11And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.
What is your reputation? If we gathered together a group of the people who know you, what would they say about you? If we could listen in on your “private” life, what would we hear that would be different? Ruth has a reputation that speaks to her high moral character. She has acted in the most noble way in regards to Boaz, her future husband. No one would know if the two of them had “slept together” that evening. But both of them chose the highest moral path. Boaz chooses to do what is best not only for himself, but for Ruth and her mother-in-law. His eventual marriage costs him a tremendous amount of his own net worth. Under their laws, Ruth’s descendents will share equally with his own children, those of his previous marriage. What are you willing to pay to keep a good reputation? Are you willing to forestall personal pleasure and chose the high moral ground which often has a much higher short term cost?
The Arnold Journey 