The Commander of the army of YHVH and the Kinsman Redeemer

Who is the Commander (Captain) of YHVH’s Army? Where is His army?

Joshua 5:13-15

13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” 14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of YHVH I have now come.” and Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” 15 Then the Commander of YHVH’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Where else have we heard “take your sandal off your feet” and what is the connection?

Exodus 3:4-5

So when YHVH saw that he turned aside to look, Elohim called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” 6 Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

Here we see that the one whom Joshua spoke with, speaks in the same way, and in the same authority, as the one who spoke from the midst of the burning bush. This is clearly YHVH Himself, in the form of a man. Does any other scripture give us any confirmation that this Commander could be YHVH in the form of a man? 

Exodus 15:3

YHVH is a man of war: YHVH is his name.

The pashat or simple, direct, or plain sense of the text tells us that YHVH is a man or war. That is what is intended to be communicated and falls in line with what we have learned so far. YHVH is telling us very plainly that He has revealed Himself to us in the form of a man. But not just any man...

The Army of YHVH

2 Kings 6:16-17

16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then YHVH opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

In Joshua we saw the Commander, but no army with Him. In 2 Kings we see the army, but no Commander. But finally we have Revelation, the culmination of the story. We see the full picture, the Commander of the Army of YHVH and His army following Him, ready for battle. 

Revelation 19:11-16

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron:and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.

This one, riding a white horse is called the Word of God, who is the Word of God? 

John 1:1-5

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Yeshua is the Word of God. He is the Aleph and the Tav, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. The prophet Isaiah spoke of Yeshua in the Day of the Lord, when the wrath of YHVH would be poured out on the wicked.

Isaiah 63:1-6

1 Who is this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah, this One who isglorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength?- “I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” 2 Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? 3 “I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes. 4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come. 5 I looked, butthere was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me. 6 I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, Made them drunk in My fury, And brought down their strength to the earth.”

Here in Isaiah, we see a parallel to what happens in Revelation. But what is interesting is that verse 4 says that the “year of My redeemed has come”. Why is this interesting? The Hebrew word for “redeemed” is the Hebrew word ga’al (Strongs H1350) - to redeem, act as kinsman-redeemer, avenge, revenge, ransom, do the part of a kinsman, to redeem or buy back (by payment). 

1. (Qal)

1. to act as kinsman, do the part of next of kin, act as kinsman-redeemer

1. by marrying brother's widow to beget a child for him, to redeem from slavery, to redeem land, to exact vengeance

1. to redeem (by payment)
2. to redeem (with God as subject)

1. individuals from death
2. Israel from Egyptian bondage
3. Israel from exile

1. (Niphal)

1. to redeem oneself
2. to be redeemed

The "nearest kinsman" or "kinsman redeemer" is the ga’al. 

Provision was made in the Torah of Moses for the poor person who was forced to sell part of his property or himself into slavery. His nearest of kin could step in and "buy back" what his relative was forced to sell (Leviticus 25:48). The kinsman redeemer was a wealthy benefactor, or person who frees the debtor by paying the ransom price. "If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold" (Leviticus 25:25; cf. Ruth 4:4, 6).

The nearest of kin had the responsibility of redeeming his kinsman's lost opportunities. If a person was forced into slavery, his redeemer purchased his freedom. When debt threatened to overwhelm him, the kinsman stepped in to redeem his homestead and let the family live. If a family member died without an heir the kinsman gave his name by marrying the widow and rearing a son to hand down his name (Deuteronomy 25:5; Genesis 38:8; Ruth 3-4). When death came at the hands of another man the redeemer acted as the avenger of blood and pursued the killer (Numbers 35:12-34; Deuteronomy 19:1-3).

Ga’al was used of things consecrated to God (Leviticus 27:13-31), of God as redeeming man (Exodus 6:6; Isaiah 43:1; 44:22; 48:20; 49:7), and those redeemed by God (Isaiah 35:9; 51:10; Job 19:25). The right of redemption and the office belonged to the nearest kinsman, or "near of kin, near relative" (Leviticus 25:25; Ruth 3:12; 4:1, 6, 8, etc.). YHVH is the great Kinsman of His people. When their liberty was lost in Egypt, He rescued them from bondage. "I am YHVH . . . I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments" (Exodus 6:6).

The ancient patriarch Job complained that no one came to redeem him! His faith is seen reaching out and proclaiming that YHVH will provide His ga’al! "As for me, I know that my redeemer (kinsman) lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth" (Job 19:25). 

The ancient patriarch Job complained that no one came to redeem him! His faith is seen reaching out and proclaiming that YHVH will provide His ga’al! "As for me, I know that my redeemer (kinsman) lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth" (Job 19:25). 

Job points to the time (The Day of the Lord) that is described in both Isaiah and Revelation.

One of the most beautiful passages where the word ga’al is found is in the life of Naomi in the book of Ruth. The book of Ruth is a story about Naomi's ga’al. Naomi was the poorest person in Israel, but her kinsman was the richest man in Israel. Because of the death of her husband and two sons, she and her daughter-in-laws lost all income and their homestead. Naomi was living in a foreign land and because of the loss of her homeland and relatives, had become bitter. Naomi was redeemed through her daughter-in-law Ruth’s union with Boaz. The nearer kinsman had the first right to the property and Boaz came next after him. If Ruth’s closer relative would not redeem or purchase it, Boaz was prepared to do so. The man who was nearest of kin agreed to redeem the piece of land until he found out there was a young widow involved. He graciously backed out! That left Boaz as the rightful nearest of kin who had the privilege of redeeming her land and her with it. The Moabitess and the Israelite became one. Boaz was nearest of kin to her deceased husband (Ruth 2:1). He was able to redeem by paying the price of redemption (2:1), and he was willing to redeem the land (4:4). That is what makes this epic so incredible. The fact that this story alone is in the Bible tells us a great deal about who our Redeemer is. Four things were required in order for a kinsman to redeem:

• He must be near of kin. (Leviticus 25:48; 25:25 Ruth 3:12–13)
• He must be able to redeem (Ruth 4:4-6). He must be free of any calamity or need of redemption himself.
• He must be willing to redeem (Ruth 4:6ff)
• Redemption was completed when the price was completely paid (Leviticus 25:27; Ruth 4:7-11).

I believe it is clear now, that there is only one Redeemer. And there is only one Commander of the Army of YHVH. They are one and the same person, Yeshua Messiah. He is YHVH in the flesh. The fullness of God in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). 

Philippians 2:9-11

10 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Yeshua every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Yeshua Messiah is YHVH, to the glory of God the Father.

Yeshua is YHVH in the flesh, He is the one that spoke from the midst of the burning bush, he is the man that Joshua encountered, the Commander of the Army of YHVH, and He is our Kinsmen Redeemer. He is not just any man, He is the vessel YHVH has chosen to reveal Himself to mankind. And He had to be a man, so that we could have someone to relate to and Him relate to us. In fact Hebrew 4:15 tells us"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." In other words, God became a man, so that He could relate to us and to our suffering. When you want to relate to someone, you become like them. God has come, to relate to us, and He has done so, in the form of the Man, Yeshua Messiah.

Amen.