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This tiny four-chapter romance has been venerated in college classes for its elegance as literature, but it also reveals a craftsmanship of prophetic anticipation unrivaled anywhere in Scripture.  (Our commentary on this book endures as our most popular publication.)  One cannot really comprehend what is going on in Revelation Chapter 5 unless one understands the events involved in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament.

The story involves a hero, Boaz, who is in the role of a goel, or Kinsman-redeemer, whose ultimate commitment of redemption returns the land in Bethlehem to its disenfranchised former owner, Naomi, and who also takes a Gentile bride, Ruth.

To follow the plot, one must understand the Law of Redemption.  In ancient Israel, land wasn’t sold in fee simple,¹ as we are used to.  Since God was the real landowner, Israel was simply a tenant under conditions of obedience.  When land was “sold,” what the buyer received was only the use of the land, not clear title.  There were conditions under which a kinsman of the seller could “redeem” the land back to the original family.  These conditions were typically noted on the outside of the scroll defining the transaction.²

The scroll in Revelation Chapter 5 was written “within and on the backside,” which identifies it as a deed subject to redemption.  A Kinsman of Adam, in His role as a goel, a Kinsman-redeemer, is taking possession of what He had already purchased with His blood as the sacrificial Lamb.  He not only purchased the land; he also purchased a Bride.

In the Book of Ruth, Naomi is in the role of Israel, exiled from her land; Boaz is her kinsman, who performs the redemption of the land; and Ruth (a Gentile) is also purchased for a wife.³

This “macrocode” extends to virtually every detail of the book.  It is interesting that Ruth is introduced to Boaz through an unnamed servant (functioning as the Holy Spirit).⁴ The Church, as the Gentile “Bride of Christ,” is introduced to the ultimate Kinsman-redeemer by the Holy Spirit also.

It is interesting that Ruth learns how to deal with this situation from Naomi.  We learn of God’s plan of redemption through His dealings with Israel.  It is also provocative that, in the story, Naomi learns of Boaz through Ruth.  (The implications of that subtlety is left to the diligent.)

The exposition of the almost-inexhaustible “coding” aspects of this tiny book exceeds the space available here.⁵ It is also interesting that this pivotal book is also associated with the Feast of Shavout, the Feast of Pentecost.⁶ Coincidence?  Hardly.

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Our exposition of the Book of Ruth has proven to be our most popular of all our publications.  It is available as a two-tape briefing pack, The Romance of Redemption, and it has also been included in our featured Expositional Commentary on Ruth & Esther, now on CD-ROM.

1. A fee simple estate of inheritance is one which devolves to the owner’s heirs and assigns forever without limitation.
2. An example of this was when Jeremiah, despite the impending Babylonian captivity, was instructed to purchase land from the son of his uncle Hanameel.  He, of course, would never benefit from this purchase.  The deed was secreted in an earthen jar in anticipation when his heirs would return after the captivity and claim it (Jeremiah 32:6-15 [show/hide]Jeremiah 32:6-15 [6]Jeremiah said, "The word of the LORD came to me: [7]Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, 'Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.' [8]Then Hanamel my cousin came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the LORD, and said to me, 'Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.' Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. [9]"And I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. [10]I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. [11]Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions and the open copy. [12]And I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my cousin, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. [13]I charged Baruch in their presence, saying, [14]'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware vessel, that they may last for a long time. [15]For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.' (ESV)
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3. In addition to the Law of Redemption (Leviticus 25:47-50 [show/hide]Leviticus 25:47-50 Redeeming a Poor Man [47]"If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him becomes poor and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you or to a member of the stranger's clan, [48]then after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him, [49]or his uncle or his cousin may redeem him, or a close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he grows rich he may redeem himself. [50]He shall calculate with his buyer from the year when he sold himself to him until the year of jubilee, and the price of his sale shall vary with the number of years. The time he was with his owner shall be rated as the time of a hired servant. (ESV)
   ), one must understand the Law of Leverite Marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10 [show/hide]Deuteronomy 25:5-10 Laws Concerning Levirate Marriage [5]"If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. [6]And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. [7]And if the man does not wish to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, 'My husband's brother refuses to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband's brother to me.' [8]Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, 'I do not wish to take her,' [9]then his brother's wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, 'So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother's house.' [10]And the name of his house shall be called in Israel, 'The house of him who had his sandal pulled off.' (ESV)
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4. It is interesting that the Holy Spirit always is modeled as an “unnamed servant”: In Genesis 24 [show/hide]Genesis 24 Isaac and Rebekah [24:1]Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. [2]And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh, [3]that I may make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, [4]but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac." [5]The servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?" [6]Abraham said to him, "See to it that you do not take my son back there. [7]The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, 'To your offspring I will give this land,' he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. [8]But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there." [9]So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter. [10]Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor. [11]And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water. [12]And he said, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. [13]Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. [14]Let the young woman to whom I shall say, 'Please let down your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, 'Drink, and I will water your camels'--let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master." [15]Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. [16]The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. [17]Then the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please give me a little water to drink from your jar." [18]She said, "Drink, my lord." And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. [19]When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking." [20]So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. [21]The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the LORD had prospered his journey or not. [22]When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, [23]and said, "Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?" [24]She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." [25]She added, "We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night." [26]The man bowed his head and worshiped the LORD [27]and said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the LORD has led me in the way to the house of my master's kinsmen." [28]Then the young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things. [29]Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out toward the man, to the spring. [30]As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, "Thus the man spoke to me," he went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. [31]He said, "Come in, O blessed of the LORD. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels." [32]So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. [33]Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, "I will not eat until I have said what I have to say." He said, "Speak on." [34]So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. [35]The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. [36]And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has. [37]My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, [38]but you shall go to my father's house and to my clan and take a wife for my son.' [39]I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not follow me.' [40]But he said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father's house. [41]Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.' [42]"I came today to the spring and said, 'O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go, [43]behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, "Please give me a little water from your jar to drink," [44]and who will say to me, "Drink, and I will draw for your camels also," let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.' [45]"Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, 'Please let me drink.' [46]She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, 'Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.' So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. [47]Then I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. [48]Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. [49]Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left." [50]Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, "The thing has come from the LORD; we cannot speak to you bad or good. [51]Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has spoken." [52]When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the LORD. [53]And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. [54]And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, "Send me away to my master." [55]Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go." [56]But he said to them, "Do not delay me, since the LORD has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master." [57]They said, "Let us call the young woman and ask her." [58]And they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go." [59]So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. [60]And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, "Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him!" [61]Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way. [62]Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. [63]And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. [64]And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel [65]and said to the servant, "Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." So she took her veil and covered herself. [66]And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. [67]Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. (ESV)
   He gathers a bride for the son.  (He is unnamed in Chapter 24, but we learn His name in Chapter 15: it is Eleazar, “Comforter.”)  He “shall not speak of himself” (John 16:13 [show/hide]John 16:13 [13]When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. (ESV)
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5. See The Romance of Redemption - Gleanings from the Book of Ruth, from this publisher.

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