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Today’s reading was the book of Ruth—yes, the WHOLE thing! I know it’s only four chapters, but there’s so much packed into them that it’s hard to keep this post short. Honestly, I could write separate entries on Ruth’s loyalty, Boaz’s nobility, or Naomi’s humility. But today, I want to focus on the idea of the Kinsman Redeemer. Leviticus 25:25 explains this concept:

“If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold.”

Naomi, having lost her husband Elimelech and her sons Mahlon and Chilion, had become destitute. She chose to sell her husband’s land, and Boaz, a close relative, stepped in as her kinsman redeemer. Being a man of integrity, Boaz first offered the opportunity to a closer relative, but with one condition—he must also fulfill the obligation of Levirate marriage. This law is outlined in Deuteronomy 25:5:

“If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.”

Maybe you remember seeing an almost-failed example of this law in Genesis 38, with Tamar and Judah. (If you’ve forgotten that saucy story, go back and give it a read!)

As I read Ruth again, I couldn’t help but imagine that this concept of Levirate marriage was probably well-known in Naomi’s household—talked about often between her, her sons, and their wives. But once both sons had died, Naomi must have felt that all hope was lost.

She returns to her hometown—ironically named Bethlehem, the “house of bread”—after having left it during a famine ten years earlier. She urged her Moabite daughters-in-law to remain in Moab, likely because she knew how Israelites viewed Moabites. According to Deuteronomy 23:3–4:

“No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation... because they did not meet you with bread and water... and because they hired Balaam... to curse you.”

It’s possible Naomi was thinking of this exclusion when she told the women of Bethlehem, “I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty” (Ruth 1:21). Ouch! Poor Ruth, if she overheard that.

But then something shifts. We can almost see Naomi’s eyes light up when she realizes that the kind man in Ruth’s field is none other than Boaz—“a close relative… one of our redeemers.” Could it be that Boaz might not only redeem the land but also take Ruth as his wife? That’s exactly what happens.

But what about the Moabite curse?

Some interpret the “forever” exclusion in Deuteronomy 23:3 as applying only to the “ten generations.” Others argue that the virgin Ruth was exempt because she became part of Israel when she married Mahlon. Still others say that as a Moabite woman, dedicated to the God of Naomi, she could be grafted into God’s people.

No matter how it all worked out, here’s what I find fascinating: the book of Ruth ends with a genealogy (Ruth 4:18–22). Count the generations from Perez to David. Go ahead—count them. One… two… three… ten!

Takeaway: Isn’t it amazing how Scripture connects? From Judah and Tamar to Ruth the Moabite… from law to grace… from Boaz as Ruth’s redeemer to Jesus as ours… from beginning to end, God is weaving a masterpiece. I hope you’re discovering, like I am, that reading the whole Bible isn’t a chore—it’s a gift. A love story from God, written to us.