Russ Meek · Russ Meek

What Is a Kinsman Redeemer in Ruth (and the Rest of the Old Testament)?

A quick reading of the book of Ruth answers this question: a kinsman redeemer is the person who gets folks out of trouble. In Ruth’s story that’s Boaz, the true Israelite (and maybe the only real white hat in the whole Old Testament) who demonstrates covenant faithfulness during one of Israel’s most dark and violent periods: “the days of the judges” (Ruth 1:1). Other parts of the Old Testament describe more fully the role of the kinsman redeemer, painting for us a picture of a human representative who mirrors Yahweh himself by advocating the most vulnerable people in society, ideally ensuring justice and protection for those who need it most.

Russ Meek February 27, 2023

Fathom Magazine

Cain, Abel, and the World Turned Upside Down

My youngest son is named Abel, so you can imagine the horror I experienced when I looked out the window one day to see his older brother, just shy of three years…

Russ Meek March 29, 2022

Fathom Magazine

Creation, Ancient Near Eastern Context, and the Meaning of Genesis 1

I wasn’t a Christian in eighth grade, but I didn’t let that stop me from agonizing over the eternal destiny of Mr. Upshaw, my science teacher. If you grew up in evangelical…

Russ Meek January 4, 2022

Christ in the Old Testament: The Meaning of Genesis 3:15 for Reading and Interpreting the Old Testament Christologically from Genesis to the Prophets

The Old Testament speaks most of all of God’s outrageous plan to send a head crusher who would defeat the serpent who tempted our ancestors.

Russ Meek January 22, 2021

“In the Image of God He Made Them”: How Genesis 1:27 Challenges Sexual Abuse and Misogyny in the Church

Denying the image of God in all humans reduces people to things and creates a straight line to abuse, because at the root of abuse is the de-personing of a person.

Russ Meek November 17, 2020

Timeline of Ezra and Nehemiah

Lots of strange names, foreign rulers, and two books (originally one!) that are not always in chronological order? This timeline may help sort through the Persian rulers, Jewish leaders, and events in…

Russ Meek November 13, 2020

Credo Magazine

Human Suffering and God’s Sovereignty in the Book of Job

The book of Job teaches that we must make room for God’s sovereignty and divine mystery in our quest to understand human suffering.

Russ Meek November 11, 2020

Angry Enough to Die, or What Jonah Taught Me about Forgiveness

Jonah was “angry enough to die.” So was I when my family’s abuser sought reconciliation and forgiveness. This is a small part of my story of forgiveness and the role Jonah played in it.

Russ Meek October 23, 2020

The Suzerain Vassal Treaty (Covenant) in the Old Testament

The covenant God established with Israel at Mount Sinai bears the marks of a suzerain vassal treaty (covenant), a somewhat common treaty form in the ancient Near East.

Russ Meek October 14, 2020

Fictive Kinship: What It Is and How It Impacts our Understanding of the Gospel

God is my Father, and thus he is responsible to take care of me (just like he does the lilies of the field and birds of the air, as Jesus reminds us). And it means I have a responsibility to love, cherish, and obey God.

Russ Meek September 30, 2020

Articles by Russ Meek