The Kinsman-Redeemer

Boaz and Ruth

There is much in the Bible about the love between a husband and a wife. Our story of Ruth and Boaz moves us emotionally to imagine the tenderness, the gentleness, and the passion of Boaz and Ruth. Yet this grand love story isn’t merely about a man and a woman but also about Christ and his bride, the church.

The more we meditate on Boaz’s love for Ruth, the more overwhelmed we should become. This is the love of a faithful kinsman redeemer. He is not looking for what he can get from this young woman; on the contrary, he covers her in ways that are not selfish. His love is unselfish and deep. This is the kind of love that provokes a wife to an incomparable warm responsiveness.

This is godly, marital love. This is not mere romance, but it is a love deeply rooted in the vows and commitments that comprise a wedding ceremony. I vow to love you for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, for richer or poorer. As these vows are tested and tried in the midst of the hardships of life, a deep love develops—a love that is so profound that only the word mystery can capture something of its character. This is true love. This is not the frothy romantic love we hear about in pop songs on our radios; this is true, sacrificial love that points us to Jesus. This is the love that drives us to our knees in wonder before our compassionate God.