Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, November 7, 1998

From: NAD Children's Ministries (Author: Cyndi Long)

Date: September 15, 1998

Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, THE KINDNESS OF
RUTH

Lesson Aim: God blesses me when I am kind.

Memory Verse: "Your people will be my people and your God my God." Ruth 1:16, NIV


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE- DRIED GRAIN PROCEDURE

Materials needed:
Heads of wheat stalk (opt.)
Whole wheat berries, 2-3 Tbsp.
Cracked wheat, 2-3 Tbsp.
Whole wheat flour, 2-3 Tbsp.
Small loaf of whole wheat bread
Knife to cut bread
Cream cheese, or jelly, or preserves, etc.

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES (To prepare ahead):
There are no advance preparations necessary.

WHAT THE STUDENTS DO:
Show the children step by step how the grain was harvested and ground down to be made into
flour for bread.  If you have a mill or a mortar and pestle you can give the children turns at trying
to grind the wheat berries into flour.  If you don't have access to any wheat plants,  you can pick
the head of a tall grass that's gone to seed and explain where the grain is and how it is similar. 
Give the children each a small piece of the bread with some kind of spread on it. 
In our Bible story today we will hear about someone who collected grain from the field.  GO
STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY.


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE- YOUTH/EARLITEEN DRAMA

NARRATOR: There was a famine in Israel.  Elimelech, Naomi, and their two sons Mahlon and
Chilion, decided to move from Bethlehem to Moab, where there was more food.  But Naomi
didn't find happiness there, because her husband died.  When her boys were old enough, they
married two Moabites- Orpah and Ruth.  They all lived together for about ten years. During that
time, Orpah and Ruth learned to love the true God.  But then more trouble came.  Mahlon and
Chilion both died. When Naomi learned that the famine in Israel was over, she decided to go
home.
NAOMI SPEAKS: " Daughters, I have decided to go back to my homeland.  I miss my family
and the home I had there.  The famine is over and I am sure that I will be able to find a place
among my people. You girls are young.  You can marry again and have families.  Stay here in
your own land and made something good of yourselves."
ORPAH SPEAKS: " But Naomi, we belong with you.  You are our family now. We want to go
with you." 
RUTH SPEAKS: "Yes, Mother, I want to be with you.  Surely we will find husbands in your
country, too.  We are going with you."
NARRATOR:  So Ruth and Orpah packed up and went with Naomi back to her homeland.  As
they walked along Naomi was thinking..............
NAOMI SPEAKS: "It will be hard for Orpah and Ruth to live in a strange land with strange
customs.  If they stay in their own country, they might find new husbands and be happy again."
NARRATOR: So Naomi stopped and told the two how she felt once again.
ORPAH SPEAKS: "No, no, Mother, I wish to be with you."
RUTH SPEAKS: "Yes. You are where I want to be."
NARRATOR: Naomi talked to them and tried to get them to listen to her. Finally..............
ORPAH SPEAKS: "If you really think you will be O.K. then I think I will go back to my home
and my parents and look for another husband there."
NARRATOR: So Orpah kissed Naomi goodbye and headed back to her home.
RUTH SPEAKS:  (begging) "Please, Don't make me leave you.  Where you go, I will go. Your
people will be my people and your God,  my God."
NARRATOR: When they arrived in Bethlehem,  it was harvesting time.
RUTH SPEAKS: " Naomi, I am going in the fields and glean some grain so that we can have
something to eat."
NARRATOR: In Israel it was the custom for the harvesters to leave some grain so poor people
and widows could pick it up.  When Ruth went to glean, she came to a field belonging to Boaz, a
relative of Elimelech, her father-in-law.
BOAZ SPEAKS: "Stay in my field close to my gleaners and no one will bother you.  I have
heard how kind you have been to Naomi.  God will bless you."
NARRATOR: Boaz did more to help Ruth. He let her eat with his servants and told his workers
to leave extra grain for her. When Ruth went home, she had about 30 pounds of grain.
NAOMI SPEAKS:  (surprised) "Where did you glean today?"
RUTH SPEAKS: "In Boaz's field."
NAOMI SPEAKS: "Ruth, there is a custom in Israel.  When a man dies without leaving any
children, the man most closely related to him would marry the widow. Then when they had
children there would be someone to inherit the family property and run their business."
RUTH SPEAKS: "I would be willing to marry Boaz if he asked me."
NARRATOR: Boaz found out that Ruth was willing to marry him and it was something that he
wanted.   He was pleased. 
BOAZ SPEAKS  (to Ruth): "This has made me very happy, but there is someone who is a closer
relative than I am.  Tomorrow I will talk with him."
NARRATOR: So Boaz went to the city gate, where people made business agreements.  He met
with Elimelech's closest relative.  Boaz invited 10 men who were elders in the city to hear what
went on.
BOAZ SPEAKS: "Naomi has some land to sell.  If you don't want to redeem the land, I will."
RELATIVE SPEAKS: "I will redeem it."
BOAZ SPEAKS: "There is more.  The relative who redeems Elimelech's land must also marry
Ruth."
RELATIVE SPEAKS: "Oh! Then I can't redeem it.  I might hurt my inheritance."
NARRATOR: So Boaz and Ruth were married.  After a while, they had a baby boy.  They named
him Obed.  Obed became the grandfather of King David.


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE- MEMORY VERSE WORD SEARCH PUZZLE

Materials needed: 
The following word search puzzled copied, one per child.
Bibles

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES:  (To prepare ahead)
Copy puzzle onto a sheet of graph paper and it will all line up.  There are the same number of
letters/numbers in each row.

Y O U R J G U O T K G L 
 I A X Y W O 8 A 7 I L H 
 B U 2 E I   D V J P 1 L J
 C WY 2 K P N W K F W
A P E O  P L E X R E 6 Y
Z V D 3 X Y O I U   LM O
S B G F 7 D P C T V M U 
U 4 E O H L L O H B N R
 T A S 5 D BE 9 1 M Y N
 C N D R F P P H 1 O Q 1
  R D Q G Q G 6 R S A 

WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: 
Have the children look up the memory verse in their Bibles and read it.  You will need NIV
versions if they are going to use their Bibles to solve the puzzle.  Otherwise use the verse in the 
quarterly. Find each word of the memory verse in the word search puzzle, including the text Ruth
1:16.


ACTING ON SCRIPTURE- BUBBLES FOR OTHERS

Materials needed:
2 cups castile or baby shampoo for each child; more if you have a small group
1/4 cup of safflower oil, for each child
2 tsp. lemon extract, for each child
Cinnamon sugar
Glue bottles with narrow tips
Cotton 
Scissors
A hole punch
Crayons
Markers
A jar with a screw top and rubber band for each child
Fabric squares 2" larger than jar lids, one per child
Ribbon long enough to encircle the jar diameter twice and tie a bow, one per child
Copy of several small paper hearts approx. 2" wide, 4 per each child, cut out.

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES:  (To prepare ahead):
Copy the following recipe onto a large label, one per child. 

BUBBLE BATH
     
Contains the following ingredients:
2 cups castile or baby shampoo
1/4 cup safflower oil
2 tsp. Lemon extract

Add a small amount to bath water, relax and enjoy!

WHAT THE STUDENTS DO:
Ruth worked very hard and picked grain in a field that was owned by Boaz.  Boaz heard about
many loving ways Ruth had been thoughtful to Naomi.  Boaz showed kindness to Ruth and gave
her a meal, asked his men to pick and leave extra grain for Ruth, and protected her so no one
could harm her.  God wants us to show kindness to others and will bless us with many blessings
when we do.  We are going to make bubble bath bottles to give to others as a way of showing
kindness.
Give each child a bottle of glue,  a jar with a lid, a square of fabric, a rubber band, a ribbon,
several cotton balls, a small amount of cinnamon and sugar, the recipe label, and four hearts.

First stick the recipe label to the side of the jar.  They may use markers to decorate them as they
are waiting for further instructions.  Using a glue bottle, draw a heart or design on the side of the
jar.  Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the glue.  Glue three or four cotton balls to the top of the lid. 
Color the hearts and decorate.  Glue a cotton ball to one heart, and glue the other heart on top for
a puffed look.  Do the same with the other two hearts.  The teacher punches a hole at the top of
the hearts.  Tie one end of the long ribbon to each heart.  Fill the jar with bath oil.  Screw the lid
on the jar.  Place the fabric square over the lid.  Slip a rubber band around the lid to hold the
fabric in place.  Tie the ribbon in a bow around the lid to cover the rubber band.

This would be a good project for a nursing home visit, or for someone ill and not able to get out.