A Man of Integrity - July 23

Read Ruth 3:10-13

And he said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the LORD lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”

Reflect

How does Boaz demonstrate that he is a man of integrity in today’s verses?

Proverbs 28:6 asserts: “Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.” When we go back to the Bible, we see what our priorities should be. One of those priorities is simple—righteousness over riches. Moral character should be your motivation, not money.

But it’s important to note that the two aren’t always in conflict. People of integrity aren’t always poor. Take Boaz for example. When we were first introduced to him in Ruth 2:1, he was called a “worthy man.” But other translations, like the NASB 1995, translates his description as “a man of great wealth.” The NIV called him a “man of standing” and the NLT referred to him as “a wealthy and influential man.” The point seems to be that he was both. He had plenty of money, yes. But he was also a virtuous man.

In today’s passage, we learn something else about him: he's an older man. Now, he was still able to work hard in the fields, so it’s not like he was elderly. But he was more Naomi’s age than Ruth’s. Remember the context from yesterday. Boaz was asleep on the threshing floor where he was winnowing barley when something startled him awake at midnight. He was surprised to see Ruth laying at his feet and probably even more surprised to hear what she had to propose! She asked him to marry her and be her kinsman-redeemer. Today, we read his response.

First, Boaz didn’t scoff at her proposal. He was a wealthy and influential Jewish man. She was a poor, foreign widow. He could have rejected her straight off. He didn’t need to have anything to do with her. She was a Moabite after all. The Jews and Moabites had a complicated history to say the least. We also discover today that he didn’t even have to get himself involved in Ruth’s troubles because there was a closer relative who could redeem her. He could have just directed Ruth to take the issue up with that man, rolled over, and gone back to sleep!

But apparently, Boaz cared about Ruth. He even prayed that God would bless her! He didn’t view her request as a bother but as a blessing. In fact, he used the word “hesed” again. Back in chapter 2:11-12, Boaz praised her for her acts of loving-kindness (hesed) towards Naomi. He recognized that she had given up her homeland and her own family to live with Naomi and God’s people. He had prayed that God would reward her for what she had done.

Now, he said that this act of hesed was even greater than the last. Ruth could have sought security by marrying any younger man. But she cared so much about her former husband’s family that she chose to seek, not just a husband, but a kinsman-redeemer. Someone who could keep the family estate and the family name intact. By choosing to marry in the family, she had once again demonstrated her own integrity by not only looking after her own interests but also the interests of her family (Philippians 2:4).

Boaz was clearly grateful that Ruth had proposed and he promised to accept her proposal because he (and everyone else in town) knew that she was worthy. But, (there’s always a “but”),  Boaz, being a righteous and law-abiding man, wasn’t willing to overlook the fact that there was a man who was a closer relative than he. That man was first in line to redeem Ruth. But if that man refused, Boaz vowed before the Lord that he would redeem her himself.

There is no shortage of stories these days that celebrate people who look out for number one and will do whatever it takes to get ahead. But that is not what is celebrated in the Bible. Boaz and Ruth were men and women of integrity. They didn’t seek to do what was easy or popular or profitable or pleasurable. They were more concerned about doing what was right according to the Lord. May the same be said of us!

Respond

Lord, thank You for the godly examples of Boaz and Ruth. I want to be a person of integrity, too. Help me to always do what is right according to Your standard. Amen.

Reveal

How might our integrity be a witness to an unbelieving world?