A Deeper Dive Into the Book of Revelation - Part 42
Focus on Meeting Needs
Immediately after Ruth submitted herself to Boaz, declaring herself to be his maidservant and asking him to redeem her, Boaz immediately began to focus on meeting her needs.
“May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made your last kindness better than the first; for you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. Now, my daughter, do not be afraid. I will do for you whatever you ask, since all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence. It is true that I am your close relative and redeemer; however, there is a relative closer [to you] than I. Spend the night [here], and in the morning if he will redeem you, fine; let him do it. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”—Ruth 3:10-13 (AMP)
This is a major difference between the true religion of God which is focused on pure, self-sacrificing love for others and false religion which is self-serving and focused on using people to serve and enrich the religious institutions and their leaders.
In Jesus’ ministry, every single ministry encounter was focused on meeting the needs of the person to whom He was ministering. Sometimes the need was healing. At other times, the need was bread or forgiveness or resurrection. Every ministry encounter was different, but the golden thread that links them all together is that Jesus always focused on meeting the needs of the person in that moment. If it was not clear to Jesus what a person needed, Jesus asked. In fact, the question that Jesus asked most often in Scripture was, “What do you want me to do for you?”
In describing the difference between true and false religions, Jesus made it clear that the ones who truly please God are not the self-serving religious leaders who enrich themselves at the expense of their followers. Those who are truly great will serve the needs of others.
“And you must not be called masters (leaders), for you have one Master (Leader), the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant.”—Matthew 23:10-11 (AMPC)
Boaz represents Jesus in the story of Ruth. After Boaz heard Ruth’s request and recognized her need, he took it upon himself to focus on meeting her needs. Even Naomi recognized this.
“Then Naomi said, ‘Sit and wait, my daughter, until you learn how this matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today.’”—Ruth 3:18 (AMP)
The Self-Serving Nature of Religion
In contrast to Boaz, who was focused on meeting the needs of Ruth, the other unnamed redeemer seemed to be focused only on his own interests. He agreed quickly to the offer Boaz made to him when it was only about enriching himself by snatching up Naomi’s land at a cheap price. But everything changed when the deal included marrying Ruth and fathering her children.
“The closest relative (redeemer) said, ‘I cannot redeem it for myself, because [by marrying a Moabitess] I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption (purchase) yourself, because I cannot redeem it.’”—Ruth 4:6 (AMP)
This unnamed kinsman redeemer represents religion without the love of God.
Jesus delivered His harshest words of condemnation for those religious leaders of His day who acted in this way.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you swallow up widows’ houses, and to cover it up you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation.”—Matthew 23:14 (AMP)
This unnamed redeemer had no intention of doing anything to help Ruth. Doing something to help meet the needs of this young widow never entered his mind. This is Religion. Religion is self-serving rather than self-sacrificing. Whenever you find a church or a ministry that puts the interests of the organization above the needs of the individuals that it should be serving, then you can be fairly certain that this organization is being influenced by an evil religious spirit that is contrary to the love and the will of God.
How many of our churches and Christian ministries today would receive the same blistering rebukes that Jesus delivered to the religious leaders of His day if He walked into the doors of our religious institutions?
“Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth (tithe) of your mint and dill and cumin [focusing on minor matters], and have neglected the weightier [more important moral and spiritual] provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the [primary] things you ought to have done without neglecting the others. You [spiritually] blind guides, who strain out a gnat [consuming yourselves with minuscule matters] and swallow a camel [ignoring and violating God’s precepts]!
“Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and robbery and self-indulgence (unrestrained greed). You [spiritually] blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate [examine and change your inner self to conform to God’s precepts], so that the outside [your public life and deeds] may be clean also.
“Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. So you, also, outwardly seem to be just and upright to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”—Matthew 23:23-28 (AMP)
“Then some Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked, ‘Why do your disciples disregard the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands when they eat.’
“But he answered them, ‘Why do you also disregard the commandment of God because of your tradition? Because God said, “You are to honor your father and your mother,” and, “Whoever curses father or mother must certainly be put to death.” But you say, “Whoever tells his father or his mother, ‘Whatever support you might have received from me has been given to God,’ does not have to honor his father.” Because of your tradition, then, you have disregarded the authority of God’s word. You hypocrites! How well did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said,
“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is empty, because they teach human rules as doctrines.”’ —Matthew 15:1-9 (ISV)
The Shameful Selfishness of Religion
To really understand how shamefully selfish this unnamed redeemer’s behavior was, we have to understand the obligations that God placed on the unmarried brothers of a husband who died without having children.
In the law given to Moses, this is the provision that God made for a husband who died childless:
“When two brothers are living together and one of them dies without leaving a son, his widow must not be married outside the family to a foreigner. Instead, the brother-in-law must go to her, take her as his wife, and by doing so perform the duty of a brother-in-law. The firstborn whom she will bear will continue the name of the dead brother, so his name will not be erased from Israel.”—Deuteronomy 25:5-6 (ISV)
By rejecting the opportunity to marry Ruth, this unnamed redeemer was refusing to provide a way to carry on the name, legacy, and inheritance of Ruth’s dead husband, Mahlon. If Boaz had not stepped up to take this responsibility, it would have been the end of this family line.
In the law, this refusal was allowed, but it was treated with lasting shame and contempt for the entire family of the man who refused.
“But if the man does not want to marry his brother’s widow, then she must go to the elders at the city gate and declare, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to perform the duty of a brother-in-law in order to preserve the name of his brother in Israel. He is not willing to perform the duty of a brother-in-law.’
**“**Then the elders of the city are to summon him and speak with him. If he insists on saying, ‘I don’t want to marry her,’ then she is to approach her brother-in-law in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal, spit in his face, and say in response, ‘May this be done to the man who does not preserve the lineage of his brother.’ Then his family name in Israel will be known as ‘the family of the one whose sandal was removed.’”—Deuteronomy 25:7-10 (ISV)
But this provision to continue the family line did not originate with the law of Moses. In the story of Judah and Tamar, we can see that this was important to God long before the law was given to Moses.
Judah’s firstborn son, Er, married Tamar, but Er died without having children. Judah then instructed his second-born son, Onan, to marry Tamar so that Er’s family line could continue. But Onan refused to do his part to continue Er’s family line. This refusal greatly displeased the Lord.
“Then Judah told Onan, ‘Go in to your brother’s widow, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law [under the levirate marriage custom]; [be her husband and] raise children for [the name of] your brother.’
“Onan knew that the child (heir) would not be his [but his dead brother’s]; so whenever he lay with his brother’s widow, he spilled his seed on the ground [to prevent conception], so that he would not give a child to his brother. But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord; therefore He killed him also [in judgment].”—Genesis 38:8-10 (AMP)
Onan’s refusal to give his dead brother an heir to continue his family line so displeased the Lord that it led to Onan’s premature death! That is how important this was to God.
Families are very dear to the heart of God. That is why there are so many instructions in the Bible about parents, children, marriage, and family relationships. When family members have needs, God expects other family members to make sacrifices to help meet those needs.
“If people in your own family need help, do not refuse to help them.”—Isaiah 58:7 (EASY)
Religious people don’t see it that way. People who are religious make excuses that may sound virtuous, but they are motivated by selfishness, rather than the true love of God, which is self-sacrificing.
This unnamed kinsman redeemer who refused to marry Ruth and carry on the family line of his brother brought shame and contempt upon himself because of his selfishness. Even his name has been purposely left out of Scripture.
Boaz went on to marry Ruth and raise a son who would be the grandfather of King David and an ancestor in the family line of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
On the other hand, the unnamed kinsman redeemer in Ruth’s story did not become a redeemer at all since he rejected that opportunity. We might call him a “false redeemer.” After his rejection of Ruth, there is no mention of this man ever marrying or having children. Symbolically, he is like the false prophets that Jesus warned us about. He seems religious, but no good fruit comes from his life.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves. You will fully recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every healthy (sound) tree bears good fruit [worthy of admiration], but the sickly (decaying, worthless) tree bears bad (worthless) fruit. A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration]. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. Therefore, you will fully know them by their fruits.”—Matthew 7:15-20 (AMPC)
The unnamed redeemer from this story has been forgotten while Boaz was given a place of honor in the family line of the Lord Jesus Christ. The name of Boaz is still celebrated and honored today whenever the story of Ruth is read and retold.
**References: **
Cummins, D. (2021). I Am Ruth Thy Handmaid. Capitol Worship.
