Lesson 069

Boaz Redeems :1-13 MEMORY VERSE IS AIAH 47:4 “As for our Redeem er, the LORD of hosts is His nam e, the Holy One of Israel.”

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: “Whodunnit” cross puzzle template included with your curriculum, enough copies for the children in your class, construction paper and glue.

“, Ruth and ” finger puppet template included with your curriculum, crayons or markers and tape.

ATTENTION GRABBER!

Whodunnit? Before class make enough copies of the cross template for the children in your class. Cut up the cross puzzles in the shapes of puzzle pieces. Make enough cross puzzles either for all of your kids or for very small groups to work together. You can decide whether or not to mix up the pieces depending on your children’s ability.

Next, allow the children to put together the puzzles. You can have them glue the puzzle pieces to a piece of construction paper. Ask your class the question, “Who has redeemed (saved) us?” The puzzle will tell…Jesus! LESSON TIME! In the first two chapters of Ruth, we see heartache and tears. Now we come to one of the most beautiful love stories ever written. It is the story of love and redemption with Boaz and Ruth. Boaz had given Ruth a promise that he would redeem her (buy back the land belonging to his brother, Elimelech), and being an honorable man he was true to his word.

In fact in chapter 3, verse 18, Naomi tells Ruth to “sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will fall; for the man (Boaz) will not be in rest until he has finished the thing this day.” Naomi knew that Boaz would not rest until he had completed the transaction to redeem his love for himself. As we read these verses we can also see a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ who redeemed (or bought back) His church for Himself. Jesus has paid the price for us all.

R U T H 4:1 N o w B o az w e n t u p t o t h e gat e an d s at d o w n t h e r e ; an d be h o l d , t h e c l o s e r e l at i v e o f w h o m B o az h ad s p o k e n c am e by . S o B o az s ai d , " C o m e as i d e , f r i e n d , s i t d o w n h e r e ." S o h e c am e as i d e an d s at d o w n .

Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. The gate was the open space before the city gate; it was the forum of the city, the place where the public affairs of the city were discussed. There he sat down, calling “court” immediately. What drove this man to act so quickly? Perhaps it was his love for Ruth. We are not told that she was incredibly beautiful, but she did have the precious beauty of a virtuous woman.

All who saw and knew her could not mistake her gracious conduct, particularly to Naomi. Boaz knew that she was “far above rubies” (Proverbs 31:10). The redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken of earlier, (:12-13) who was a closer relation of Elimelech passed by. Boaz asked him to come near and sit down. His name is never mentioned, perhaps because he refused to become the redeemer.

R U T H 4:2-4 An d h e t o o k t e n m e n o f t h e e l d e r s o f t h e c i t y , an d s ai d , " S i t d o w n h e r e ." S o t h e y s at d o w n .

T h e n h e s ai d t o t h e c l o s e r e l at i v e , " N ao m i , w h o h as c o m e bac k f r o m t h e c o u n t r y o f M o ab, s o l d t h e p i e c e o f l an d w h i c h be l o n ge d t o o u r br o t h e r El i m e l e c h .

" An d I t h o u gh t t o i n f o r m y o u , s ay i n g, 'B u y i t bac k i n t h e p r e s e n c e o f t h e i n h abi t an t s an d t h e e l d e r s o f m y p e o p l e . I f y o u w i l l r e d e e m i t , r e d e e m i t ; bu t i f y o u w i l l n o t r e d e e m i t , t h e n t e l l m e , t h at I m ay k n o w ; f o r t h e r e i s n o o n e bu t y o u t o r e d e e m i t , an d I am n e x t af t e r y o u .' " An d h e s ai d , " I w i l l r e d e e m i t ."

Boaz calls together ten of ’s elders, and they also sit down with him. They would be witnesses of a legal transaction. Boaz had thought about all of this and had carefully planned out his strategy. He explains that Naomi had a field for sale that belonged to Naomi’s late husband. The closest relative (kinsman) had the first right to the property and Boaz was next in line after him. If the closer relative would not redeem the property, Boaz agreed to redeem the price of the land. Jesus has paid the price for us all.

Now there are two Old Testament laws involved in our story here, the law regulating redemption (buying back) of property (verse.3), which is in Leviticus 25:25-34 and the other one we will see in verse 5. The man then said, “I will redeem it.” Oh, now what would Boaz do? Did he lose his beloved? R U T H 4:5-8 T h e n B o az s ai d , " On t h e d ay y o u bu y t h e f i e l d f r o m t h e h an d o f N ao m i , y o u m u s t al s o bu y i t f r o m R u t h t h e M o abi t e s s , t h e w i f e o f t h e d e ad , t o p e r p e t u at e t h e n am e o f t h e d e ad t h r o u gh h i s i n h e r i t an c e ."

An d t h e c l o s e r e l at i v e s ai d , " I c an n o t r e d e e m i t f o r m y s e l f , l e s t I r u i n m y o w n i n h e r i t an c e . Y o u r e d e e m m y r i gh t o f r e d e m p t i o n f o r y o u r s e l f , f o r I c an n o t r e d e e m i t ."

N o w t h i s w as t h e c u s t o m i n f o r m e r t i m e s i n I s r ae l c o n c e r n i n g r e d e e m i n g an d e x c h an gi n g, t o c o n f i r m an y t h i n g: o n e m an t o o k o f f h i s s an d al an d gav e i t t o t h e o t h e r , an d t h i s w as a c o n f i r m at i o n i n I s r ae l .

T h e r e f o r e t h e c l o s e r e l at i v e s ai d t o B o az , " B u y i t f o r y o u r s e l f ." S o h e t o o k o f f h i s s an d al .

Although Boaz heard the words, “I will redeem it;” he still had a plan. He then told the man that with the land, he must also acquire (or marry) Ruth the Moabitess. When Elemilech died the property had become Mahlon’s possession, thus when he died Ruth was included in the redemption. It would be the redeemer’s responsibility to care for Ruth since there were no sons to carry on the family name.

This is the second Old Testament law; the brother’s duty to raise up children of the deceased (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). When this man heard this news about marriage, he refused his right of purchasing the property. He said it would “mar his inheritance.” He felt like being responsible for Ruth might mess up his own inheritance. We don’t really know why he felt that way, but Boaz must have been delighted. Next we have the legal transaction taking place. The passing of the sandal symbolized Boaz’s right to walk upon the land as his property. The custom came from the fact that fixed property was taken possession of by treading upon the soil, and taking off the shoe and handing it to another was a symbol of the transfer of a possession or right of ownership.

The “Near Kinsman” Relay Divide the class into two teams and form two lines. Have all of the children take off their shoes and put them into a big pile at the end of the room.

Next, when you say “go” have one child at a time go to the pile, find their shoes and put them on and then return and tag the next person in line. Continue through line until a team has won.

R U T H 4:9,10 An d B o az s ai d t o t h e e l d e r s an d al l t h e p e o p l e , " Y o u ar e w i t n e s s e s t h i s d ay t h at I h av e bo u gh t al l t h at w as El i m e l e c h 's , an d al l t h at w as C h i l i o n 's an d M ah l o n 's , f r o m t h e h an d o f N ao m i .

" M o r e o v e r , R u t h t h e M o abi t e s s , t h e w i d o w o f M ah l o n , I h av e ac qu i r e d as m y w i f e , t o p e r p e t u at e t h e n am e o f t h e d e ad t h r o u gh h i s i n h e r i t an c e , t h at t h e n am e o f t h e d e ad m ay n o t be c u t o f f f r o m am o n g h i s br e t h r e n an d f r o m h i s p o s i t i o n at t h e gat e . Y o u ar e w i t n e s s e s t h i s d ay ."

Now Boaz moves quickly to complete the transaction. He claimed and received the right of redemption both for Elimelech’s land and for Ruth. Boaz called the elders to witness the transaction as he took possession of Naomi’s property and received Ruth the Moabitess. He publicly declares that he will marry Ruth. Now we see that Boaz has become the “kinsman-redeemer,” the “Goel.” This Hebrew term is used “to imply certain obligations arising out of that relationship, and has for its primary meaning ‘coming to the help or rescue’ of one”(The New Unger’s Bible dictionary). What it is saying is that Boaz was the one who came to rescue Ruth. He would save her and take care of her the rest of her life.

We too have a redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our everlasting Redeemer. He looked at mankind with tender compassion, as Boaz looked at Ruth. In Philippians 2:6-8, we see the price He paid for us. “Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Jesus paid the price with His own blood, for He was both able and willing to redeem us.

Jesus has paid the price for us all.

R U T H 4:11-13 An d al l t h e p e o p l e w h o w e r e at t h e gat e , an d t h e e l d e r s , s ai d , " We ar e w i t n e s s e s . T h e L OR D m ak e t h e w o m an w h o i s c o m i n g t o y o u r h o u s e l i k e R ac h e l an d L e ah , t h e t w o w h o bu i l t t h e h o u s e o f I s r ae l ; an d m ay y o u p r o s p e r i n Ep h r at h ah an d be f am o u s i n B e t h l e h e m .

" M ay y o u r h o u s e be l i k e t h e h o u s e o f Pe r e z , w h o m T am ar bo r e t o J u d ah , be c au s e o f t h e o f f s p r i n g w h i c h t h e L OR D w i l l gi v e y o u f r o m t h i s y o u n g w o m an ."

S o B o az t o o k R u t h an d s h e be c am e h i s w i f e ; an d w h e n h e w e n t i n t o h e r , t h e L OR D gav e h e r c o n c e p t i o n , an d s h e bo r e a s o n . The people and the elders said, “We are witnesses,” and desired for Boaz the blessing of the Lord upon this marriage. This blessing is the greatest blessing of marriage, “The Lord make the woman that shall come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel, and do thou get power in Ephratah, and make to yourself a name in Bethlehem.” The phrase “make yourself a name” could be read, “make to yourself a well established name through your marriage with Ruth, by a host of worthy sons who shall make your name renowned.”

From the rest of the chapter, we know that this blessing was fulfilled. When their first child was born, the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not let a redeemer be wanting to you today.” This redeemer was not Boaz, but the son just born Obed. They called him a redeemer of Naomi, not because he would one day redeem all of Naomi’s possessions, but because as the son of Ruth he was also the son of Naomi, and would take away the shame of her childlessness and comfort her in her old age.

Also, through this lineage would come king , and then later Jesus Christ. Thus we see in verse 13 that Boaz took Ruth as his wife and they had a son. What a glorious end to this beautiful story of suffering, love, commitment and redemption, and what lessons we can learn from it. Ruth’s simple obedience changed suffering to joy!

We must never forget what Jesus has done for each of us. In Matthew 13:45-46 we have the parable of “The Pearl of Great Price.” The field is the world (verse 38) which was purchased by our Lord at the priceless cost of His own blood in order that He might have the treasure. And what is so awesome is that you and I are that treasure. That is how much He loves us. If you have never received that love, now is the time to ask Jesus Christ to become your Kinsman-Redeemer! Jesus has paid the price for us all. Boaz, Ruth and Naomi Finger Puppets Enclosed in your curriculum you will find templates for Boaz, Ruth and Naomi finger puppets. Make copies ahead of class. Cut out the characters and pass out to the children. Allow the children to color or decorate the puppets. After coloring, attach the puppets to the children’s fingers by using tape.

Allow a few of the children to re-enact the story of Boaz and Ruth. Remind the children that just as Boaz redeemed Ruth so Jesus has redeemed us by paying the price for our sin on the cross and desires to spend eternity with us.

PRAYER Lead the children in a prayer of commitment to trust in the Lord even when no one else will. If there are any children who have not yet responded to the gospel, give them opportunity to do so. Template - Whodunnit Template - Boaz, Ruth, and Naomi Finger Puppets