Then he said to the redeemer, ‘Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. So I thought I would tell you of it and say, “Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.“‘
(Ruth 4:3-4 ESV)
Everyone likes a good deal, so when the nearest redeemer heard Boaz’s proposal at the city gate, his ears probably perked up. Land was available. Land that would expand his holdings and keep the family property inside the clan. It seemed like a good deal. Who wouldn’t be interested?
But then came the fine print. Redeeming the land also meant marrying Ruth, a Moabite widow, and raising up children in the name of her deceased husband. Suddenly, the deal didn’t look so good. The cost was higher than he was willing to pay, so he walked away.
The Hebrew word translated “buy” is qanah (קָנָה), pronounced kah-NAH. It means to acquire, purchase, or obtain. It can describe buying land, obtaining possessions, or gaining ownership. But Ruth 4 reveals an important spiritual truth about qanah: redemption always involves a cost.
The unnamed redeemer wasn’t a villain. He was simply doing the math. When the numbers stopped working in his favor, he stepped aside. The cost was higher than he wanted to pay.
Boaz, however, saw the situation differently. He was willing to bear the cost because he was motivated not by profit but by his desire to redeem Ruth and Naomi. Boaz reminds us that love willingly pays a price.
In many ways, Boaz points us toward Jesus who became the ultimate Redeemer, not by purchasing land, but by purchasing us. The apostle Paul tells us that we were “bought with a price” (I Corinthains 6:20 ESV). Christ didn’t redeem us because it was convenient or profitable to Him. He redeemed us because He loved us.
That kind of love changes things, or at least it should. Many people are willing to serve God as long as discipleship appears beneficial. We gladly follow Jesus when blessings are obvious and sacrifices seem small.
But what happens when obedience costs us time we didn’t want to give, or money we had other plans for? In those moments, the temptation is to do what the unnamed redeemer did — run the numbers, decide the cost is too high, and step aside.
Boaz (and far more importantly, Jesus) shows us a better way. Love is willing to pay the price. Sometimes faithfulness requires sacrifice. Sometimes serving others costs us something. Sometimes obedience demands that we give rather than gain. But every act of sacrificial love reflects the heart of our Redeemer.
Prayer: Father, thank You for the price that was paid for my redemption through Jesus Christ. Forgive me when I focus more on what obedience will cost me than on what Your love has given me. Help me to serve others with a generous heart and to follow You even when faithfulness requires sacrifice. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day