|
HELEN SANDERS
7-16-2022
THE NEAR KINSMAN
If you have read the bible at all, you will have read the beautiful love story involving Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite that married a Jewish man. As the story goes, her mother-in-law, Naomi, first had the misfortune of her husband dying, then both of her sons. The family had left Israel because there was a famine and dwelt in Moab.
Both of her sons had married Moabite women, but neither of the women had any children. It was the law of the Jews that if a son died that had a brother, then his brother would marry her and any children she had would be heirs of the brother that died. In this case, there were no more sons to offer either Ruth, or Orpah, the wife of the other brother since they both died.
Naomi decides to go back to Israel because she heard that the famine was over. Her heart was broken over all of the loss she was experiencing. Both of her daughters-in-law wanted to go with her, but she said no, go back to your families. Orpah did just that, but Ruth would not leave her. She told her in Ruth 1:16, “…. for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.”
Now, Moabite people served pagan gods. They did not serve Jehovah. Yet Ruth made a declaration to serve Naomi’s God.
There is a provision in scripture for widows to be married to a near kinsman (closest relative) (Numbers 27:11). This person would marry the widow, and if there was any debt, he would pay it off as her husband. The near kinsman of this story became Boaz. He was an unmarried, rich farmer. He married Ruth through a series of events. (Read the book of Ruth).
Jesus came as all man and all God. He came to redeem us like a near kinsman would. We each have a sin debt that has to be paid but, it can only be paid with innocent blood. Every person ever born inherited a sin nature from Adam when he disobeyed God in the garden. Jesus had to come as a man to be a “near kinsman.” He had to be part of the human family that could buy us back from the auction block of sin.
The scriptures tell us in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” This includes you and me my friend. We each have broken God’s law. In Romans 6:23 it says, “For the wages of sin is death; (separation from God for eternity) but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Jesus was tempted in every manner just like we are (Hebrews 2:18) yet he did not sin. Since the wages of sin is death, Satan had no legal hold on Jesus. He laid down his life willingly. This is why Satan could not hold him in Hades. Jesus became the ransom to buy us back through his shed blood. He willingly shed his innocent blood to pay for our guilty blood. He became the kinsman redeemer to pay our debt, and to “marry us.” We are his bride that he is coming for. The debt of sin is paid, and now we await Jesus’ coming for us.
Without being flesh he could never have accomplished this. His flesh paid the price in our place, but he is coming in his glorified body as King of King, Lord of Lords, and taking us unto himself. Oh, what a kinsman redeemer we have my friends. He alone is the only way to the Father. There is no other person that has ever been born that did not have a sin nature. He that knew no sin became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God.
We take his name, Christian, and we belong to him because of what he did. If you haven’t accepted the payment for your sin, now is the time to do it, because when he comes back it will be too late. Today receive him and be redeemed.
Missed an article by Helen? Click here to read more.
| 
