Biblical Vulnerability
- kingdomcitizensinc
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Strength in Love, kindness, & Compassion
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A story of Revelation, exposure, & protection.
Vulnerability is showcased in plenty of ways biblically. Several degrees of circumstantial separation provide us with quite a few different versions of vulnerability - all having their own distinctive definitions and qualities. The overarching biblical “vulnerability-tree” has many branches stemming from many roots. Today I’d like to begin by revisiting Boaz and Ruth, then pivoting into how the Lord displays sacrificial vulnerability.
Throughout this journey, we’ll explore how Scripture links vulnerability to Christ and His Bride, the Church. We’ll also discern when vulnerability is a healthy practice and when it can become harmful. This includes breaking down vulnerability into two key counterparts: (1) Constructive and (2) Destructive.
Defining Vulnerability
Before moving forward, let us define vulnerability. Vulnerability is defined as: “the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally; the state of having weaknesses exposed; making you susceptible to negative impacts; sharing deep feelings”. In simple terms, vulnerability is the willing exposure of our most intimate thoughts and assets.
Vulnerability shows up in many ways—social, cognitive, environmental, emotional, and even military. In the context of hazards and disasters, it describes how people’s interactions with their surroundings are shaped by social structures, institutions, and cultural beliefs that both reinforce and challenge those systems. To bring greater clarity, we’ll take a closer look at the four primary types of vulnerability: social, cognitive, environmental, and emotional.
Social vulnerability is the degree to which social factors like income, education, and inequality limit a group’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from harm.
Cognitive vulnerability refers to limitations in knowledge, understanding, or decision-making that reduce a person’s capacity to recognize or respond to risk.
Environmental vulnerability is the susceptibility of people or places to damage due to their physical surroundings and exposure to natural or human-made hazards.
Emotional vulnerability is the increased risk of psychological distress due to limited emotional resilience or support when facing stress or trauma.
-Military vulnerability falls under Emotional vulnerability, as it relates to emotional challenges. It involves the emotional struggles that can arise—such as anxiety or the effects of trauma—where being open about those experiences may feel difficult because of stigma, yet remains essential for genuine connection and recovery. In many leadership settings, this kind of honesty is increasingly recognized as a sign of strength.
We can clearly see these types of vulnerability all throughout scripture but vulnerability doesn’t end with liability. It can be an extremely beautiful and inspiring display of intimacy as we often witness illustrated by Jesus Christ and the biblical narratives that point to Him.
1“Vulnerability.” Merriam‑Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam‑Webster. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
The Closest Kinsman Redeemer
Ruth 4:1-6
Vulnerability is encoded in the very DNA of Jesus—woven into His humanity and revealed in His divinity. As One who is fully God and fully man, He embodies vulnerability on both levels. Scripture shows this even in His lineage: in Ruth 4, we learn that Jesus’ human ancestry traces back to Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:16–22). Their story is marked by a courageous willingness to open themselves to one another despite uncertainty, trusting that familial redemption was needed and possible.
Many of us know what it feels like to stand on the outside looking in—even within our own families. We may feel like the odd one out in our homes, our friendships, or even in roles we never chose. The story of Boaz and Ruth shows us how to stand confidently in our vulnerability and reminds us that God restores and strengthens us when our openness is met with something less than acceptance.
Let’s revisit Boaz and Ruth so we have a better perspective and clearer understanding of what’s in store for us today. Let’s first observe how the unnamed man who was the closest relative to Naomi and Ruth did not want to make himself vulnerable by accepting Ruth into his house.
Ruth 4:1-6
1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the redeemer of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Come over here, friend, sit down here.” And he came over and sat down. 2 Then he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 And he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, has to sell the plot of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4 So I thought that I would inform you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me so that I may know; for there is no one except you to redeem it, and I am after you.’” And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” 6 Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, otherwise I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, since I cannot redeem it.”
The unnamed man feared that he would "jeopardize” his inheritance by marrying Ruth. He was fine with taking the land for his own inheritance but did not want to disrupt his own lineage by marrying Ruth. He must have been opposed to the potential of having children that would remain heirs of Ruth’s late husband, Mahlon (the son of Naomi and Elimelech). This was the levirate custom at that time for a widow who remarried to the kinsman-redeemer (Deut. 25:6). The unnamed man was the closest kinsman-redeemer but unwilling, which opened the door for Boaz to step in, step up, and stand in as an earnestly willing kinsman-redeemer.
The Closest Kinsman Redeemer
Ruth 4:7-15
Ruth 4:7-15
7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the way of confirmation in Israel. 8 So the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10 Furthermore, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be eliminated from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.” 11 And all the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. 12 Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the descendants whom the Lord will give you by this young woman.”
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he had relations with her. And the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. 15 May he also be to you one who restores life and sustains your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”
The unnamed man, as the closest kinsman-redeemer, was only so in title, not in form. And where he fell short, Boaz filled the gap in form and function. By way of intimate intervention, Boaz became the true closest kinsman-redeemer to Ruth. No covenantal intimacy given by God brings two people closer than marriage. In like form, Jesus Christ has become the closest Kinsman-Redeemer to all of humanity. Where unnamed circumstances and individuals have rejected our need for acceptance, the Lord earnestly fought for our only true redemption, which can only be found in Him. He is the Groom and we, the Church, are His Bride.
Here we witness Boaz acting as a type or foreshadowing of Christ with the Church. He didn’t treat Ruth and Naomi like liabilities. When challenged by the unnamed redeemer, he did not respond with contempt, as if stepping up to be a kinsman-redeemer "jeopardized" his inheritance. This was an opportunity to reward Ruth’s vulnerability with his own.
The Risk & Reward of Vulnerability
Being the next kin in line, Boaz risked having children that negated furthering his lineage in order to honor Mahlon’s. In doing so, he found Ruth’s vulnerability to be tender and desirable. Boaz showed Ruth grace in her vulnerability and covered her with gentleness and compassion. From the time she gleaned in his fields and laid down at his feet - to being rejected by the unnamed redeemer, Boaz honored her courage, grace, and submission to his authority.
Can we now see the vulnerability in the natural side of Jesus’ DNA via Boaz and Ruth? Jesus being the Son of God constantly and consistently demonstrates where His divine form of vulnerability derives from. The power, intimacy, and vulnerability exhibited on the cross at Calvary truly reveals the sacrificial love rooted in God’s intentionally constructive vulnerability-tree. Jesus contrasts traumatic, destructive vulnerability trees the way Boaz did but on a cosmic scale.
The unnamed redeemer reflects selfishness, prioritizing his finances and posterity over being a benefit to a widow in fulfilling his familial duty. Unbeknownst to him, he missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime. If he had been obedient to the opportunity in his calling, he could’ve been named throughout history as an ancestor to King David and King Jesus. Instead, the right man with the right heart made a wise decision, discerning the Lord’s will. Acting accordingly, Boaz’s selfless act of redemption led him to find favor with God as well as a special place in the important genealogy leading to king David and Jesus Christ.
Make sure to stay tuned in for this next blog post so you don't miss out on your word of instruction and encouragement. In my next blog, we'll evaluate sacrificial vulnerability and how it leads to recovery and growth. In the meantime, be blessed. Thank you and Godspeed!
Scripture of Emphasis:
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NASB)
"8 Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong."
Thank You and God Bless!
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