Understanding Ruth 2:20: Kindness That Redeems

Naomi’s Hope Begins to Return

This moment comes right after Ruth returns from gleaning in Boaz’s field and tells Naomi about the generous treatment she received from him.

Naomi praises God, saying, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” She sees Boaz’s actions as evidence that God still cares for their family after her husband’s and sons’ deaths.

When she adds, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers,” she realizes Boaz could do more than provide food; he might restore their family line under Israel’s redemption customs, where a relative preserves property and legacy.

God’s Loyal Love in Action

Naomi’s blessing points to something deeper than politeness or luck - she sees God’s *hesed*, His loyal, faithful love that sticks with people through thick and thin, especially within family ties.

In ancient Israel, *hesed* was not merely a feeling; it was action expressed through keeping promises, protecting kin, and showing costly loyalty. This kind of love was expected among family, and God’s own character is described again and again as overflowing with *hesed* (Exodus 34:6-7). Naomi recognizes that Boaz’s kindness is intentional. It reflects God’s faithfulness to His people across generations.

The mention of the dead refers not just to memory but to honor - Naomi’s son Mahlon may be gone, but God hasn’t forgotten his line, and Boaz, as a go’el (redeemer), has the right and duty to help preserve it, much like the responsibility described in Deuteronomy 25:5-10 where a close relative marries a widow to continue the family name.

This doesn’t mean Boaz is immediately expected to marry Ruth - he’s one of several possible redeemers - but his willingness to protect and provide for her opens a door toward restoration. Although Boaz isn’t called a messiah, his role hints at the rescuer God would later send, who would redeem all humanity, not merely a single family.

God’s Care Through People Who Care

Naomi sees in Boaz more than a kind man; she sees a sign that God is actively caring for them through willing helpers.

This reflects a consistent theme in Scripture: God often shows His love by raising up people to care for the vulnerable. He commands His people to protect widows and the poor because He Himself defends those who have no one else to turn to - Exodus 22:22 says, “You shall not oppress any widow or orphan,” Deuteronomy 10:18 reminds us that God “executes justice for the fatherless and the widow,” and Psalm 146:9 declares, “The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless.”

These verses are not merely rules; they reveal God’s heart. He does not stand far off. He works through compassionate people like Boaz to bring real help to those in need.

For Naomi, this moment turns her bitterness toward hope. She had once said the Lord had brought her back empty (Ruth 1:21), but now she recognizes that God’s loyal love - His *hesed* - has never left her family, not even in death. This story fits into the Bible’s bigger message: God is always working behind the scenes, especially when life feels broken. And while Boaz is just a man, his role points forward to Jesus, the ultimate Redeemer, who fulfills all of God’s promises by rescuing not just families, but the whole world.

From Family Redeemer to Final Redeemer

This glimpse of Boaz as a redeemer doesn’t just rescue Naomi and Ruth - it quietly points forward to the kind of deliverance God had promised to bring for all His people.

The Old Testament idea of a go’el, or family redeemer, shows up again in Isaiah, where God Himself steps in as the ultimate Redeemer: 'Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go' (Isaiah 48:17). Later, He declares, 'I, the Lord, am your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar - the Lord of hosts is his name. I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand' (Isaiah 51:15-16), showing that God doesn’t just send helpers - He personally takes on the role of Redeemer.

In the New Testament, this promise finds its full meaning in Jesus, who is called the one who 'redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us' (Galatians 3:13).

Just as Boaz had the right and willingness to rescue Naomi’s family, Jesus - our closest relative through His humanity - pays the ultimate price to restore us, not just to land or lineage, but to life with God. He is the Redeemer who fulfills what Boaz only pictured: 'For you know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot' (1 Peter 1:18-19). This story, small as it seems, fits into God’s long plan to bring hope through a Rescuer who would one day come - not just for one family, but for everyone who needs saving.

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