Naomi and Ruth

Naomi and Ruth

Get to know each other:

Would you give your favourite toy to your sister for her to keep? How would you show your love to your mother, brother or sister? Who provides for you? Why do they provide for you?

Prayer

Help us to listen and learn from your word. Thank you for taking care of us and providing for all our needs. Amen

Songs

I am in the Lord’s army
Oh, be careful little eyes
Jesus loves me

Story: Naomi and Ruth

Reference: Ruth

Props: Sock puppets

Elimelech and Naomi travelled from Bethlehem to Moab. Naomi had a hard time in Moab. Her husband died and she was left with two sons. The sons married and the name of one wife was Orpah and the other’s name was Ruth.

Then both Naomi’s sons died and she was heartbroken. She decided to return to her hometown – Bethlehem. She said to her daughters-in-law, “Go back to your parents.”

Then Orpah kissed her good-by and returned to her parents. Ruth said to Naomi, “Please don’t ask me to leave you, your people will be my people and your God will be my God.”

So Naomi and Ruth travelled to Bethlehem. They arrived at the beginning of the barley harvest.

God had told his people to allow the widows to pick up grain that fell on the ground during the harvest to provide for them.

Ruth said to Naomi. “Let me go work in the fields and pick up grain for us to eat.”

So the next day, Ruth went to the fields to pick up grain. And she worked in the fields of a man named Boaz.

When Boaz saw Ruth he asked who she was and the workers told him that she was Naomi’s daughter-in-law and that she was picking up grain for Naomi and herself. He asked how long she had been there. They told him she had been there all day.

Boaz asked her to only work in his fields. He also told his workers to leave extra grain behind for her. She ate supper in his fields and took the food she did not eat back to Naomi.

So Ruth took the food back to Naomi. Naomi asked Ruth whose field she had worked in and Ruth said that she had worked in Boaz’s field.

Boaz admired her hard work and love for her mother-in-law.

Boaz went to the city gate and asked if he might redeem (to buy something back) Elimlech’s land. Another relative wanted to buy the land but when he found out that he would have to marry Ruth if he redeemed the land, he said that Boaz could redeem the land. So Boaz redeemed the land and then he married Ruth. After they were married for some time, Ruth fell pregnant and she gave birth to a little baby boy.

Naomi said, “ You gave up your life to take care of me. Now God has blessed with a wonderful husband and a beautiful baby boy!”

Bible story adapted by Antoinette Marlow

Questions:

1. Which city did Naomi go to?
2. What happened to her husband?
3. What happened to her sons?
4. What did Ruth do to help Naomi?
5. Whose field did she work in?
6. Who married Ruth?

Memory verse

“The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand.” Ps 121 vs. 5

The Lord is my provider.

Activity:

Baked biscuits in the shape of a bear’s head or ginger bread man are given to the children. Water icing in two colours is made. The children are to spread the icing on the biscuits and then decorate them with hundreds and thousands, smarties and vermicelli. This activity develops fine motor control and creativity.

Biscuits

125g butter/marg 500g flour
170g castor sugar Pinch salt
2 eggs 5 ml baking powder
Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Cream butter and add sugar gradually, beat mixture until white and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time beating them in thoroughly. Add sifted flour, salt and baking powder. Knead well. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour. Sprinkle some flour onto your counter, roll out the dough and cut into shapes. Bake for 10 minutes.

Note: I use normal sugar not castor sugar.