The most helpful tool that I have encountered for understanding the Old Testament is a basic overview of kinship structures and the Levirate law. I don't pretend to be an expert, but I would like to say a word about go'el because it helps me to understand the Atonement in a new light. (If you like what you hear, I recommend further research. Wikipedia and the Bible Dictionary are decent starting places).
From what I understand, the firstborn recieves a double portion of the family inheritance and also recieves a responsibility to care for the family in instances of widowhood or slavery. This near kinsman is referred to as "go'el" or "redeemer" because he has the right and responsibility to redeem his kin from situations in which they cannot free themselves. The Old Testament is replete with examples of go'el which foreshadow the coming of Jesus Christ, the Firstborn who inherits an equal portion with the Father, and who is our Redeemer.
If I am not incorrect, the principle of go'el should also prove to be enlightening when we read Isaiah's metaphors about Israel as a forsaken bride. In ancient Israel, widowhood was a socially devastating position. The place of women in society was such that widowhood rendered them helpless. Christ, our go'el, is help for the helpless. I am thankful.
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