINS ETC). BUT EVEN WESTERN EXTENDED FAMILIES STILL DON’T RISE TO THE LEVEL OF A SCRIPTURAL CLAN THAT INCLUDE ALL RELATED MEMBERS OF A FAMILY WHO CAN BE CONNECTED TO A COMMON SON OF THE ORIGINAL FOUNDER OF THE TRIBE. THIS CAN AMOUNT TO HUNDREDS, EVEN THOUSANDS, OF FAMILY MEMBERS. CERTAINLY IN SOME CASES CLAN SIZE, THE WANT OF POWER AND AUTONOMY, AND THE DISTANCE OF TIME CAUSED SOME CLANS TO SPLIT INTO TWO; BUT EVEN THEN THEY RECOGNISED THEIR COMMON FAMILIAL BONDS.
IN THE CASE OF BOAZ WE HAVE NO IDEA EXACTLY WHAT HIS RELATIONSHIP WAS WITH ELIMELECH. RABBI’S HAVE FANCIFULLY SAID HE WAS ELIMELECH’S NEPHEW, BUT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF SUCH A THING. WHATEVER THE RELATIONSHIP WAS, IT MUST HAVE BEEN UNIMPORTANT TO THE STORY, AND EQUALLY LIKELY IT WAS NOT A VERY CLOSE KINSHIP ESPECIALLY AS WE THINK OF “CLOSE” IN OUR TIME.
IT WAS FOR THE DEFENCE OF THE CLAN AND TRIBE THAT THE OFFICE OF GO’EL EXISTED. THE CONCEPT WAS THAT ANY RIGHTS THAT A MAN POSSESSED THAT COULD BE LOST DUE TO HIS INABILITY TO PERFORM THEM COULD AND SHOULD BE RESUMED BY HIS NEXT OF KIN.
THE CLOSEST POSSIBLE NEXT OF KIN BORE BOTH THE SENIOR POSITION AND THE SENIOR RESPONSIBILITY TO PERFORM THOSE DUTIES ON BEHALF OF THE MAN WHO COULD NOT. THERE WERE A VARIETY OF REASONS WHY A MAN MIGHT HAVE TO RELY ON HIS NEXT OF KIN TO ASSUME SUCH DUTIES FOR HIM, AND HIS OWN UNTIMELY DEATH WAS AMONG THE MOST COMMON.
IN HEBREW SOCIETY, THE CLOSEST OF RELATIONSHIP AFTER THE PARENTS WAS FIRST BROTHER AND THEN UNCLE ON THE FATHER’S SIDE. AFTER THAT IT WAS UNCLE ON THE MOTHER’S SIDE, AND FROM THERE IT COULD RANGE TO GRANDPARENTS AND THEN 1ST COUSINS, 2ND COUSINS, AND SO ON. THE FATHER’S SIDE ALWAYS CARRIED MORE WEIGHT THAN THE MOTHER’S SIDE. AND SHOULD ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER BE A NON-HEBREW, THE HEBREW SIDE (OF COURSE) IS WHAT MATTERED.
ONE OF THE REAL DANGERS IN ANCIENT TIMES WAS THAT THROUGH INTERMARRIAGE WITH FOREIGNERS AND THEN DEATH OF THE YISHARALITE MALE FAMILY LEADER, YISHARALITE TRIBAL LANDS COULD BE LOST TO FOREIGNERS. BUT NEARLY ON PAR WITH THAT WAS THAT AS TIME WENT ON IT BECAME MORE AND MORE COMMON FOR ONE YISHARALITE CLAN MEMBER TO MARRY SOMEONE OF ANOTHER CLAN; OR FOR ONE MEMBER OF CLAN TO MARRY EVEN OUTSIDE OF THEIR TRIBE. EITHER OF THESE CAUSED PROBLEMS DUE TO THE LAWS CONCERNING LAND INHERITANCE, AND YAHUSHA’S TURAH THAT DECLARED THAT LAND ALLOTTED TO YISHARALITE CLANS AND TRIBES SHOULD REMAIN THERE IN PERPETUITY; AND AGAIN THE GO’EL PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN ENSURING THAT NONE OF THESE CASES HAPPENED AND YISHARALITE LAND MIGHT NOT BE LOST TO A FOREIGNER.
ANOTHER, AND PERHAPS CHIEF AND MOST SOMBER, DUTY OF A GO’EL WAS TO BE A BLOOD AVENGER (A GOE’L HA’DAM). IT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT CLAN DUTY IN ANCIENT SOCIETY THAT THE NEAREST OF KIN HUNT DOWN AND KILL A PERSON WHO HAS SLAIN A FAMILY MEMBER. THIS IDEA OF FAMILY RETRIBUTION, OR THE CARRYING OUT OF JUSTICE ON BEHALF OF THE CLAN, IS BY NO MEANS EXTINCT IN THE WORLD TODAY. ISLAMIC SOCIETY HAS BLOOD VENGEANCE AS A BASIC TENANT OF ITS LAW SYSTEM, AND SO IS COMMON IN THE MIDDLE AND FAR EAST. IT WASN’T VISIBLE TO THE WESTERN WORLD UNTIL RECENTLY AS WE HAVE A HUGE INFLUX INTO EUROPE, AMERICA AND WESTERN NATIONS OF MUSLIMS WHO HAVE
BROUGHT THAT CONCEPT OF FAMILY VENGEANCE WITH THEM AND FULLY INTEND TO CONTINUE IT AS AN INVIOLABLE RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLE. THUS RATHER OFTEN TODAY IN THE NEWS WE’LL HEAR OF A HUSBAND BEHEADING AN UNFAITHFUL WIFE, OR A FATHER KILLING A MAN WHO HAD SEX OUT OF WEDLOCK WITH HIS DAUGHTER (AND KILLING HIS DAUGHTER AS WELL), OR EVEN A FAMILY MEMBER KILLING SOMEONE WHO HAS OFFENDED THE FAMILY IN SOME WAY THAT THE OFFENDER IS NOT EVEN AWARE. AND THIS SYSTEM OF BLOOD VENGEANCE WAS PART OF THE HEBREW SYSTEM, THOUGH NOT IN THE SAME WAY AS IT IS IN ISLAM.
THE HEBREW SYSTEM (THE SCRIPTURAL TURAH SYSTEM) OF BLOOD VENGEANCE IN DEFENCE OF THE FAMILY WAS THE FIRM BELIEF THAT YAHUSHA (IN ORDER TO SECURE THE SACREDNESS OF HUMAN LIFE) HAD ESTABLISHED THAT A MURDERER SUFFERS THE DEATH PENALTY.
IN THE SYSTEM OF JUSTICE THAT YAHUSHA HANDED-DOWN, PAYMENTS OF MONEY IN EXCHANGE FOR A MURDERER’S LIFE WERE NOT ALLOWED AND THIS WAS FOR SPIRITUAL REASONS AS MUCH AS FOR FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY. NUM 35 "YOU ARE NOT TO ACCEPT A RANSOM FOR THE LIFE OF A MURDERER CONDEMNED TO DEATH; RATHER, HE MUST BE PUT TO DEATH".
THE SPIRITUAL REASON FOR NOT ACCEPTING MONEY INSTEAD OF THE CRIMINAL’S LIFE IS THAT UNJUSTLY SPILLED BLOOD POLLUTES THE LAND. AND THE ONLY ATONEMENT AVAILABLE (THE ONLY MEANS TO REMOVE THE IMPURITY AND ALL ITS CONSEQUENCES FROM THE LAND) IS THE BLOOD OF THE KILLER. WHILE THIS IS CONTAINED IN THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO MOSES, IN FACT IT IS A BASIC YAHUSHA-PRINCIPLE THAT WAS ESTABLISHED HUNDREDS OF YEARS BEFORE MT. SINAI AND WE FIND IT IN GEN 4. YAHUSHA SAID, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? THE VOICE OF YOUR BROTHER'S BLOOD IS CRYING OUT TO ME FROM THE GROUND! 11 NOW YOU ARE CURSED FROM THE GROUND, WHICH HAS OPENED ITS MOUTH TO RECEIVE YOUR BROTHER'S BLOOD AT YOUR HANDS. WHEN YOU FARM THE GROUND IT WILL NO LONGER YIELD ITS STRENGTH TO YOU. YOU WILL BE A FUGITIVE, WANDERING THE EARTH."
SO (AND HEAR THIS BECAUSE IT IS SO KEY IN WHAT EVEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF A GO’EL IS AND DOES, AND THUS IS PART OF OUR MESSIAH’S ROLE) THE BLOOD AVENGER WAS REGARDED NOT ONLY AS THE LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE AFFECTED FAMILY AND CLAN, BUT ALSO THE EARTHLY LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE OF YAHUSHA HIMSELF WHO WAS THE HIGHEST AVENGER AND NEAREST KINSMAN TO HIS PEOPLE !!
THAT WAS STILL NOT THE END OF THE DUTIES OF A GO’EL AND OUR STORY OF RUTH SHOWS THAT HE ALSO HAD THE OBLIGATION TO MARRY A NEXT OF KIN’S WIDOW IF THAT WAS NECESSARY TO RESCUE THE LAND FROM BEING LOST TO ANOTHER CLAN, TRIBE OR FOREIGNER. AND, TO SOME DEGREE OR ANOTHER, THIS OPERATED AS (OR IN LIEU OF) LEVIRATE MARRIAGE ESPECIALLY IF THERE WAS NO BROTHER OF A DECEASED MAN AVAILABLE TO MARRY THE WIDOW IF SHE WAS CHILDLESS.
THUS IN THE BOOK OF RUTH, THE MARRIAGE OF RUTH TO BOAZ (THAT WE’LL SEE IN THE FINAL CHAPTER) WAS NOT REALLY LEVIRATE MARRIAGE (SINCE BOAZ CERTAINLY WAS NOT A BROTHER OF THE DECEASED), RATHER IT WAS THE
SOMEWHAT EXTENDED DUTY OF THE GO’EL OF ELIMELECH’S CLAN (IN THIS CASE BOAZ) TO MARRY THE CHILDLESS WIDOW RUTH NOT ONLY TO RESCUE LAND (TECHNICALLY ON NAOMI’S BEHALF) BUT ALSO TO PROVIDE RUTH WITH A MALE-CHILD.
BUT WHERE DID THIS CONCEPT COME FROM THAT THE MESSIAH YAHUSHA WOULD BE A GO’EL TO HIS PEOPLE; A NEAR RELATIVE WHO HAD FAMILIAL OBLIGATIONS? WELL FIRST, VERY EARLY ON YAHUSHA WAS SEEN AS THE DIVINE GO’EL AND AS THE ONE WHO WOULD REDEEM HIS PEOPLE. JUST AS THE CONCEPT OF A GO’EL HAPPENED SHORTLY AFTER THE CREATION OF ADAM AND KUAH (AS WE READ EARLIER IN THAT PASSAGE FROM GENESIS 4), SO IT WAS THAT THE CONCEPT OF REDEMPTION HAPPENED BEFORE IT WAS MADE PART OF THE LAW OF MOSES ON MT. SINAI. THE CONCEPT OF A GO’EL AND REDEMPTION WAS PRE-SINAI AND THUS A FOUNDATIONAL YAHUSHA-PRINCIPLE THAT WOULD FIGURE INTO EVERYTHING YAHUSHA WOULD ESTABLISH (AND THEREFORE NATURALLY IT WOULD BE PART OF HIS CHARACTER).
THERE ARE 33 PASSAGES IN THE TANACH (OLDER TEXTS) THAT USE THE TERM GO’EL (A NOUN) OR ITS VERB FORM GA’AL TO REFER TO YAHUSHA. BUT HOW DOES THIS NOW CONNECT TO DELIVERANCE? WELL, NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE HEBREWS DEVELOPED THE IDEA OF THEIR ALAHIM YAHUAH AS THE GO’EL WHO PRODUCES DELIVERANCE FOR HIS PEOPLE, AND THEN EXTENDED THAT TO HIS MESSIAH YAHUSHA. DID YOU HEAR THAT? YAHUSHA AS A RESCUING MESSIAH WHO REDEEMS IS HARDLY A "NEW TESTAMENT" INVENTION; RATHER IT IS A FULFILMENT OF A MUCH OLDER PRINCIPLE. NOW LOOK AT HOW THE HEBREW LANGUAGE ROLLS ALL THESE CONCEPTS OF DELIVERANCE, REDEMPTION, AND MESSIAH INTO ONE AND THEN PRESENTS IT AS A MEANS OF “VICTORY”.
THE HEBREW ROOT WORD
“YASHA” LITERALLY MEANS, “TO BE OPEN, WIDE OR FREE, TO BE SAFE, AVENGE, DEFEND, DELIVER, HELP, PRESERVE, RESCUE, GET VICTORY.
THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF DERIVATIVES OF THIS WORD FROM WHICH WE GET IN THE ENGLISH “DELIVER”, “TO KEEP ALIVE”, OR “TO LIVE”.
EVIL AND SEVERE DANGER WAS ALSO LITERALLY THOUGHT TO BE A NARROWING CONDITION; SO IT IS FROM A NARROW PLACE (BEING IN A SQUEEZE OR IN A BIND OR IN A TIGHT SPOT, WE MIGHT SAY TODAY) THAT THE SUFFERER CRIES OUT FOR HELP. THUS WHEN THAT HELP COMES, HE IS NOW SAID TO BE IN A “WIDE” PLACE, FREE AND RESCUED…… DELIVERED.
THEREFORE IN THE HEBREW MIND (AND CONVERTING THAT TO MODERN THINKING) THE IDEA OF MOVING FROM A NARROW TO A WIDE PLACE IS “VICTORY”. THE PROPHET EZEKIEL (DURING THE TIME OF THE EXILE OF THE HEBREWS TO BABYLON) USED THE TERM TO EXPRESS THE CONDITION OF A CRIMINAL WHO HAD REPENTED OF HIS TRESPASSES AGAINST YAHUSHA, AND THUS BY YAHUSHA’S MERCY HAD ESCAPED THE RIGHTFUL CONSEQUENCE OF CRIMINAL (WHICH IS DEATH), AND CONTINUES TO HAVE LIFE.
NOW AS PERTAINS TO THE MESSIAH, THE TERMS DELIVERANCE AND REDEMPTION ARE UTTERLY IDENTICAL IN PURPOSE AND MEANING. THIS IS PRETTY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE TOO MUCH THE “REDEMPTION” OF THE "OLD TESTAMENT" IS THOUGHT TO BE AN
INFERIOR CONCEPT TO THE “DELIVERANCE” OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.... WHAT POPPY-COCK!!
THAT'S NOT TRUE, BECAUSE WE CAN ABSOLUTELY INTERCHANGE THE TERMS REDEMPTION AND DELIVERANCE AT ANY POINT THROUGHOUT THE SCRIPTURE.
SINCE YAHUSHA IS THE DIVINE GO’EL HE IS THE DIVINE REDEEMER, AND THUS THE DIVINE DELIVERER. THEREFORE AS OUR EARTHLY MESSIAH, HE MUST NECESSARILY BE THE EARTHLY GO’EL, THE EARTHLY REDEEMER, MEANING THE SAME THING AS THE EARTHLY DELIVERER (AND ALL THIS IS UNDERSTOOD IN THE HEBREW CONTEXT AS THE MESSIAH BEING AN EARTHLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DIVINE CREATOR).
NOW, DOES THIS SOUND AND AWFUL LOT LIKE OUR WONDERFUL AND AMAZING MASTER, KING, AND DELIVERER YAHUSHA OF NAZARETH? OF COURSE IT DOES. BUT THIS ALSO MEANS THAT YAHUSHA IS ALSO OBLIGATED TO BE OUR GO’EL, AND TO PERFORM ALL THE DUTIES ASSOCIATED WITH A GO’EL, IF WE HAVE BECOME PART OF HIS FAMILY BY MEANS OF GRAFTING IN AND TRUSTING IN HIM.
DID TYOU GET THAT? WE GENTILES JOIN YAHUSHA’S FAMILY THROUGH REPENTANCE, IMMERSION AND BY TRUSTING IN HIM IN OBEDIENCE. AND YAHUSHA’S FAMILY MEMBERS ARE THE REDEEMED. AND WHO ARE THE ORIGINAL REDEEMED OF YAHUSHA? YISHARAL; REDEEMED AT THE HAND OF YAHUSHA, THE DELIVERER, FROM EGYPT. SO WE HAVE PAUL’S METAPHOR OF ROMANS 11, THAT HAS GENTILE BELIEVERS IN YAHUSHA GRAFTED INTO THE OLIVE TREE, YISHARAL. . . AND WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING OF THE AMAZING AND DIVINELY ESTABLISHED OFFICE OF THE GO’EL (KINSMAN REDEEMER) WE’RE NOW ABLE TO MOVE FURTHER INTO THE BOOK OF RUTH AND BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT IS ABOUT TO TRANSPIRE.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER (AS YOU STUDY SCRIPTURE) THAT YAHUSHA IS NO LONGER INTERESTED IN LINEAGE, THE CIRCUMCISION OF THE FLESH, THE PROMISED LAND IN THE MIDDLE EAST, OR ANY OTHER NATURAL CLAIM TO FAME OR HERITAGE . . . HE SEEKS ONLY HIS BRIDE, THOSE WITH A PURE, BLOOD-WASHED, CLEANSED HEART WHO WILL WORSHIP (BEHAVE FOR) HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH AND ALLOW HIM TO FINISH THE METAMORPHOSIS PROCESS OF MATURITY (PERFECTION) THAT HE'S DOING IN HER THROUGH THE PORTAL DOOR OF LOVE ON HER CIRCUMCISED HEART, AS HE TRAINS, FLOGS, REBUKES, CHASTISES AND GOADS HER SO THAT SHE'LL PRODUCE THE GOOD, RIGHT, PURE BEHAVIOURS OF HIS FRUITS AND GIFTS.
THAT IS WHY YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE AGONY YOU ARE . . . HE WANTS YOU, BUT YOU NEED TO BE CRUSHED AND CONSUMED TO BRING FORTH HIS LIGHT, THE PRECIOUS OIL OF HIS LIVING WORDS.
Yahusha is the vine, we are the branches, the firstfruit offspring of His Living Words (planted in seed-form in our hearts). As we learn to give over, surrender, flow and be obedient, we taste His rest, not only on the Shabath Day, but everyday. We start to feel His redeeming joy not only on High Feast Days of Redmeption, but everyday. We start to feel strengthened and secure not just when we're reading His Word, but all the time through His Spirit.
And as time goes on we look back and realise that the evil tormented person we once were has been picked up, washed clean, forgiven and our feet set back down on a very different path, not an easy one, a narrow, rocky one with enemies ambushed at every turn and swarms of legions against us, and a very serious race to run of overcoming the world within us, to please our Master and not feel the pain of our uncleanliness when He comes near, for He is perfect. Yes He disciplines, He flogs, He goads and He chastises to perfect us. But all of that panic and fear and darkness just vanishes when Yahusha looks into our eyes, holds our gaze and reaches into the very depth of our being with His wonderful passionate love, so that we'd follow Him to the ends of the earth and do anything for Him, knowing just what He endured to produce the perfect blood of redemption, to buy us (His treasured Bride) back, so that our hearts may not be surrendered, stripped and sold off as scraps to the enemy, but empowered through His portal, to remain within the royal line of His Divine Reign, soon to appear. We'd rather be dead than have Him, for we are the chosen, the delivered, the transformed . . . the REDEEMED !!
