mother-in-law; but Ruth `clave' to her.  Orpah went back to `her people' and to

`her gods', but Ruth chose Naomi's `people' and Naomi's `God'.  The beauty of

the words of Ruth as recorded in verses 16 and 17 will move the heart so long as

the world endures.  They are comparable with the lowly act of love which the

Saviour said should be remembered wheresoever the gospel was preached (Matt.

`Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after

thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest,

I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: where thou

diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more

also, if ought but death part thee and me' (Ruth 1:16,17).

And so these two took the long road back to Bethlehem, and arrived there

at the beginning of the barley harvest.  There are no accidents in God's

providence.  His hand guided; His heart planned; Boaz, all unwittingly, was

awaiting his appointed time and work.

We are now ready to take up the great story of the Kinsman-Redeemer as it

is unfolded in the central section of this beautiful little book.  May the

faithfulness of Ruth be an inspiration to each of us in these days when so many

seem to do `that which is right in the sight of their own eyes'.

The central sections of the Book of Ruth are mainly concerned with the

Kinsman-Redeemer.  It is evident, therefore, that before we can rightly

appreciate the narrative of Ruth 2 to 4, we must be well acquainted with the

teaching concerning this important office.

Chapter 2 opens with the statement: `And Naomi had a kinsman of her

husband's', and this note is repeated with variations throughout the section.

In verse 3 we read that Ruth's `hap was to light on a part of the field

belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech'.

In verse 20, when Ruth returns to her mother-in-law with her gleanings, we

find that Naomi links up the thought of kindness to the dead, with that of

nearness of kin:

`Blessed be he of the Lord, Who hath not left off His kindness to the

living and to the dead.  And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin

unto us, one of our next kinsmen' (Ruth 2:20).

There are four words used in connection with Boaz and his kinship with

Naomi, which may be set out as follows:

He was a `kinsman' of Elimelech (Ruth 2:1).  Here the word

translated `kinsman' is moda, derived from yada, `to know'.  The

word implies very intimate knowledge, as the usage of Genesis 4:1

indicates, and is used in Isaiah 53: `By His knowledge shall My

righteous servant justify many' (11).  When we realize the

relationship between this word and the `Kinsman' and `Kinsman-

Redeemer', we begin to see a fuller reason for its use in Isaiah 53,

and a deeper meaning in many of the New Testament references to

We also read that Boaz was of the `kindred' of Elimelech (Ruth 2:3).

Here the word translated `kindred' is mishpachah, from the root