Page 76 - Advanced OT Survey Revised

If the brother-in-law refused to perform the levir’s duty, the woman was to perform the ceremony of
the removal of his sandal (Deut. 25:8-10). A woman had a right to bear children to her deceased
husband. If the brother-in-law refused her that right, she could publicly humiliate him. She was then
allowed to marry outside of the family to whom every she chose.

The primary purpose of the levirate marriage law was to protect the widow and help compensate the
deceased husband’s family for their personal loss. In Naomi’s case in the book of Ruth, since she was
beyond childbearing age, the levirate marriage would be to her widowed daughter-in-law, Ruth.
Naomi’s closest relative was not willing to assume this obligation (Ruth 4:6). Perhaps he considered that
if he had a son by Ruth who become his only surviving heir, all his property would belong to the family
of Elimelech, Naomi’s deceased husband.

In the sandal ceremony of Ruth 6:6-8 there seems to be no disdain for the relative who declined to
perform the duty of the levir. The significance of taking off the sandal seems to imply the passing of
one’s legal rights to another. Boas thus gained the right to clear the property against any future claims,
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and marry Ruth (4:9,10).

Boaz as Kinsman-Redeemer

“The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to
the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-
redeemers." (Ruth 2:20, NIV)

The Hebrew word for kinsman-redeemer is a legal term for one who has the obligation to redeem a
relative in serious difficulty (see Lev. 25:25-55). The following verse sums up the Lord's command
regarding the responsibility of a kinsman-redeemer:

"If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest
kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold." (Lev 25:25).

This essentially teaches that a kinsman-redeemer was required to come and redeem the property his
poor relative had sold, if that relative had done so out of necessity because of being destitute. More
detail about the role of a kinsman-redeemer is found in the following passage in Numbers:

"Further, you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'If a man dies and has no son, then you shall
transfer his inheritance to his daughter. 'If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his
brothers. 'If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers. 'If his father
has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his nearest relative in his own family, and he shall
possess it; and it shall be a statutory ordinance to the sons of Israel, just as the LORD commanded
Moses.'" (Num 27:8-11).

Again, God uses the story of Boaz and Ruth to illustrate for us what Christ, the coming Messiah would do
for us. Scripture tells us that we have redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ, who is a
descendant of David, Obed, and Boaz. The apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians:

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches
of His grace..." (Eph 1:7)

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