Bible Lesson: Ruth and Boaz

This lesson from the Book of Ruth teaches children that Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer Boaz points us to Jesus the redeemer who died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again.  All who put their faith in Jesus’ sacrifice for sins are redeemed and adopted into God’s family.  This lesson was created for older children and can be adapted for your needs.

Bible Passage: Ruth 1-4
Bible Story Title: Ruth & Boaz
Target Age Group:  Ages 9-11 (3^rd-5^th Grade U.S.A.)
Target Time Frame: 60 Minutes
Original Teaching Context: Sunday School
Image Credits:  Sweet Publishing and Distant Shores Media

Supply List: Bibles, pens/pencils, activity pages, Bible map, slips of construction paper for memory verse activity,
Learning Goal:  Students will learn that Jesus is the redeemer of all who put their faith in His death, burial and resurrection.
Learning Activity #1:  Activity pages
Learning Activity #2: Gather barley sheaves with words from the Memory verse. On strips of tan construction paper write the words of the verse on a strip.  Cut extra blank strips.  Place strips of paper around the edges of the room.  After reciting and explaining the Memory Verse explain what it meant for Ruth to glean (Leviticus 19:9-11).  Students will glean for the words to the Memory Verse and then put the verse in order.  Depending on the size of your class you can make 2 sets of the verse using a different color to differentiate which color each team will glean.
Memory Verse:  Ruth 2:20 “The LORD bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.”  She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers.”

Bible Lesson:  Ruth & Boaz

(Related Scriptures:  Deuteronomy 25:5-10; Leviticus 25:25)
Open with prayer.
The question for our lesson today is:
(Before class begins write this statement on the board or paper) Who is our redeemer? Jesus is our redeemer who gives us salvation. (I put spaces for the underlined words and let the students guess the words that fit in the blanks)
What is a redeemer?
One who restores the rights of another and avenges his wrongs.
(Redemption-to buy back)
Our Bible lesson is going to be from the Book of Ruth.  The events that take place in this book are during the time of the Judges.  Do you remember the ABC’s of Judges? (A-abandon, B-Bondage, C-cried out to God, D-deliverer, E-ease)
In Ruth chapter 1 a husband named Elimelech and Naomi were living in Bethlehem.  (Show on a map) There was a famine in the land.  What is a famine? (Not enough crops to feed all the people) Elimelech and Naomi had two sons and they decided to leave Bethlehem and live somewhere there was food until the famine was over in Bethlehem.
They traveled to the land of Moab (show on a map).  The people of Moab were not God’s people.  They did not worship the true God and they had treated God’s people poorly in the past.
While living in Moab, Elimelech died.  Naomi was left with her two sons who married Moabite women named Orpah and Ruth.  After living there about 10 years both Naomi’s sons died.  Now she was only left with her daughter-in-laws.
Naomi heard that the famine was over in Bethlehem and the Lord was providing food for His people.  She decided it was time to travel back to her home town.  When she packed up to go Orpah and Naomi packed up to go with her.  Let’s read what Naomi said to her daughter-in-laws in Ruth 1:8-10.  Orpah decided to follow Naomi’s advice and she returned to her family and to her gods.  Ruth clung to Naomi.  Let’s read her response in Ruth 1:16-18.  Ruth wanted to be with God’s people and she wanted their God to be her God.
In Ruth we see God’s sovereignty through His perfect timing.  When Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem it was time to harvest barley.
Both Naomi and Ruth are widows.  They were poor because in these days widows were not treated well.  God is the ultimate provider and had given laws to provide for the poor.  God’s people were commanded not to pick or harvest the outer edges of their fields to leave food for the poor to eat. (Lev. 19:9-10)
Ruth went out to pick leftover grain for her and Naomi.  Let’s read Ruth 2:3. For God’s people nothing is coincidental.  It was not an accident that Ruth ended up in Boaz’s field.
Boaz was a relative of Elimelech.  When Boaz sees Ruth gleaning in his field he asks who she is.  The foreman told him that she was Naomi’s daughter-in-law the Moabitess.  Boaz told Ruth that she should stay in his fields to glean grain. He had told his workers not to harm her and whenever she is thirsty to drink from the water jars in the field.
Read Ruth 2:10-13. Ruth is an outsider, she is not one of God’s people an Israelite.  Boaz shows her great kindness because she has left her own people to be with her mother-in-law and her people.
Boaz fed Ruth and offered her roasted grain.  She ate until she was full and saved her leftovers for Naomi.
At the end of the day Ruth went home and gave her roasted grain to Naomi.  Naomi learned that Ruth had been gleaning in Boaz’s field.  Let’s read Ruth 2:20.  Have you ever heard the phrase kinsman-redeemer?  Kinsman means family or relative.  A kinsman-redeemer was a relative that would buy the property of his deceased family member and marry his widow if she had no children.  This was a law that God had given His people to provide for widows so they would not be destitute.  A widow without children would have no one to help provide for their needs.
Naomi tells Ruth about this provision God has made for His people and tells her to go to Boaz and ask him to be your kinsman-redeemer.  Ruth follows Naomi’s instructions and goes to Boaz.  Read Ruth 3:10-12.  Boaz knew there was a closer relative that had the right to be her kinsman-redeemer and he needed to allow him the opportunity to be her kinsman-redeemer.
Boaz gathered 10 elders and met with the man who was a close relative to Elimelech and had the right to redeem his property.  This man was willing to redeem the property but when he learned he would have to marry Ruth he opted out of his responsibility.  To make the transaction legal each person took off one of their sandals and gave it to the other  (Ruth 4:7).
Read Ruth 4:9-10. Boaz married Ruth and she gave birth to a son named Obed.  When Obed grew up he had a son named Jesse.  When Jesse grew up he had a son named David.  Through David many years later the true kinsman-redeemer was born.  Who do you think the kinsman-redeemer of all mankind is? Jesus!  All of us are like Ruth.  Because of our sin we are outsiders.  We are not able to be a part of God’s family because our sin separates us from Him.  Our sin leaves us lost and destitute.  Without a redeemer we will face death and the punishment for our sins.  Jesus came to die in our place to pay for our debt of sin before God.  He bought us back to be part of God’s family and saved from sin for all eternity.
Close in prayer.
Review Questions:

1. Why did Elimelech and Naomi move to Moab? (Famine in Bethlehem)
2. How man sons did Elimelech and Naomi have? (2)
3. What happened to Naomi’s family in Moab? (Husband died, sons married Moabite women, sons died)
4. Which daughter-in-law refused to leave Naomi? (Ruth)
5. Whose field did Ruth glean in? (Boaz)
6. How did Boaz show Ruth kindness? (Gave her food, told her to stay in his field, protection, water)
7. What is a kinsman-redeemer? (A family member who helps the family in need)
8. Who was Ruth and Boaz’s great grandson? (David)
9. Who is our Kinsman-Redeemer? (Jesus)