in favor of Ruth As it turned out, the nearest kinsman wanted the land (4:4b) but not Ruth, and so he would not gain by the transaction Boaz wanted Ruth, not the land, and had the money to transact the business (Read the following references to a kinsman and his right to redeem: Lev 25:25-31, 47-55; Deut 25:5-10; Job 19:25.) Redeemer In view of the above description, it may now be seen why Boaz is called a kinsman-redeemer The two words are essentially synonymous, but the word “redeemer” is added since our English word “kinsman” usually suggests only the idea of family relationship Notice the seven occurrences of the word “redeem” in chapter It translates the same Hebrew root as gô-ēl C MESSIANIC TYPES Since we now have the New Testament with its antitypes (antitypes are the ful llments of the types), it is usually not too di cult to identify types which reside in various persons, things, and events of Old Testament history (Note: In a study of types, one should always be careful to make the antitype, not the type, the preeminent fact; and also to avoid forcing types for the mere sake of typology.) There is a rich underlying typology in the book of Ruth The major groups are described below Ruth, representing the Church, the body of believers Follow this theme through from Ruth’s lost condition in chapter to her salvation in the later chapters G Campbell Morgan suggests an outline: The Choice of Faith (1-2); The Venture of Faith (3); The Reward of Faith (4)9 Boaz, representing Christ, the KinsmanRedeemer Gleason L Archer says that “the little book of Ruth is one of the most instructive in the Old Testament concerning the mediatorial work of the Lord Jesus.”10 He cites some of the quali cations and functions of the go-ēl a) He must be a blood relative b) He must have the money to purchase the forfeited inheritance c) He must be willing to buy back that forfeited inheritance d) He must be willing to marry the wife of a deceased kinsman Pursue this study further, observing how Christ as the believer’s Kinsman-Redeemer fulfills the above qualifications D GENEALOGY OF THE MESSIAH The concluding verses (4:17-22) of the book of Ruth are very signi cant, for, as one writer has said, “a genealogy is a striking way of bringing before us the continuity of God’s purpose through the ages.”11 As to the uniqueness of this particular genealogy, A Macdonald comments: The reader is here constrained to face the vital matter that is behind the story, namely the genealogy of the Messiah, for every Israelite knew that the Messiah was to spring from David Ruth the Moabitess is seen no longer as the courageous stranger who came to Bethlehem, but as the woman whose great love for Naomi and devotion to Naomi’s God put her into the direct line of the Messiah.12 ... that ? ?the little book of Ruth is one of the most instructive in the Old Testament concerning the mediatorial work of the Lord Jesus.”10 He cites some of the quali cations and functions of the go-ēl... this study further, observing how Christ as the believer’s Kinsman-Redeemer fulfills the above qualifications D GENEALOGY OF THE MESSIAH The concluding verses (4:17-22) of the book of Ruth are... the New Testament with its antitypes (antitypes are the ful llments of the types), it is usually not too di cult to identify types which reside in various persons, things, and events of Old Testament