The Sandal Transaction

The Sandal Transaction

Ruth 4:7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel.
4:8 So when the redeemer said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself," he drew off his sandal.

The phrase here, "this was the custom in former times," tells us that the story of Ruth had been handed down and put into writing at a time when this particular custom was no longer practiced. It had to be explained to help the reader understand the transaction. This custom is first mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 25:7 And if the man does not wish to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, 'My husband's brother refuses to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband's brother to me.'
25:8 Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, 'I do not wish to take her,'
25:9 then his brother's wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, 'So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother's house.'
25:10 And the name of his house shall be called in Israel, 'The house of him who had his sandal pulled off.'

While this kind of activity may seem rather odd to us way over here in the twenty first century, it is not without significance. We do well to learn what these things mean, in order to enhance our understanding of the ways of God and to increase in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy tells us about the man who is not willing to perpetuate his dead brother's name. There is an element of disgrace on the part of this person. The public removal of the sandal by his brother's widow, accompanied by the spit on the face and the name of his house reflects that element. To marry the widow in order to continue the seed of the deceased brother, and carry on the family name was something like restoring life from the dead, in that it redeemed the name of the man who died. That was the honorable thing to do. To not fulfill this duty could be seen as dishonorable, as it destroyed the hope of his deceased brother.

Note that the woman is the one who removes the sandal. The man does not take it off and hand it to her. She takes it from him, and has the legal right to do that under the Law. What becomes of the sandal? Here in Ruth, we get the rest of the story. The sandal was a token that the man who owned the right to redeem had forfeited that right. The woman would gain that token.

Here in the book of Ruth, Boaz stands in the place of the widow, who is Ruth, as sort of an intercessor on her behalf. The transaction here, though containing the same basic elements, is one of giving rather than taking. The closer relative removes his own sandal and merely hands it over to Boaz, thus forfeiting his right and responsibility of next of kin. Boaz now owns the right to redeem.

Today, we have an Intercessor on our behalf. He is also our Redeemer. And He will redeem. Nor is there any who will ever remove His sandal.

John 1:26 John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know,
1:27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie."