“The Kinsman said, ‘I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine inheritance; redeem my right to yourself, for I cannot redeem it'” (Ruth 4:6).

Mar (Def): (Heb): Shachath: To decay, i.e. ruin

Marred (Def): (Heb): Mishchath from Shachath: Disfigurement, Corruption

There is that within a man of a certain type to preserve and protect in nature that to which he identifies, such as a bloodline, faith, culture, national identity, etc. Though an opportunity comes that may seem beneficial; yet, if that opportunity disrupts one of the above areas of identification, the response will be as the near kinsman redeemer: “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance”.

God’s Inheritance. The inheritance of God, the Father, is His Beloved Son and all those the Son has Redeemed by His blood and brought into Himself through the work of the Cross and by the Holy Spirit drawing them in through the New Birth.

“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in One all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in Him. In whom we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1:10-11).

The Marring of God’s Inheritance. There is a marked distinction between the near Kinsman Redeemer and God, our Father, pertaining to inheritance. We have seen the reaction of the near Kinsman to reject the marring of his inheritance. Now we see the heart of the Father toward His inheritance, His Beloved Son.

The Prophet Isaiah writes:

“Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. As many were astonished at Thee; His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more that the sons of men” (Isaiah 52:13-14).

There was no self-interest with the Father in preserving the Glory and Honor of His Son when it came to His role as Kinsman Redeemer. There was no thought of rejection in the Redemption of Man. There was no fear that Man would ruin His inheritance. On the contrary there was an embracing of Man and a Redeeming of Man though it would, indeed, mar God’s inheritance in His Beloved Son. This marring of the Son was to the fullest extent. The Face that is “the Light of the knowledge of the Glory of God” (cf. II Corinthians 4:6) was “marred more than any man”.

The Marring of God’s Inheritance was complete. The Hebrew word for mar includes within it and translated so, to ruin, destroy, corrupt (cf. Genesis 6:11-13). The marring of God’s inheritance was completed in the Cross. In the Redeemer, the Savior we were brought into the complete destruction of our old identity and nature when we were crucified with our Lord.

“I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet, not I, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Now, we who have been Redeemed by our Kinsman Redeemer, our Lord Jesus Christ are no longer marred, corrupt or subject to decay. We have been changed:

“If any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (II Corinthians 5:17).

The marring of God’s Inheritance was completed and finished in the Son who took us into death and raised us again for our justification (cf. Romans 4:25). Now we have this prayer from the Apostle:

“I cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of His calling and what are the riches of the Glory of His Inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:16-18).

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