Hey Carpool Crew. It's Pastor Justin, and welcome back to Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible. We are in the middle of our five part series on Ruth, and things are getting really interesting. Last time, Ruth took a bold step into the fields of Bethlehem and met a man named Boaz. He was kind. He was generous. And he just might be the answer to a prayer Naomi had not even prayed yet. Today, we are going to learn more about who Boaz was, and what the Bible means when it calls him a redeemer. Let's head back to the barley fields and check it out. After Ruth came home with arms full of barley, Naomi asked her, 'Where did you glean today? Where did you work?' And Ruth replied, 'The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz.' That is Ruth 2:19. And just like that, Naomi's whole tone changed. She lit up and said, 'May the Lord bless him. He is a close relative, one of our family redeemers.' Wait. What is a family redeemer? And why does it matter? Let's unpack it. Boaz was not just a nice guy with a big farm. He was a relative of Naomi's late husband, Elimelech. And in ancient Israel, that meant something very important. He had a special role called a kinsman redeemer, or in Hebrew, go'el. In Bible times, if a man died and left behind a wife with no children or protection, a close male relative, usually a brother or cousin, had the option to do three things. Buy back family land that had been lost. Marry the widow to carry on the family name. Protect the family line and keep it from disappearing. This was more than a cultural tradition. It was a built in part of God's law in books like Leviticus and Deuteronomy. God knew that people, especially widows, could be forgotten. So He made a plan to make sure that even the most vulnerable were seen, rescued, and redeemed. That is what a redeemer did. And Boaz? He was in a position to do just that. Let's not forget. Ruth was still an outsider. She was a Moabite, a foreigner, and a widow. She had no rights, no land, no protection. But Boaz did not treat her like a problem. He treated her with hesed. Remember that word? Hesed means faithful love, deep kindness, loyal care. It is not just being nice when it is easy. It is sticking by someone when they can't pay you back. It is showing up when no one else will. And that is what Boaz did for Ruth. He told his workers to watch over her. He made sure she had water, food, and extra grain. And he made her feel safe, in a world where women like her were often ignored or mistreated. Ruth 2:14 says, 'At mealtime Boaz told her, Come over here and have some bread and dip it in the vinegar sauce. So she sat beside the harvesters, and he offered her roasted grain.' This was not just lunch. It was inclusion. Boaz was welcoming Ruth in, treating her like family before she even knew she had one. Boaz had heard about Ruth before they even met. He knew how she had left her homeland to care for Naomi. He had heard about her courage, her loyalty, and her love. And he said something powerful. Ruth 2:12 says, 'May the Lord reward you for what you have done, and may you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.' That is a beautiful image. Under God's wings. Like a baby bird tucked under its mama's feathers. Safe. Protected. Loved. Boaz recognized that Ruth had taken shelter in God, even when she did not know where her next meal would come from. And Boaz wanted to be part of God's answer to her faith. Let's zoom out for a second. Boaz lived in the time of the Judges. A period in Israel's history when 'everyone did what was right in their own eyes.' That is Judges 21:25. It was a time of chaos, selfishness, and disobedience. But Boaz? He was a man of honor in a world that had forgotten what honor looked like. He followed God's law when others ignored it. He spoke blessings when others cursed. And he treated women with dignity when others did not. Boaz shows us that even in dark times, you can be the light. So here is what we learn from Boaz today. You don't have to be the biggest or loudest to make a difference. Kindness can change someone's life. And when you treat people with hesed, the loyal, faithful love of God, you become part of God's rescue plan for the world. Sometimes being a hero does not mean fighting battles. Sometimes it means noticing someone who feels forgotten, and doing something about it. Boaz noticed Ruth. And the story of redemption had begun. That is it for today, Carpool Crew. Boaz was not flashy or famous. But he showed up with kindness, strength, and faithfulness, and that is exactly what Ruth needed. Next time, things get a little dramatic. Naomi hatches a plan. Ruth takes a midnight risk. And the threshing floor becomes the setting for a surprising twist. I'm Pastor Justin, and always remember. You can be part of God's kindness in someone else's story. All it takes is a heart that notices, and a willingness to act. See you next time on Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible.
