I have a Go'el. Do you?
No, it's not the latest cell phone or the name of the hottest fashion designer. A GO'EL is a Kinsman Redeemer.
The Middle Eastern custom dates back to the time of the Patriarchs. He avenged all wrongs to restore the family's name, honor, or possessions.
To properly qualify:
He must have been a legitimate kinsman (Lev. 25:48-49; Ruth 3:12-13)
He must have been able to redeem (Ruth 4:4-6)
And He must have desired to accomplish the redemption by paying whatever righteous demands were involved (Lev. 25:27)
We see that Ruth found her Go'el in Boaz and of course, we found ours in Christ. God, the Son stepped into human history and became one of us in order to legally redeem humankind from slavery to sin and restore our reputation as children of the Most High.
A Go'el had to have enough resources to perform his costly obligations of redemption, along with the desire to do so. We see in the story of Ruth that the first Go'el refused to redeem her because of his current family commitments. The burden then fell upon Boaz, who was more than happy to take on the responsibility!
Adam failed in the role as humanity's first Go'el, but Jesus willingly assumed the responsibility. Was he able to pay the demands? Yes, but not with money. He paid with His own life and offered His Blood as the full and final payment on the Mercy Seat.
Is your sin account closed on the Mercy Seat? Although Christ died for the sins of the world, each person's account is not marked "paid in full" until the person activates this gift by faith, trusting in his Kinsman Redeemer to have paid the debt.
Once so marked, God will no longer relate to you based upon Adam's sin-soaked human condition, but only and always through Christ at the blood-soaked Mercy Seat!
Naomi told Ruth to sit still and not worry because her Kinsman Redeemer would not rest until the matter of her redemption was settled (Ruth 3:18).
After Calvary, Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father and is now seated in His authority--"at rest". That means the work is accomplished, full and complete. He has sent the Holy Spirit to make the benefits of His intercession as a Kinsman Redeemer a daily reality in the lives of those who believe.
So often we restrict the term salvation to mean something that applies only to our eternal destination--a gift we can't fully enjoy until we're "over there".
But let's look at the full meaning of the Greek word SOZO as originally intended:
1) Material and temporal deliverance from danger, sickness and suffering
2) Preservation (protection)
3) The present experience of God's power to deliver from the bondage of sin
4) All the blessings of God bestowed to believers in Christ
5) Spiritual and eternal salvation.
Sounds like a job for a Go'el, doesn't it?
Yes, just as Ruth owned the field by a covenant of marriage that she once gleaned in poverty as an outcast, so we now have unquestionable access as joint-heirs to our Bridegroom's never-ending Kingdom!
So what still keeps you as a slave? Is it a habit or an addiction? An ungodly mindset or belief that holds you back?
What has robbed you of your resources? A debilitating disease? A failed business or marriage? Stifling unforgiveness?
What has stolen your honor, your reputation, your hope? Did you give it away through the deceit of the enemy? Do you think you're no longer eligible for a Go'el?
A righteous anger wells up in your Kinsman Redeemer over the injustices in your life, yet His heart breaks when you lack the faith to believe that His finished work at the Cross is more than enough to make you whole again. What more could He pay?
He grieves when you think that His goodness is no longer available to you because of the part you may have played in the loss.
Repentance over what was done, along with repentance for remaining in disbelief and shame, releases the Holy Spirit to bring the redeeming power of your Go'el into the situation!
No, it's not the latest cell phone or the name of the hottest fashion designer. A GO'EL is a Kinsman Redeemer.
The Middle Eastern custom dates back to the time of the Patriarchs. He avenged all wrongs to restore the family's name, honor, or possessions.
To properly qualify:
He must have been a legitimate kinsman (Lev. 25:48-49; Ruth 3:12-13)
He must have been able to redeem (Ruth 4:4-6)
And He must have desired to accomplish the redemption by paying whatever righteous demands were involved (Lev. 25:27)
We see that Ruth found her Go'el in Boaz and of course, we found ours in Christ. God, the Son stepped into human history and became one of us in order to legally redeem humankind from slavery to sin and restore our reputation as children of the Most High.
A Go'el had to have enough resources to perform his costly obligations of redemption, along with the desire to do so. We see in the story of Ruth that the first Go'el refused to redeem her because of his current family commitments. The burden then fell upon Boaz, who was more than happy to take on the responsibility!
Adam failed in the role as humanity's first Go'el, but Jesus willingly assumed the responsibility. Was he able to pay the demands? Yes, but not with money. He paid with His own life and offered His Blood as the full and final payment on the Mercy Seat.
Is your sin account closed on the Mercy Seat? Although Christ died for the sins of the world, each person's account is not marked "paid in full" until the person activates this gift by faith, trusting in his Kinsman Redeemer to have paid the debt.
Once so marked, God will no longer relate to you based upon Adam's sin-soaked human condition, but only and always through Christ at the blood-soaked Mercy Seat!
Naomi told Ruth to sit still and not worry because her Kinsman Redeemer would not rest until the matter of her redemption was settled (Ruth 3:18).
After Calvary, Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father and is now seated in His authority--"at rest". That means the work is accomplished, full and complete. He has sent the Holy Spirit to make the benefits of His intercession as a Kinsman Redeemer a daily reality in the lives of those who believe.
So often we restrict the term salvation to mean something that applies only to our eternal destination--a gift we can't fully enjoy until we're "over there".
But let's look at the full meaning of the Greek word SOZO as originally intended:
1) Material and temporal deliverance from danger, sickness and suffering
2) Preservation (protection)
3) The present experience of God's power to deliver from the bondage of sin
4) All the blessings of God bestowed to believers in Christ
5) Spiritual and eternal salvation.
Sounds like a job for a Go'el, doesn't it?
Yes, just as Ruth owned the field by a covenant of marriage that she once gleaned in poverty as an outcast, so we now have unquestionable access as joint-heirs to our Bridegroom's never-ending Kingdom!
So what still keeps you as a slave? Is it a habit or an addiction? An ungodly mindset or belief that holds you back?
What has robbed you of your resources? A debilitating disease? A failed business or marriage? Stifling unforgiveness?
What has stolen your honor, your reputation, your hope? Did you give it away through the deceit of the enemy? Do you think you're no longer eligible for a Go'el?
A righteous anger wells up in your Kinsman Redeemer over the injustices in your life, yet His heart breaks when you lack the faith to believe that His finished work at the Cross is more than enough to make you whole again. What more could He pay?
He grieves when you think that His goodness is no longer available to you because of the part you may have played in the loss.
Repentance over what was done, along with repentance for remaining in disbelief and shame, releases the Holy Spirit to bring the redeeming power of your Go'el into the situation!
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