Feb 26, 2017
Once Ruth met Boaz at the threshing floor and requested him to be her redeemer, he recognized there was a closer relative than him, so to honor God, her, and the other relative, he promised to do it the right way and seek him out. The chain of redeemer started with the closest male relative—brother to uncle to cousin to clan member. If any of these were unwilling or unable to redeem the land, the next eligible redeemer would have the right of purchase (Lev. 25:23-28). People of God, bring honor to God by being honorable before men, though it may not benefit them (Ps. 15:4; Prov. 11:3; 12:22; 2 Cor. 8:21). Before sunrise, Boaz sends her back at the safest time of the night—right before dawn. Though she wasn’t his ‘problem’, he cared about her safety. Godly men care about the vulnerable (Prov. 29:7; Is. 1:17). As most women did not usually participate in the labor of winnowing the grain at the threshing floor, it would have been unusual for Ruth to be coming home from there late at night. For the sake of her reputation and his as a man of God, Boaz wanted no appearance of impropriety. They both had shown sexual self-restraint as Ruth didn’t bait Boaz sexually and he didn’t take advantage of her situation and desperation (Job 31:1; 1 Cor. 6:18). Men of God protect the innocent reputation of others. God’s reputation is connected to a believer’s reputation.