MY GREAT GRANDMA RUTH
By Jennifer Ferguson
As I knocked on the door, I heard my great granny say, "Come on in, David." I went in and found her sitting in her rocking chair crocheting a blanket. "Pull up a chair," she said. I asked her how she was doing, and we talked for a few minutes.
"Granny, can you tell me the story of how you met Grampy, again?" I asked her.
"You’ve heard that story dozens of times," Granny said.
"I know, but I love to hear you tell it."
"Well," she began, "my first husband had just recently passed away. My father-in-law had also died, and his wife, Naomi wanted to move back here to her hometown. I loved her very much and wanted to go with her, so we moved here to Bethlehem.
We were very tired and hungry when we finally arrived in town. I needed to find some food for us, so Naomi sent me into the fields to gather left over barley. Boaz, the owner of the field, saw me and asked his servants who I was. They told him that I had just moved here and had been working all day. Boaz came over to me and told me not to go to another field, but to stay here in his field. He also told me that I could drink from his water pitchers when I was thirsty. Boaz fed me, and then I went back out to glean, or collect, more barley. I noticed that the servants were leaving extra grain on the ground for me to gather. I decided that Boaz must have told them to do that for me.
When I went home that evening, Naomi was so surprised at how much barley I had brought home. She asked me who owned the field where I had gone. When I told her all about my day, she was so excited! Naomi told me that Boaz was our relative. She encouraged me to continue going to his field, so I did until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. This gave us plenty of food.
Some time later, Naomi asked me if I would like to be married again. I was not so sure that I did. She asked me what I thought about Boaz. I said that he was nice and kind, but I was not so sure that he wanted to marry me. Naomi reassured me that it was customary for a close relative to marry you when your husband had died. I finally agreed to do what Naomi thought I should do.
I went over to Boaz’s house one night and waited for him to go to sleep. I curled up at his feet and slept there all night. This was the custom of the country, to ask that your relative protect you and provide you with the security of marriage. When Boaz woke up, he said that he would take care of me. He was honored that I would marry him instead of someone younger.
We got married and soon after, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, your grandfather Obed. It has been a long time since Obed was born, and I am so proud to be your great-grandmother. I never thought that I would be so blessed by God to have my great grandson be the King of Israel!"
"You have been faithful to God, Granny," I told her, "that is why He has blessed you so greatly."
Worksheet for My Great Grandma Ruth
- To where did Ruth and Naomi move?
- On whose farm did Ruth find food? What did she find?
- In what ways did Ruth show love to Naomi?
- How did the owner of the farm show kindness to Ruth? (Name at least 2 ways)
- What emotions do you think Ruth may have felt when she asked her relative to marry her and why?
- Who was Ruth’s great-grandson?
Jennifer Ferguson
My Great Grandma Ruth
Outline
- David Comes to Visit
- Back to Bethlehem
- Ruth’s husband dies
- Naomi and Ruth go to Bethlehem
- Gathering Food
- Ruth gleans in Boaz’s field
- Boaz is kind to Ruth
- Naomi and Ruth have plenty of food
- Ruth’s New Family
- Naomi asks Ruth to marry Boaz
- Ruth goes to Boaz
- Boaz and Ruth are married
- Obed is born
- Ruth is great-grandmother of King David
Props
Rocking chair and blanket
Outfit for Ruth: robe and belt, head covering, sandals
Chair for David
Answers to the Worksheet
- Ruth and Naomi moved to Bethlehem.
- Ruth found barley on Boaz’s farm.
- Ruth showed love to Naomi by moving with her, collecting the food, asking Boaz to marry her and take care of them, and by taking care of Naomi.
- Boaz showed kindness to Ruth by letting her collect barley, drink from his water pitchers, eat with him and his workers, by telling his servants to leave her extra grain, and by marrying her and taking care of her and Naomi.
- Ruth may have been scared that Boaz may not want to marry her or that he would be upset at her for asking. Although, Ruth may have been happy and excited to ask him, knowing that she would be taken care of, due to his previous kindness.
- Ruth’s great-grandson was King David.
Sources
Holy Bible. Ruth. New American Standard Version. Nashville: Broadman and Holman
Publishers, 1977.
Alex, Marlee. Ruth: A Woman Whose Loyalty was Stronger than Her Grief. Ill. by
Alfonso Ruano. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1987.