Among the Statutes that God gave His people in ancient times was a special provision that was designed to establish both social and economic stability. This was the special role in the family unit or clan known as the Goel, or “kinsman-redeemer.” This was not unique to the Jews–other cultures of that time and area practiced it and still do to some extent–but God gave special guidelines for its regulation that not only promoted social stability but also symbolized His eternal purposes.<\/p>\n
From Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary–<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n H1350 <\/b><\/span><\/span>\u05d2\u05bc\u05d0\u05dc <\/span><\/span>ga\u0302’al <\/span>gaw-al’ <\/i><\/span>A primitive root, to <\/span>redeem<\/i><\/span> (according to the Oriental law of kinship), that is, to <\/span>be<\/i><\/span> the<\/i><\/span> next<\/i><\/span> of<\/i><\/span> kin<\/i><\/span> (and as such to <\/span>buy<\/i><\/span> back<\/i><\/span> a relative\u2019s property, <\/span>marry<\/i><\/span> his widow, etc.): – X in any wise, X at all, avenger, deliver, (do, perform the part of near, next) kinsfolk (-man), purchase, ransom, redeem (-er), revenger.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Here are a few verses that use that word to speak of God as the Goel.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and <\/i><\/span>I will redeem you<\/b><\/u><\/i><\/span>H1350<\/b><\/u><\/i><\/sup><\/span> <\/b><\/u><\/i> with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:<\/i><\/span> Exodus 6:6<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n For I know that <\/i>my redeemer<\/b><\/u><\/i>H1350<\/b><\/u><\/i><\/sup> <\/b><\/u><\/i> liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:<\/i> Job 19:25<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God <\/i>their redeemer<\/b><\/u><\/i>H1350<\/b><\/u><\/i><\/sup> <\/b><\/u><\/i>. Psalm 78:35<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Goel was the one who brought things back to the way they ought to be, <\/span><\/span>the nearest relative that could always be counted on for help when a wrong needed to be made right. The responsibilities of the Goel covered basically four areas–<\/span><\/span>to redeem property that had been sold because of financial difficulty, to redeem a person who was in bondage because of financial difficulty, to marry a widow and raise children for a brother, and to avenge murder. The overall concept seems to be that of restoring what has been wrong, renewing the cycle of right. Let us have a look at what it meant to be the Goel in each of these situations and how that symbolizes what our Heavenly Goel does in our behalf.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Goel as Property Redeemer–<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n When the Israelites inherited the Promised Land, each family received a piece of property to call their own. They did not actually own it because <\/span>God claimed ownership of the land, but as tenants, they had the right to use it perpetually to “make a living”–to raise animals and food for themselves and sell the increase for profit. The property was not to be transferred to others outside the family. This plan promoted economic stability for the family unit and for the nation as a whole.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.<\/i> Leviticus 25:23<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n This is the reason why Naboth refused to let Ahab get his vineyard. That would have been against the Divine Statutes.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.<\/i> 1 Kings 21:3<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n When Jezebel’s hit-men had done their work of eliminating him and his heirs (2 Kings 9:26), the land was “up for grabs” and Ahab grabbed it.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If the person or family to whom the property was granted got into a situation where they felt forced to sell because of financial difficulties, the payment they received was only for the value of the harvested produce for each year up until the Year of Jubilee, not for the market value of the land since they did not actually own the land. The original “owner” would then have cash to help him out of his difficulty and the buyer would receive the profit from whatever the land produced. The nearest relative, the Goel, was probably given first chance to purchase the family property to help alleviate the difficulty and keep the property within the clan. If he did not, for whatever reason, then someone else could purchase it. If the original “owner” could later afford to repurchase his property, he had the right to do so by repaying the value of the annual harvested produce until the Year of Jubilee. For example, if he had sold it 20 years before the Year of Jubilee, he was paid for 20 harvests. If 10 years later he could repurchase it, he paid the holder for the remaining 10 harvests. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour’s hand, ye shall not oppress one another: According to the number of years after the jubile thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee: According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee.<\/i> Leviticus 25:14-16<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n A Goel could step in at any time and “redeem” the property by paying the value of the remaining harvests at his own expense and then giving the property back to the owner, or holding it in trust and managing it for them if necessary. If it was not redeemed, it would return automatically to the original owner “free and clear” in the Year of Jubilee. This was God’s way of stabilizing the economy of Israel so there would not be extremes of poverty or wealth. It is very different from what happened to the Egyptians when they were suffering under severe famine conditions in Joseph’s time. (Genesis 47:13-26) They exchanged their money, their animals, their land, and finally themselves for food to keep from starving. They lived as slaves of the government after that and could not anticipate a Year of Jubilee when they would be free again<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In the story of Jeremiah we see an incident where Jeremiah’s cousin wanted to sell his property.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it. <\/i>(Jeremiah was Hanameel’s Goel) So Hanameel mine uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle’s son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.<\/i> Jeremiah 32:6-9<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The book of Ruth gives us an excellent picture of all that would transpire in a situation like this. When Naomi returned to Israel after living in Moab and losing her husband and sons, she had no resources except <\/span>Elimelech’s land. Apparently it had not been sold prior to this and Naomi felt that she and Ruth would not be able to work the land properly to make a livelihood from it. In order to support herself and Ruth, she felt forced to sell it. The first right of purchase went to the nearest relative, the kinsman whom Boaz talked with at the gate.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down. And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s: And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it. Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it. <\/i> Ruth 4:1-6<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n This kinsman was the Goel for Naomi and Ruth. He was willing to redeem their property but did not want the other responsibility of a Goel–supporting the two women and raising up a family through Ruth in Elimelech’s name. In relinquishing his right to the property to Boaz, he was also shirking his legal responsibility to Ruth and Naomi.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Goel as Personal Redeemer–<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n God is very conscious of the needs of the poor. In His Statutes, He specifically provided for their relief.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant: But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile: And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return. For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen. <\/i><\/span>Leviticus 25:39-42<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger’s family: After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him: Either his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself. And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him. If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for. And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubile, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption. And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight. And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him.<\/i> For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. <\/i><\/span> Leviticus 25:47-55<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land. And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him. <\/i>Deuteronomy 15:7-14<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n There were times when a family got into serious financial difficulties and the father was forced to sell himself or members of his family as slaves in order to survive. A Jew could not “own” one of his fellow Jews as a slave (God held claim to them Leviticus 25:42, 55) but was to treat him as a temporary employee, under contract for a limit of six years. Apparently, the poor person would be paid “up-front” wages for the amount of time he was to serve, thus giving him cash to alleviate his poverty. The wealthy person was to be kind and generous, even giving him help and provisions beyond his wages when he was released at the end of his six-year contract. (Deuteronomy 15:13, 14) At times a Jew might sell himself to a wealthy foreigner living nearby. The role and responsibility of the Goel included redeeming those within his family or clan who were in this situation. He would repay the “employer” out of his own resources for the time remaining until the seventh year, the Year of Release, thus releasing the poor brother before his time of indenture was up so that he could return to his family and former line of work, allowing him to keep the wages he had received “up front,” and begin again to earn his livelihood. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Nehemiah rebuked the wealthy rulers in his time who were disregarding God’s Statutes and taking advantage of their poorer brothers.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live. Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards. Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards. And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer. <\/i>Nehemiah 5:1-8<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The story in 2 Kings 4:1-7 of the woman coming to Elisha for help describes this type of situation. Apparently the creditor was rather hard-hearted, possibly a foreigner, not following what God said in Deuteronomy 15:7-14, and she had no Goel to redeem her and her sons from their financial difficulty, so God provided help in another way.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Goel as Family Redeemer–<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The brother (or nearest relative) of a deceased husband had the responsibility to raise up children from a widow in her husband’s name. This was not merely an option but a serious responsibility as we can see from the instructions God gave. This law preserved all family lines and property rights.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her. And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel. And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother. Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her; Then shall his brother’s wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house. And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.<\/i> Deuteronomy 25:5-10<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.<\/i> Genesis 38:6-10<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n When Boaz took Ruth as his wife, the child that was born was given to Naomi as though it was her own son, the heir to the property. Boaz, the Goel, preserved Elimelech’s family line.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.<\/i> Ruth 4:14-17<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Goel as Avenger–<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If a family member was killed and the crime was proved to be murder rather than manslaughter, it was the responsibility of the Goel to avenge the murder by killing the murderer.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. <\/i>Genesis 9:5, 6<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. The revenger of blood himself <\/i>(the Goel) shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die; Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood <\/i>(the Goel) shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him. . . . Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. <\/i>Numbers 35:16-21, 30-33<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n One instance we read about where this Statute was carried out, though somewhat modified because of the circumstances, is in 1 Kings 2 where King David gave Solomon the responsibility of avenging the blood of Abner and Amasa by killing Joab, the one who had murdered them. A Goel, a near relative of either of those men, would have been very reluctant to perform his duty against the commander of the army, and David apparently did not feel he could personally kill his own general, so he had Solomon do it.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n At last treachery overthrew the throne that malice and ambition had established. Abner, becoming incensed against the weak and incompetent Ishbosheth, deserted to David, with the offer to bring over to him all the tribes of Israel. His proposals were accepted by the king, and he was dismissed with honor to accomplish his purpose. But the favorable reception of so valiant and famed a warrior excited the jealousy of Joab, the commander-in-chief of David’s army. There was a blood feud between Abner and Joab, the former having slain Asahel, Joab’s brother, during the war between Israel and Judah. Now Joab, seeing an opportunity to avenge his brother’s death and rid himself of a prospective rival, basely took occasion to waylay and murder Abner. <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n David, upon hearing of this treacherous assault, exclaimed, “I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord forever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner. Let it rest on the head of Joab; and on all his father’s house.” In view of the unsettled state of the kingdom, and the power and position of the murderers–for Joab’s brother Abishai had been united with him–David could not visit the crime with just retribution, yet he publicly manifested his abhorrence of the bloody deed. . . . <\/i> PP 699, 700<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Lessons from the story of Ruth<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n There are many fascinating details about the Goel in the story of Ruth that illuminate the Gospel. We will look at a few of them.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Who is this Goel?<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. <\/i> Ruth 2:1<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n This verse gives us a very brief description of the one who was Goel for Naomi and Ruth and, as a parable, is a description of who our Goel is. Boaz was a near relative of Elimelech, whose name means “God the King.” He is described as “a mighty man of wealth.” The Hebrew word for “mighty” means “a strong, valiant champion.” He was an older man, highly respected in the community, probably a “city councilman.” The word “wealth” comes from the Hebrew word for “virtue, strength, worthiness.” It is the same word that Boaz uses to describe Ruth herself. “<\/span>. . . all the city of my people doth know that thou art a <\/i><\/span>