Yw bss ruth sample

Youthworks Bible Study Series

Ruth o l d T e s ta m e n t

A G o d wo r t h c l i n g i n g to

Joanna Roberts Ruth.indd 1

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First published March 2011 Anglican Youthworks PO Box A287 Sydney South NSW 1235 Ph: 612 8268 3344 Fax: 612 8268 3357 www.cepstore.com.au Copyright Youthworks Press © Joanna Roberts This book is copyright. Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without the written permission of the Publisher.

Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®.

Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorise or endorse this book or the accompanying visual slides depicting text from the book of Ruth in the Bible.

National Library of Australia ISBN 978-1-921460-72-2 Author – Joanna Roberts Managing Editor – Julie Firmstone Theological Editor – Andy Stirrup Designer – Rebecca Jee Downloadable Slides – Joanna Roberts

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Introducing Ruth Often described as one of the greatest short stories, Ruth is a glimpse into the life of three regular people striving to live for God amongst great hardship. More than this, the book of Ruth shows a God who is intimately involved in the lives of his people, from the smallest details of one person to the largest plans for all of his people.

Through the lives of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz, we see ordinary people, trusting in an extraordinary God – a God who clings to his people, a God worth clinging to.

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.Call me bitter Ruth 1

Share Can you think of a day when everything seemed to go wrong?

As we’ll see today, this story involves a lot more than just one bad day for Naomi.

Read and talk Read Ruth 1 Designate different people to read out the different parts: Narrator, Naomi, Ruth, ‘the women’.

It’s culture ...

What was happening in the time of the Judges? (verse 1; see also Judges 21:25)

Did the Moabites and Israelites get along? (See also Numbers 21:29; Deuteronomy 23:3; Judges 3:12–30; 2 Kings 3:26–27)

Why was being a widow a particularly big deal for women living at this time? (See Exodus 22:21–24; Deuteronomy 14:28–29; 27:19)

Ruth

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Download the file called SLIDES RUTH STUDY 1 from: http://www.youthworks.net/ruth. For instructions see ‘About the slides’ on page 19.

For group study, print out the slides for the group to work with.

The slides for Ruth 1 are all out of order! Work together and put the slides in the correct order (without looking in your Bible).

Ruth gave up many things to go with Naomi. In two minutes, list as many of these as you can think of individually. Discuss them with the group.

Why do you think Ruth decided to go with Naomi?

Read Matthew 16:24–26 What does Jesus ask of us? How is this similar or different to Ruth’s decision to go with Naomi?

How does Ruth’s commitment to Naomi reflect God’s commitment to us?

Can you think of any Bible passages which express God’s commitment to us?

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Get real You and God When you are having a hard day or going through a difficult time, how do you respond to God? Do you:

Avoid talking to God? Cry out to him?

Ask ‘why’?

Praise him?

Pretend that you’re okay?

Get angry?

Start skipping church?

Ask God for help?

Other (specify) ______________ How did Naomi respond during her hard time?

Read Psalm 42 How did the psalmist pray to God in times of suffering?

Read Mark 14:32–42 How did Jesus respond in times of suffering?

How do you think God wants us to respond to him in times of suffering?

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You and others How could you help a friend who is going through hard times to strengthen his/her relationship with God?

Name game Match the names with their meanings (without looking in your Bible footnotes!)

Elimelech

Bitter

Naomi

Failing

Mahlon Sick Kilion

God is King

Mara

Pleasant

Do you think the names, and their meanings, are an accurate description of the people in the story so far?

Pray Pray for anyone you know who is going through a hard time at the moment. Pray that they are able to express their emotions to God and that they will cling to him as he clings to them.

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.A harvest of hope Ruth 2

Share ‘You’re so lucky!’ Do you believe in luck?

Read and talk Read Ruth 2 Designate different people to read out the different parts: Narrator, Ruth, Naomi, Boaz, the harvesters, the foreman.

It’s culture ...

What is gleaning?

What is a kinsman-redeemer? (Leviticus 25:25–28 and verses 47–49 may give you some help)

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Download the slides for Ruth 2 from http://www.youthworks.net/ruth. There are two files: SLIDES RUTH STUDY 2 and SLIDES RUTH STUDY 2 (Missing speech).

Refer to the slides for Ruth 2 with the missing speech in the bubbles. For group time, print out the slides for the group to work together. Fill the speech bubbles with the correct speech. A list of these is found in the Word file called RUTH STUDY 2 (Missing speech) also available as a download from http://www.youthworks.net/ruth

What does God’s law tell us about God? (See Leviticus 19:9–10, 33–34)

Was Boaz following this law? Or was he doing more?

Do we have systems like this in place today? Can we do more?

Pray for the needy and foreigners and for wisdom in how we can reflect God’s character in practical love for these people.

Ruth takes it upon herself to provide food for herself and Naomi. Do you think she is showing trust or distrust in God’s provision by going out to look for food?

Ruth began gleaning in Boaz’s field as it turned out (verse 3). Do you think this was mere coincidence? Consider verse 1 – why or why not?

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Puzzling out our actions If God is in control of everything, what role (if any) do our actions play?

Look up the passages on each puzzle piece and colour them in according to the instructions below:

God’s in control – Blue

Our actions – Yellow

Both at work – Green

James 4:13-17

Romans 8:38-39

Ephes ia 3:20- ns 21

Matthew 6:3334

erbs v o r P 8 3:5-

Galatians 5:13-15

James 5:13-16

ws bre He 1:3

Genesis 25:21

ians 2 Corinth 5:15

What happens if we think that one is more significant than the other?

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Get real You and God In any situation, we can either rely more heavily on God’s sovereignty or on our own actions to make a difference. Consider each of these examples below and place a mark on the line according to which you rely on most – God’s sovereignty or your own actions:

Practical needs (for example, food and clothing) God’s sovereignty

My own actions

School work/exams God’s sovereignty

My own actions

Telling others about God God’s sovereignty

My own actions

Pray Share individual prayer points about what is happening in your life. Pray that you will trust in God’s sovereignty, and that you will be faithful to him in all situations.

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.The field of love Ruth 3

Share Share the details of the latest Hollywood love story you know, either a real-life situation of an actor/actress or a storyline from a film.

Read and talk Read Ruth 3 Designate different people to read out the different parts: Narrator, Naomi, Ruth, Boaz.

It’s culture ...

Why did Ruth sleep at the end of the bed?

What did it mean to spread the corner of your garment over someone?

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Download the slides for Ruth 2 and Ruth 3 from http://www.youthworks.net/ruth. There are two files: SLIDES RUTH STUDY 2 and SLIDES RUTH STUDY 3.

Play the slides for Ruth 2 and 3. You may like to do this on a laptop, television or on your church projector. Discuss which parts of the story could be enhanced by adding sound effects. (Be careful to choose sound effects which help to communicate the story.) Play the slides through again, with sound effects and narration.

In pairs, think of a romance movie you have both seen recently. On a large sheet of paper, write down similarities and differences between the movie and Ruth 2–3.

(You could use a Venn diagram.) Share your thoughts with the group.

How ha

What parts of the stories do you like the sound of? Which look easier or more difficult in the short term and long term?

How can you see God’s hand in Ruth’s love-life?

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3 from e two RUTH

ike to hurch y s. (Be p to hrough

Get real You and God What aspects of Ruth and Boaz’s love story would you like to incorporate into your own life?

Have one person pray for the things you have spoken about. Pray that you would trust God with your future, particularly with romantic love.

How has God’s faithfulness to Naomi been shown in the book of Ruth so far?

st

on How has God dem

ur life? List them

ess to you in yo rated his faithfuln

here.

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Pray Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.

Psalm 36:5

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Give thanks to God for the ways in which he has been faithful to you, in both the things on your list and the many ways which you don’t see.

Pray that you will be faithful to God. Listen to a song, or sing together, about God’s great faithfulness.

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.Ordinary people, extraordinary God Ruth 4

Share Where do you see yourself in 20 years’ time?

Read and talk Read Ruth 4 Designate different people to read out the different parts: Narrator, Boaz, ‘the kinsman-redeemer’, ‘the elders’, ‘the women’.

It’s culture ...

What’s with the sandal? (verses 6 and 7)

Why is a kinsman-redeemer important? (Remember back to Study 2)

What’s ‘maintaining the name of the dead’? (verses 5 and 10)

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If you haven’t already done so, download the slides for the entire book from http://www.youthworks.net/ruth. The file is called SLIDES RUTH COMPLETE SET. Watch the complete set of slides from Ruth 1–4. Stop on the following slides to discuss the relevant questions below: Slide 2: Where might Naomi and Elimelech have thought they would be in 20 years’ time?

Slide 4: Where might Ruth, Naomi and Orpah have thought they would be in 20 years’ time?

Slides 28 and 29: What do you think they were thinking as they looked back on the last 20 or so years?

We have the benefit of hindsight, seeing that everything was going to turn out alright in the end for Naomi and Ruth. However, for Naomi and Ruth everything looked bleak in the beginning. Have you experienced hard times that, when you looked back, you saw God’s hand at work?

What does James 1:2–4 tell us about hard times?

Get real You and God What can you do the next time you’re going through a difficult time to help you remember that God is faithful?

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the is

You and others How can we help each other to remember that God is faithful?

th ss the

ch time?

rpah time?

were 20 or

Boaz How do we see God’s character in Boaz’s life?

What do you think it meant for Ruth to be redeemed?

What does it mean for us to be redeemed?

(See Ephesians 1:7–8)

What have we been redeemed from?

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The family tree Why do you think the genealogy has been included at the end of the book?

Compare Ruth’s genealogy with Matthew’s (see the passages opposite). Highlight or mark what you notice.

What is the significance of David? (See Isaiah 9:7)

How does the story of Ruth fit into God’s plan of salvation for everyone?

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This is Messi Abrah Abrah Isaa Jac broth Juda whos Pe He Ram Am Na Salm mot B mo O and Da wh So R A As

This, then, is the family line of Pere z: Perez was the fa ther of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon , Nahshon the fath er of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the fa ther of David.

Ruth 4:18–22

7 1 – 1 : 1 Matthew

tham, Uzziah the father of Jo az, Ah Jotham the father of kiah, ze He Jesus the Ahaz the father of This is the genealogy of nasseh, Ma of of r vid, the son Hezekiah the fathe Messiah the son of Da on, Am of r he Manasseh the fat Abraham: h, sia Jo of r of Isaac, Amon the father Abraham was the fathe Jeconiah b, co Ja of r and Josiah the father of Isaac the fathe e of the tim the dah and his and his brothers at Jacob the father of Ju exile to Babylon. brothers, lon: , rah Ze d an rez Pe of r After the exile to Baby Judah the fathe r of he fat r, Jeconiah was the whose mother was Tama zron, Shealtiel, Perez the father of He Zerubbabel, m, Ra of r he Shealtiel the father of Hezron the fat Abihud, of r he nadab, Zerubbabel the fat Ram the father of Ammi im, ak Eli n, of ho r r of Nahs Abihud the fathe Amminadab the fathe or, Az of r , Salmon Eliakim the fathe Nahshon the father of k, e os wh , az Bo of r he Azor the father of Zado Salmon the fat im, Ak of Zadok the father mother was Rahab, d, hu Eli of e ed, whos Akim the father Boaz the father of Ob ar, az Ele of Elihud the father mother was Ruth, Matthan, e, ss Je of r Eleazar the father of Obed the fathe Jacob, of . r King David Matthan the fathe and Jesse the father of Joseph, the of r , he Solomon and Jacob the fat David was the father of ry was the Ma fe, d wi an Uriah’s husband of Mary, whose mother had been lled the ca is o , Rehoboam mother of Jesus wh Solomon the father of r of Abijah, Messiah.

Rehoboam the fathe en a, As of r he Thus there were fourte Abijah the fat Abraham to m fro shaphat, generations in all Asa the father of Jeho vid to the , Da ram m r of Jeho David, fourteen fro Jehoshaphat the fathe rteen from fou d an Uzziah, exile to Babylon, Jehoram the father of . iah ss the exile to the Me

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The Prayers Looking at Matthew’s genealogy: Have the prayers of the elders been answered? (Ruth 4:11–12; see also Genesis 35:23–26 and Genesis 38)

Have the prayers of the women been answered? (Ruth 4:14)

At the beginning of the story, do you think Naomi and Ruth would have believed how God had planned to use them?

Pray Give thanks for the people in the book of Ruth, for God’s intricate plans, God’s character, and that we are redeemed through Jesus.

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This study uses slides to depict the story of Ruth and has been designed to help students understand the narrative as well as to aid group discussion. In purchasing this study guide, you and your group members are entitled to download the files for each study’s slides from the internet. Simply follow this link: http://www.youthworks.net/ruth The password is simply the ISBN on the back cover of this book: 978-1-921460-72-2

Leaders’ notes

About the slides

Refer to each study in this book to determine how to best use these images for your group: Some weeks may require you to print the slides out to run an activity while, for others, you may need access to a laptop or television that plays the relevant slideshow for the whole group.

Please note that these slides are designed to complement a deeper reading of Ruth. Whilst working through the study, make sure you primarily refer to the Bible as some verses have been omitted or written only in part in the slides.

The following slideshows in pdf format are available from the Youthworks website: • SLIDES RUTH STUDY 1 • SLIDES RUTH STUDY 2 • SLIDES RUTH STUDY 2 (Missing speech) with speech bubble text missing • SLIDES RUTH STUDY 3 • SLIDES RUTH STUDY 4 • SLIDES RUTH COMPLETE SET Also available to download: • Ruth Study 2 (Missing speech) – a Word document

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Leaders’ notes

Study 1: Ruth 1 Preparation Print out the slides for Ruth 1 (SLIDES RUTH STUDY 1) to use in the slide activity.

See ‘About the slides’ on page 19 for details.

It’s culture ...

What was happening in the time of the Judges? (verse 1) This was a time of great turmoil for the people of God. Although there were a few faithful Judges, the majority proved not to be. During this time, there were many wars, various foreign gods were worshipped and there was little moral direction to be followed. This dark time in the history of God’s people can be summed up best by the last verse of the book: In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit. (Judges 21:25)

Did the Moabites and Israelites get along?

The answer to this is simply, no. There were strong reasons for tension. Israel was invaded by Moab which resulted in the subjugation of the Israeli people for 18 years (Judges 3:12–30). The Moabites were often referred to as ‘the people of Chemosh’ as they worshipped Chemosh, a god to whom human sacrifices were made (2 Kings 3:26, 27; Numbers 21:29). It is interesting to note that the Israelites were not prohibited from marrying Moabites (Deuteronomy 7:1–3): however, they were not allowed by God to enter a Moabite congregation of worship (Deuteronomy 23:3).

Why was being a widow a particularly big deal for women living at this time?

Widows were often mentioned alongside orphans and strangers (Exodus 22:21– 24) as members of society with very few rights. Most of the jobs at this time were forms of farming which required physical strength and endurance. Without a strong male to work the land, a widow needed to rely on the generosity of family to eat or seek to remarry. This helps explain why God shows particular care for widows and instructs the church to do the same (Deuteronomy 27:19; 14:29).

In Naomi’s case, she was too old to remarry but knew Ruth and Orpah still had the opportunity to find a husband. It was an impressive act of selflessness and love that Naomi chose to place Ruth and Orpah’s need to remarry above her own, releasing the women from their duty to her in order to find husbands (Ruth 1:9).

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How does Naomi respond during her hard time?

It is very easy to judge Naomi harshly for her bitterness towards God. Be careful of this; Naomi’s frankness with God should encourage us to be equally open with him during hard times. Like a good father who would want to know how you feel, God desires to hear your honest feelings, even if it is hard to express. The psalms are helpful to remind us of this. If this area is of interest to the group, the Youthworks Bible Study series on Psalms explores in more depth how we can pray through good times and bad.

Leaders’ notes

Get real – You and God

Study 2: Ruth 2 Preparation Print out the slides for Ruth 2 (Slides Ruth Study 2) and the missing speech from Ruth Study 2 (Missing speech) to use in the slide activity. See ‘About the slides’ on page 19 for details.

It’s culture ...

What is gleaning?

Gleaning was a way of looking after the poor. After harvesting grain or food, the owner of a farm would allow poor people to pick up, or glean, the food that had been dropped by the harvesters. Gleaning still occurs in some farming communities today.

What is a kinsman-redeemer?

You may have gathered by now the vital importance of the family unit in the time of Ruth. It was not something that was just ‘nice to have’ but, in many instances, was vital for survival. The importance of the family was embodied in the ancient concept of the kinsman-redeemer; the family member whose role, in certain circumstances, was to actively protect the family.

If a member of family fell into severe debt, it was the responsibility of the immediate kin to support, or redeem them. Leviticus 25:25–28 outlines the importance of repurchasing family property, or even the redemption of a family member who sold themselves to slavery (Leviticus 25:47–49).

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Leaders’ notes

If a brother died before having a son, unmarried kin were even expected to continue the family line by marrying his wife and having children with her.

Do we have systems like this in place today?

It would be helpful for you to research the laws and charities that are set in place for the needy today in your state or region. Perhaps you can download recent statistics on needs in your local area or print a fact sheet for a Christian organisation that supports the needy (for example, www.tear.com.au). You can use the information as a guide for prayer by the group.

Puzzling out our actions If God is in control of everything, what role do our actions play?

Finding the balance between God’s providence or sovereignty and our actions can seem tricky since it is a biblical concept where the two truths seem to contradict each other, when they are both equally true. It is important to make sure that you always emphasise both truths.

It is worthwhile being aware that these kinds of theological discussions can often become about who is wrong and who is right. Try to refocus discussions that head in this direction with the question, ‘Why does God think this is important for us to know?’ God does not give us this information to cause arguments amongst us. It is more likely that the purpose of these verses is to bring comfort and certainty in God’s control over our lives, as well as encourage our faith as expressed in deeds.

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Preparation Download the slides for Ruth 2 (SLIDES RUTH STUDY 2) and Ruth 3 (SLIDES RUTH STUDY 3) and store on your laptop or on a CD-ROM or DVD that will play on a television or your church’s projector system (depending on where your group will be meeting this week). Be sure to test it before the group meeting starts!

Leaders’ notes

Study 3: Ruth 3

It’s culture ...

Why did Ruth sleep at the end of the bed?

Ruth chose to sleep there as a sign of humility, as suggested by Naomi.

What did it mean to spread the corner of your garment over someone?

Boaz recognised Ruth’s gestures of dressing nicely, and the request of ‘spreading the corner of your garment over me’, as her using symbolism to ask Boaz to be her husband (and as such, her kinsman-redeemer).

Activity One of the activities in this study involves working in pairs to discuss a romance movie and then writing down the similarities and differences when compared with the book of Ruth.

The aim of this activity is to help the group to think critically about the messages on love in the movies they have seen, and whether they reflect God’s design for love and marriage. If the group does not naturally bring these topics up, you can prompt a discussion on the role of parents; the basis on which they might choose their wife/husband (point out Boaz’s acknowledgment of Ruth’s character and faith); physical contact before marriage; and faith in God.

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Leaders’ notes

Study 4: Ruth 4 Preparation Download the compilation of all the slides onto your laptop (SLIDES RUTH COMPLETE SET), or to a CD-ROM or DVD to play for the whole group.

You will need to play the slides, stopping and starting at various slides for discussion. So use a screen that all group members can easily see, such as a television, laptop or your church’s projector system as appropriate. Be sure to test it before the group meeting starts!

It’s culture ...

What’s with the sandal? (verses 6 and 7) Using the sandal as a legal transaction is briefly explained in the passage and in Deuteronomy 25:5–10. The kinsman-redeemer had the option of refusing, but this is a personally humiliating choice. The sandal was a sign of this humiliation.

What’s ‘maintaining the name of the dead’? (verses 5 and 10) If a man dies with sons then he lives on through his sons’ legacy and achievements. He is only fully dead if he dies without sons to continue his bloodline. This question develops the concept of a kinsman-redeemer more fully: they are not only protecting their family but also maintaining the name, and legacy, of the dead brother (Deuteronomy 25:5-10, Genesis 38).

Slide questions There are no right or wrong answers to the following three questions.

These questions are designed to highlight the contrast between the character’s possible life plans and the journey God then laid out for them.

Slide 2: Where might Naomi and Elimelech have thought they would be in the long-term future?

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It is difficult to imagine they would have had much hope at this stage.

Slides 28 and 29: What do you think they were thinking as they looked back to where the story began?

Leaders’ notes

Slide 4: Where might Ruth, Naomi and Orpah have thought they would be in the long-term future?

Proverbs 19:21 expresses, ‘Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails’. God was faithful, and used their hard times for bigger and greater purposes, whilst also looking after them as individuals.

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Leaders’ notes

Recommended commentaries Atkinson, D 1983, The message of Ruth: The wings of refuge (BST), Inter-Varsity Press, Leicester.

For a straightforward, yet often quite profound, commentary: Luter, AB & Davis BC 2003, Ruth and Esther: God behind the seen (FOTB), Christian Focus Publications, Fearn.

Ulrich, DR 2007, From famine to fullness: The gospel according to Ruth (GAOT), P&R Publishing, New Jersey.

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Do you ever struggle to see hope in difficult times? Do you ever wonder what ‘Hollywood romance’ has to do with Old Testament kinsmen redeemers, or with God’s design for love? Do you ever feel too small to be part of God’s plan?

Coupled with unique free downloadable slideshows, these four studies on the book of Ruth explore the ongoing, deeply personal, work of an extraordinary God in the lives of ordinary people.

About the author Joanna Roberts is completing a Diploma of Theology at Anglican Youthworks College. On Sunday afternoons, she enjoys spending time chewing over God’s truth with the Senior Girls at Naremburn Cammeray Anglican Church in Sydney’s northern suburbs. Joanna also loves to meet up with her 15-year-old sister to pray, discuss God, and enjoy life.

About the Youthworks Bible Study series More than ever, young people today need answers to life’s big questions. The Youthworks Bible Study series is designed to challenge and encourage young people to be confident in their faith in Jesus in a changing world. These studies have been written by experienced youth leaders and are arranged into Old Testament, New Testament and Topical.

ISBN 978-1-921460-72-2

9 781921 460722

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