Boaz

Ruth 3 and 4

To help the students learn that God uses faithful servants to fulfill his plans on earth

“But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you″ (1 Samuel 12:24, NIV*).

Children are aware that they depend on their parents’ care. They know that they provide them with food, clothing and the roof that covers them. It is likely that most of your students live in a home where they feel safe, thanks to the love and care of their parents. However, in other cases, this is not the case, and some of your students will surely suffer from deficiencies because their parents do not fulfill their responsibilities as they should. Surely it will be harder to talk with them about God’s care.

Therefore, it is very important that your group, and the lessons that the children receive at church, are the means that God uses to show those children that he takes care of them. Use the story of Boaz to teach your students that God needs faithful and obedient servants who are willing to be instruments of blessing to others.

God’s care and provision for this woman and her mother-in-law is evident by reading the first chapters of Ruth’s story. However, Naomi’s concern for the future of her young daughter-in-law emerges in chapter three. At the time of the conquest, Joshua distributed the land to the twelve tribes of Israel. However, no individual owned the land, because it was part of the family’s inheritance. In Leviticus 25:23, God said, “The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine.”

This portion of Scripture clearly details the procedures necessary to own, sell or recover a property. If the person needed to sell property (Ruth 4:3), it was the obligation and duty of the closest relative to buy it so it would remain in the family. Naomi knew that Boaz was her closest relative and wanted him to take responsibility, not only for the land, but also for Ruth, as specified in Deuteronomy 25:5-10.

Ruth’s loyalty and commitment were permanent while following the instructions of her mother-in-law. However, Boaz became the central figure in chapter 4. He did for Ruth and Naomi what they themselves could not have achieved: he took the initiative (4:1); rescued the property (4:8-9); restored the name of these women (4:9-10); and provided for their future (4:14-15). Boaz followed all the legal and religious procedures necessary to help Ruth and her mother-in-law. He was obedient and fulfilled God’s will by taking Ruth as his wife and being part of the genealogy of King David.

Sing with your students happy choruses to praise God before beginning the study of the Bible lesson. Pray for each other and collect the offering. Then briefly review the previous session so that the children relate the characters with today’s story.

Loving care

You will need a small plant or a picture of a pet for this activity. Show your students the plant or pet picture and explain that plants and pets are living beings that need special care to survive. Allow them to participate by giving suggestions on how to care for plants or pets. (For example: a plant needs water and sunlight, and a pet needs a place to live, food and water.)

Ask them: “What would happen if I forgot to take care of my plant or my pet?” (They could get sick or die). Then make the transition to the Bible story by telling them: “Just as my plant or pet needs special care, we also need to be cared for. Our Bible story today tells us about a man named Boaz, who was a faithful servant, used by God to take care of Ruth and Naomi.

Boaz helps Ruth

The life of Ruth and Naomi was not like before. Thank God they now had food and lived in a safe place. Every day, Ruth went to the fields of a man named Boaz to pick up grain. Boaz was very kind to Ruth, allowing her to eat with the women who worked for him, and made sure that all his workers left enough grain for Ruth to pick up.

Ruth and Naomi were very grateful to God for having provided someone like Boaz to help them. However, there was something that worried Naomi. Ruth was a young woman and she needed a husband who would love her and take care of her, who would also give her the possibility of having her own family. One day Naomi spoke with Ruth and said, “I wish the best for you. I would very much like you to start your own family. Boaz is a close relative of our family. Tonight he will be separating the grains in his barn, so you must go see him. I will tell you what you should do.”

Ruth dressed in her best dress and went to find Boaz. She waited until Boaz stopped to rest. When they were alone, Ruth told him, “You are the protector of our family. Please, I would like you to take care of me by marrying me.”

“Do not be afraid,” Boaz said. “I’ll take care of you because I’m your relative and all the people know that you’re a good woman. But you have another closer relative than me. I’ll go talk to him in the morning. If he wants to help you, you’ll be fine. Otherwise, I will marry you and protect you.”

The next morning, Boaz went to talk to the other relative. He met with him and ten other older men at the entrance of the city, and asked this man if he wanted to buy the part of the land that was Naomi’s and marry Ruth. “I do not want to buy the land or marry Naomi’s daughter-in-law,” said the closest relative. In Israel, there was a custom that when two people made a deal on some property, each one had to take off one sandal and give it to the other.

Boaz addressed the older men and told them aloud, “This day you are witnesses that I bought the land that belonged to Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also taken Ruth, the Moabitess, to make her my wife. She is the widow of Mahlon and I have decided to marry her to preserve the family.”

Finally Ruth and Boaz got married. Some time later they had a cute baby boy who was called Obed. Everyone was very excited about the birth of the child. When Obed grew up, he had children and then many grandchildren. One of those grandchildren killed a giant named Goliath. He was King David, who was a descendant of Ruth and Boaz.

Many, many years later, another baby was born who was also a descendant of Ruth and Boaz. This baby was also born in Bethlehem and slept in a manger. God rewarded the faithfulness of Ruth and Boaz by allowing them to be part of the family of King David, but above all, of the Lord Jesus.

Animated card

Distribute Student Activity Sheet #250-A and #250-B. Read the prayer with them and have them sign it. Then give them enough time to follow the instructions on the sheet and make their animated card. Ask them to take the cards home and tell their families and friends what they learned in today’s lesson.