This is the Bible Book Club.

And we're so excited to be in one of my favorite books, The Book of Ruth.

Welcome to the Club.

Susan, you've titled this episode, What Happens on the Floor stays on the Floor.

I'm intrigued.

Is this going to be a racy episode? It really is, actually,

so stay tuned. Okay. Well, I can't wait to hear what happens in Chapter 3, but last episode

in Chapter 2, Ruth took charge of the household and stepped out in faith to work the harvest.

Naomi was quiet. She might have been depressed, we've decided,

and did not offer any guidance to her daughter-in-law, but God was guiding Ruth. And she just

happened to land in the field owned by a man of standing and also a relative, Boaz. Upon learning

who Ruth was, Boaz stepped up and provided generously for the two widows, Boaz's attention to Ruth grows and includes an

invitation to lunch. By the time Ruth gets home, she is full of news about Boaz and also food for

her mother-in-law. Naomi responds, and a little seed of hope is planted in the widow's heart.

Okay, here's our setup. In today's episode,

Boaz is going to step in as Goel and Lever. In last episode, chapter 2, verse 20, Naomi said this.

The Lord bless him, Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, he has not stopped showing his kindness or has said to the living and the dead. She added, that man is our close relative. He is one of our guardian redeemers. All right. What is a guardian redeemer, which also can be called a kinsman redeemer, which I actually like that word better. Or in Hebrew, it's called Goel.

By definition, a Goel means Redeemer in Hebrew.

Moses gave these instructions in Leviticus 25.

You can go back and listen to Season 3, Episode 14, for more.

A goel is a person who, as the closest relative, is responsible for protecting and providing

for family members in times of need when they cannot help themselves.

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