Embedded Files
Introduction
Introduction
Background Scripture
Background Scripture
Ruth 1-4
Story Summary
Story Summary
There wasn't enough food in the land of Judah. So a man went to live in the country of Moab for a while. He was from Bethlehem in Judah. His wife and two sons went with him.
The man's name was Elimelech. His wife's name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. (Ruth 1:1-2)
Elimelech died and Naomi was left with her two sons. Mahlon and Kilion married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. After about 10 years, Mahlon and Kilion also died. Naomi was left without her husband or her sons.
With the famine now over, Naomi made plans to return to her homeland. Orpah returned to her family, but Ruth insisted on going with Naomi.
But Ruth replied, "Don't try to make me leave you and go back. Where you go I'll go. Where you stay I'll stay. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. 17 Where you die I'll die. And there my body will be buried. I won't let anything except death separate you from me. If I do, may the Lord punish me greatly." Ruth 1:16
As they had no money and no men to take care of them, when they got to Bethlehem, Ruth went into the fields to gather whatever grain she could. This process was called gleaning. (at this point in the story, show an example of barley)
Gleaning is the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest. Some ancient cultures promoted gleaning as an early form of a welfare system.- from Wikipedia
She went to Boaz's field. He was a relative on Naomi's husband's side. Boaz, noticed Ruth and asked his workers to be kind to her and leave plenty of grain for her and her mother-in-law.
After a while, at Naomi's insistence, Ruth went to Boaz at the threshing floor and asked him to become the kinsman-redeemer for them. Before Boaz could accept the care of these two women he had to negotiate with another kinsman for the privilege. This other man was closer to Elimelech and therefore had the responsibility to care for the ladies. This man chose not to accept them into his care which left Boaz with the opportunity to buy Naomi's land and take Ruth as his wife. During this time, there was a practice that made transfer of land final. One person would take his sandal off and give it to the other. That was how people in Israel showed that a business matter had been settled.
A threshing floor is a specially flattened surface, usually circular and paved, where a farmer would thresh the grain harvest and then winnow it. The threshing floor was either owned by the entire village or by a single family. It was usually located outside the village in a place exposed to the wind. -from Wikipedia
Winnowing, in its simplest form involves throwing the barley into the air so that the wind blows away the lighter chaff, while the heavier grains fall back down to be collected.
So Boaz took Ruth as his wife and she had a son, Obed. Obed became the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David.
Review Questions
Review Questions
Why did Elimelech move to Moab? (there was a famine in Judah)
Who was Elimelech's wife? (Naomi)
Who did Elimelech's son's marry and where were they from? (Ruth and Orpah, who were from Moab)
What happened to Elimelech and his two sons? (they died in Moab)
Who was left to live with Naomi? (her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah)
Which of Naomi's daughters-in-law left and which stayed with her? (Orpah left and went back to Moah, Ruth went with Naomi back to Judah)
What did Ruth do to gather food for her and Naomi? (she went into the fields to glean leftover grain)
Whose field did she glean from? (Boaz)
What did Boaz do for Ruth? (allowed her to glean in his fields with the others, not waiting for the leftovers, and fed her)
What did Ruth ask Boaz for? (to be her kinsmen-redeemer, one in the family line who would marry a widow to carry on the family line)
Who was David to Ruth? (Ruth's great-grandson)
Activities
Activities
Activity 1 "Barley Stalks Relay"
Activity 1 "Barley Stalks Relay"
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials needed from the cart (varies based on the game you choose):
Toothpicks
Pipe Cleaners
Get the details by clicking here!
Directions
Divide the class into teams.
Place the teams at a starting line and piles of toothpicks and pipe cleaners at the other end.
One student at a time from each team will run down, gather exactly 24 toothpicks and tie them together with a pipe cleaner.
The first team to win and have exactly 24 toothpicks in each of their barley bunches wins.
Connection: So [Ruth] went down to the threshing floor. She did everything her mother-in-law had told her to do. Ruth 3:6
Activity 2 "We Stick Together Relay"
Activity 2 "We Stick Together Relay"
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials needed from the cart (varies based on the game you choose):
Balloons
Get the details by clicking here!
Preparation: Before class blow up balloons and mark off a start line with painter's tape at one end of the room. Place a chair or chairs at the other end of the room.
How to Play:
1. In class divide your children up into teams of two.
2. Give each set of children a balloon.
3. Tell your children that they should try to get the balloon down to the other end of the room around a chair and back to the start line, without using their hands, arms, mouths, or feet except to pick up and place the balloon between them at the beginning of the game.
4. Tell your children that they can decide where they want to place the balloon, but they must do it as a team and remember to "Stick Together" just like Naomi and Ruth did in the Bible lesson. Children may want to place the balloon between their arms, on their hips, between their shoulders, etc.
5. If the balloon falls to the floor on their journey, they must pick it up, and return to the start line before continuing the race.
Activity 3 "Sorting Grain Game"
Activity 3 "Sorting Grain Game"
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials needed from the cart (varies based on the game you choose):
Balloons
Get the details by clicking here!
How to Play:
Before class mix cotton balls and macaroni noodles together and place half the mixture in one bowl and the other half in another bowl. Divide the children up into two teams. Pick two children to be "Sticky Friends". Place masking tape or duct tape around the "Sticky Friends", sticky side out. Stick the end of the tape to the child then bend it back so the sticky side is out. Bring the tape all the way around the child and back over to the beginning of the tape so that the tape goes all the way around the child. Designate one "Sticky Friend" to be noodles and the other cotton.
The teams must stick and sort the cotton balls and noodles in their bowls to the correct "Sticky Friend". Each team member pick one cotton ball or noodle from the bowl, runs to the correct "Sticky Friend", stick it to the tape and then run back to the starting line. The first team to sort all their noodles and cotton balls wins. Talk about the lesson and how Ruth had to glean the grain and then separate the chaff from the seed in order to make flour.
Activity 4 "Basket of Wheat Craft"
Activity 4 "Basket of Wheat Craft"
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials needed from the cart:
Paper Plates
Glue/Tape
Markers
Scissors
Construction paper (Yellow and background color)
Get the details by clicking here!
Directions: (Click here for step by step directions with picture instructions)
Give children a paper plate and guide them in cutting the plate in half. Instruct kids to draw a basket pattern with black crayon/marker on the outside of one half of the plate and to color the basket with brown crayon.
Give children the grain shapes (several per student) Or have them cut out grain shapes on yellow construction paper and instruct kids to design and color the shapes like a piece of grain.
Glue or tape the the cut paper plate to a solid background piece of construction paper to create a basket.
Now kids can glue their pieces of grain into the basket.
Activity 5 "Dance it out"
Activity 5 "Dance it out"
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials needed from the cart (varies based on the game you choose):
christian just dance videos below
If they don't want to play the Christian Just Dance game they can play follow the leader.
Wrap It Up!
Wrap It Up!
**Snacks can be given at this time, if needed**
**Snacks can be given at this time, if needed**
-Come together and sit in a circle to talk about what they learned today. Ask them the same questions that you asked at the beginning of the day. How are their answers different now that they know more? Talk about what they can go home and tell their family. This is also a time they can update their journals (big kids only) or color the pictures (littles).
-Come together and sit in a circle to talk about what they learned today. Ask them the same questions that you asked at the beginning of the day. How are their answers different now that they know more? Talk about what they can go home and tell their family. This is also a time they can update their journals (big kids only) or color the pictures (littles).
-Ask if anyone has a prayer request/praise report. Pray over requests.
-Ask if anyone has a prayer request/praise report. Pray over requests.
-Worship time- Have the kids go find a spot to themselves and have some time with God (play the song below for around 3/5 minutes).
-Worship time- Have the kids go find a spot to themselves and have some time with God (play the song below for around 3/5 minutes).
Worship
Worship
Energy Release!
Energy Release!
Last Minute Filler Ideas
Last Minute Filler Ideas
-Have them gather around the table and draw a picture or write a letter to their families about what they learned today.
-Play a game of some sort. (If you have the hula hoops, have them join hands in a circle and pass the hula hoop around the circle without breaking their hands)
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