Ruth 3 records Naomi’s plan to get Ruth a husband. You may remember reading about how an Israelite was to marry the widow of his dead brother to have a son in his name so the family tree doesn’t have a cut off branch. There were no brothers, but the next relatives in line could take the place of this redeemer.

To redeem is to buy back at a cost. To redeem Ruth, the redeemer had to be the next closest relative and had to buy the family field of Naomi and with it acquire Ruth and carry on the family line of the dead husband. In the next chapter, we’ll read more about what happens with that.

It had been months and no one had stepped up to be the redeemer. It had a cost.

Naomi tells Ruth to lie down at Boaz’s feet after he’s drunk himself merry and lies down to rest. She’s told to uncover his feet. I have heard things about the meaning of that, but to me, it seems that uncovering his feet is just a means to wake him up. That’s what I do to my teen sons. When Boaz wakes, Ruth reminds him that he is a redeemer.

He certainly had known that he was a relative of hers, but he hadn’t pursued the matter. He seems to have considered himself too old for her, and he is quite pleased with her kindness at welcoming an old man to redeem her.

He provides for her and promises to make right on the redemption, one way or another. He’s been reminded of God’s law and is choosing to obey it, even though it will cost him.

Jesus is our savior because he rescues us from sin, death, and hell. Jesus is our redeemer because He bought our lives at a cost, at the cost of His own life. He gave His life in exchange for ours. It cost Him to be our Redeemer.