Ruth

The story

In the days of the judges, a famine drives Naomi’s family from Bethlehem to Moab. Her husband and both sons die there. When she goes home, her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth refuses to leave her. In Bethlehem it is barley harvest, and Ruth gleans behind the reapers in the field of Boaz, a relative of Naomi’s husband, who is kind to her. At the end of the harvest, Naomi sends Ruth to the threshing floor; Boaz promises to do the kinsman’s part. At the town gate, before the elders and all the people, Boaz redeems Naomi’s land and marries Ruth. Their son Obed is the grandfather of King David.

In the game

Players are a hired reaper in Bethlehem. They reap a strip while leaving the corners standing for the poor (a puzzle based on Leviticus 19:9), carry the sheaves, eat with the reapers, let fall handfuls on purpose where Ruth is gleaning, measure out the reapers’ wages at the threshing floor, and stand among the people at the gate as witnesses.

Key verses

And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:Ruth 1:16, KJV

And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.Ruth 2:16, KJV

And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:Ruth 4:11, KJV

And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.Ruth 4:17, KJV

Talk about it

1. Ruth could have gone home to Moab. What did it cost her to stay with Naomi?
2. The law said to leave the corners of the field for the poor and the stranger. How did that help Ruth? What would a “corner left standing” look like today?
3. Boaz told his reapers to let some handfuls fall “of purpose”. Why do it on purpose, and quietly?
4. At the gate the people said, “We are witnesses.” Why does it matter that some things are done in front of everyone?
5. Ruth was a foreigner from Moab, and her great-grandson was David the king. What does that suggest to you?

Try this

For the leader

The threshing-floor scene (chapter 3) is told in the game, not shown; with younger groups you can summarise it as Ruth asking Boaz to take care of her and Naomi, and Boaz promising to do the right thing.

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (Authorized Version), which is in the public domain. In Roads of Galilee, biblical figures are never given words the Bible doesn’t give them: the player is an ordinary witness, and scripture is quoted word for word.