Ruth 4:14-15. Kinsman Redeemer, part 2

Wednesday July 11, 2018

 

Ruth 4:14-15. Kinsman Redeemer

 

RUT 4:14 Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer [goel] today, and may his name become famous in Israel.

 

RUT 4:15 May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him."

 

Doctrine of the Kinsman Redeemer.

 

There are at least fourteen reasons assigned in the Bible for the death of Christ, and, since He was born to die, it follows that He was born, or became incarnate, for each and all of these reasons.

 

However, the major portion of these reasons are but varying aspects of the general theme of the cure of sin, which, so far as the incarnation is concerned, may be attended under the one aspect of soteriological truth—the Kinsman Redeemer.

 

Jesus is the Kinsman Redeemer who died for our redemption.

 

As in so many instances, a doctrine is now confronted which transcends all human understanding. We are confronted with the dual nature of Christ, His willingness to die spiritually and physically, His judgment and separation from His Father, and the blood of Christ as the payment for sin.

 

No one in this life could fully know the price of redemption and its act, the death of Christ for us.

 

No one word can encompass the cross of Christ. Redemption is one aspect of the cross as is reconciliation and propitiation.

 

Redemption is the man-ward side of the cross while propitiation is the God-ward side. Redemption is an act of God by which He Himself pays as a ransom the price of human sin.

 

God’s holiness requires that sin be dealt with by either judgment or redemption. God’s government and character requires one or the other.

 

Redemption undertakes the solution of the problem of sin, as reconciliation undertakes the solution of the problem of the sinner, and propitiation undertakes the problem of an offended God. All are infinitely important and all are requisite to the analysis of the whole doctrine of Christ’s finished work--a work finished, indeed, to the point of divine perfection. Though parts of one complete whole, these great themes should never be treated as synonymous. The specific character of each is obvious.

 

Redemption is by blood and by power, as it was in the case of freeing Israel from Egyptian bondage. The price of redemption, the blood of Christ, is so high that knowing something of the incredibly high cost actually affects the way in which we think and act.

 

Three Greek words used:

Agorazo: to purchase in the market. The unsaved are “sold under sin” (ROM 7:14).

 

The nuances of these three words are lost to the English reader. The master or owner of the slave is Satan, who has the power death in the case of the unbeliever. The emphasis of this word is on two great facts, that Jesus was willing to go to the market (enter the world as a man) and pay the full price for the slaves (give His own life, spiritually and physically for them).

 

The Bible clearly reveals that all men are born into this world as sinners and are born in Adam, meaning that they are born with Adam’s sin upon them or imputed to them, ROM 5:12. We are all sinners before we commit one sin, but because we are born sinners, as unregenerate we commit an alarming amount of sin.

 

The next word has only an added prefix, but a significant one.

 

Exagorazo: to purchase out of the market. The nuance is on purchasing and then also leading out of the market.

 

We are not bought and left behind. Our wonderful Lord pays for us and then takes us with Him out of the market. For each believer, they are taken out of the world and into His world, seated with Him in heaven, entered into the Holy of Holies in heaven, made a citizen of heaven, a son of God, and residing in the home that He has made in heaven. “Ex” is a small prefix, but in this case, it means so much.

 

Lutroo: loosed and set free. We are set free but choose to remain with Christ as our Master.

 

Christ will not hold unwilling slaves in bondage. When a slave was set free under the Mosaic Law, he could choose to remain as a servant to a master that he loved, and so it is in our redemption, as this word emphasises. It is not a paradox to be set free by Christ and simultaneously to be His slave, which every believer is.

 

We are willing slaves, free, but free to serve and love our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.

 

ROM 12:1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

 

ROM 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

 

TIT 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

 

TIT 2:12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,

 

TIT 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus;

 

TIT 2:14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem [lutroo: set us free] us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

 

Redeemed and belonging to Him we are no longer lawless. We have His law and we are given a divine seed that loves it.

 

All mankind has been redeemed, but some refuse the Savior’s payment and choose to remain in the prison of sin and the devil.

 

HEB 9:12 states that “through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”

 

John writes: 1JO 2:2 He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

 

Christ came to earth with the intention of setting everyone free. It is a testimony to the depth of the depravity of man that so many reject Him and choose to find freedom in themselves without Him.

 

The only solution to any life and any nation is the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Qualifications for a kinsman redeemer:

Near kinsman - The Son of God became a man.

Able to redeem -Jesus remained impeccable.

Willing to redeem - He wilfully laid down His life.

 

The Law governed who could redeem - a nearest kinsman. Jesus became a man in order to qualify.

 

We are therefore faced with the doctrine of the hypostatic union.

 

The first reason for Jesus’ death on the cross was to bring believers into a state of glory.

 

HEB 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.

 

“fitting” means distinguished or eminent. Only Jesus was qualified and so only for Him was redemption fitting.

 

“Perfect” means to complete or to reach a goal. The purpose or goal of His humanity was our redemption and He completed that goal.

 

The word “author” (archegos) means captain or ruler and leader. Jesus is the author, ruler, leader of our redemption.

 

The value of Christ’s redemption is beyond description. The God/Man eminently completed redemption and became our ruler. No longer does the grave or the devil hold power.

 

PSA 49:1 For the choir director.

A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

 

Hear this, all peoples; Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

 

PSA 49:2 Both low and high, Rich and poor together.

 

PSA 49:3 My mouth will speak wisdom; And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.

 

PSA 49:4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle [intricate saying] on the harp.

 

PSA 49:5 Why should I fear in days of adversity, When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me,

 

PSA 49:6 Even those who trust in their wealth, And boast in the abundance of their riches?

 

PSA 49:7 No man can by any means redeem his brother, Or give to God a ransom for him — 

 

PSA 49:8 For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever — 

 

PSA 49:9 That he should live on eternally; That he should not undergo decay.

 

The rich and powerful attempt to redeem themselves, in other words, they attempt to form their own meaning in life.

 

Many attempt to create their own meaning in life and attempt self-redemption. Life has zero meaning without Christ its Creator.

 

Would you rather great wealth or wisdom of the truth?

 

PSA 49:10 For he sees that even wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish, And leave their wealth to others.

 

PSA 49:11 Their inner thought is, that their houses are forever, And their dwelling places to all generations; They have called their lands after their own names.

 

PSA 49:12 But man in his pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish.

 

PSA 49:13 This is the way of those who are foolish, And of those after them who approve their words. Selah.

 

PSA 49:14 As sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; And the upright shall rule over them in the morning; And their form shall be for Sheol to consume, So that they have no habitation.

 

PSA 49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol; For He will receive me. Selah.

 

PSA 49:16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased;

 

PSA 49:17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him.

 

PSA 49:18 Though while he lives he congratulates himself — And though men praise you when you do well for yourself — 

 

PSA 49:19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see the light.

 

PSA 49:20 Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.

 

HEB 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.

 

HEB 2:11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

 

He is never ashamed of you because He sanctified you. You may be ashamed of yourself and others might be also, but Jesus never is. It is a part of our great freedom in Him to see ourselves as He sees us, which takes faith, but it is His opinion that is only reality.