The fifth verse of Deuteronomy, Chapter 25 carries great weight when it comes to understanding the scriptures and the gospel, especially the Old Testament stories; but also; one very important New Testament story.
WELCOME
Welcome to The COME AS A CHILD weekly on-line bible study. We blog this study every Thursday and we are enjoying walking through the scriptures page-by-page and word-by-word together.
Our goal is to look at every word of scripture with the wonder and amazement of a child who is seeing the truth of God for the very first time. We have put all of our previous teachings aside, and taking a deep breath after pausing for a second to get ready, we began tackling the scriptures that our Father has so generously provided for us to live by.
We aren’t in a hurry here; as a matter of fact, we’ve been on this journey since about 2015! If you need to catch up you can order our Genesis summary called THE GOSPEL HIDDEN IN GENESIS BOOKS ONE AND TWO from Amazon.com. The summaries for Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers will be forthcoming. It doesn’t matter where you jump in; the important thing is to jump! Today is a great day to start the study right where you have landed on this page.
For today we have arrived in Deuteronomy Chapter 25. Last week’s lesson discussed the first four verses of the chapter and now we are moving ahead two more verses.
IF A MAN DIES WITHOUT A SON
Deuteronomy 25:5-6 says; If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.
My first thought here was that I would be REALLY careful about who my siblings decided to marry!
This passage often shocks people who haven’t read it before.
Do the words sound a bit strange to you?
We have already studied many related stories from previous chapters of the Torah; (including Tamar and Judah and how this old decree played out in that generation of God’s people, and Ruth and Boaz and how Boaz as Kinsman Redeemer for Ruth began the bloodline of Christ on this earth, and there are also many other examples.) All of these Old Testament stories reflect on the duties and obligations of a Kinsman Redeemer in Israel.
Do you remember any of these stories?
I’ll post several links to our previous lessons that touch on these subjects so that you can go back and review if you like. https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/year-of-jubilee/, https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/how-god-wants-us-to-remember-his-laws/, https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/zelophedhads-daughters-and-us/, https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/redemption/, https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/shemitah-and-isaiah-61-come-as-a-child-lesson-232/.
WHAT IS A KINSMAN REDEEMER?
However; the point here is to know and understand the definition of a Kinsman Redeemer. Let’s look at those facts:
All of the first-born of Israel belonged to God. They had to be redeemed. Also; the first of all of the crops and livestock that lived in the land that Israel had inherited from God had to be given as a first-fruits offering; which brought redemption to the land.
In ancient Israel, God’s provision for the year depended on the offering up of the first and best of the crops and livestock; as well as an offering in the place of each first-born son. None of these offerings would be possible if the person who inherited the land had died without a son who could legally claim the land and worship God with his rights as the heir.
If an original land-owner of Israel (by God-given inheritance) died; his family name would be no more. God never wanted that to happen. All of the nation’s founders were to be remembered and honored.
That would be a wonderful tradition to carry over today; wouldn’t it? However; Israel was the nation of concern here. The people were listening attentively to hear what God intended to do to keep their heritage safe and secure.
What was to be done for the widows or the orphans?
How could such a family maintain their ownership of their portion of the family inheritance?
This concept of the Kinsman Redeemer was primarily about keeping the land of God’s promise within the family lines of those whom God had given it to.
THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD FOR FAMILIES
Long before the days of Christ walking the earth; the kinsman redeemer was a way of claiming your rightful heritage and at the same time, a way of having the power of God to back up your claim.
When you offered up the required offerings to God you could be assured that God would provide for your family and that your property would always be protected and stay within your family heritage. If you had trouble, the laws of God provided for a kinsman redeemer to come forth and help you.
When the head of a house died; God made a way that the wife of any Son of Israel could keep the claim to her husband’s side of his inheritance by having a son from the seed of the same family to inherit the land in his father’s place.
This son would inherit his father’s portion of the land instead of letting it go to another male relative, either from Israel or even worse, a foreigner.
It all seems very strange to us today; since we do not believe that God allows multiple wives in marriage, nor would a wife of a dead man typically consider marrying his brother after his death.
However; right now we are not living in the land of promise; and our heritage is a spiritual heritage rather than a physical heritage. Now the marriage of The Church is to Christ; making us legal and secure.
Today; Christ is the Kinsman Redeemer of His Church.
Yet; long ago even before Christ walked this earth; this law of God was given to those ancient inhabitants of God’s promised land; and it was set up for the sake of keeping the people of God as the owner’s of the land of Israel forever.
The purpose of the kinsman redeemer was to see that all of these responsibilities were executed properly and in order and that nothing would be in question or amiss. The sake of a whole nation was at stake; because the beauty of the nation evolved from its divine heritage.
GOD WILL ALWAYS TEND TO ISRAEL’S BEST INTEREST
That provision has always been important to God; but it is sadly ignored by others today who wish to make up their own new laws concerning Israel. Our Father; God, can think WAY beyond man’s capacity to imagine answers to problems; so if He has already given the answer; why should people question that wisdom?
God has promised that those who honor Israel will be blessed, and those that curse Israel will be cursed. History will eventually prove this out again; as it has done so for many times over-and-over in the past.
In ancient times the kinsman redeemer also took revenge on the dead party’s enemies; and/or paid any debts or handled any loose responsibilities that the death had left undone by the deceased.
A kinsman redeemer was a lot like having an insurance policy that would provide for those you loved in your absence, one who would defend and honor your name after you were gone and take care of any unfinished business.
The Kinsman Redeemer was able to keep the family name clean and unblemished for the future generations. It meant those you loved would always have all the security and safety they needed; as long as the kinsman redeemer was around.
THE SPIRITUAL KINSMAN REDEMPTION
Many have come to realize this role of the Kinsman Redeemer being portrayed in the life of Jesus Christ. If a Christian has committed his/her life over to Christ; he/she can always count on Him to be there; taking care of the things they cannot handle, being the Groom of The Bride of Christ; fulfilling the role of redeeming them from the slavery and bondage of sin and suffering that Satan brings on as our enemy.
Jesus marries us into The Kingdom of God and restores us and makes us whole again. We can rest in His love and care. He has become our spiritual Kinsman Redeemer.
NO NEED TO LIVE IN FEAR
There is no need to be afraid as long as we know Jesus is our Kinsman Redeemer; we can walk through life’s battles and know that we can give it all over to Him at the end of the day and rest. He will provide.
Jesus heals.
He fixes our brokenness and brings our joy back.
We can know, like Ruth did when she found Boaz, that we will always be loved and cared for and that The Kingdom of Heaven will be our forever home.
No more wondering what will happen next.
The battles of life are over.
No more bills to pay.
No more hurt and pain or disease;
Our Kinsman Redeemer has paid the price of His life for ALL of us; and we are His forever.
If you are looking for a Kinsman Redeemer today; Jesus is here for you too. Talk to him and he will answer you. Trust Him and he will always be there for you. No truer or more loyal friend could ever be found, and He will bring healing, unbridled joy and laughter back into your days; just as Boaz did for Ruth.
Trust Him.