I thought Rahab was a tough topic to teach my middle school kids....at least I was just trying to explain faith with that one. The latest lesson I had to teach was Ruth. Simple enough right? Ruth goes with her grumpy mother in law Naomi to Bethlehem, works in Boaz' fields, finds favor in his eyes, asks him to become the kinsman redeemer to Naomi's property, he accepts, and then Ruth and Boaz get married and everyone lives happily ever after.
I have heard this story a few dozen times. However, it wasn't until I was studying for my lesson that I really read the part where Naomi gives Ruth instructions to head over to Boaz' threshing floor after he has eaten and is feeling restful, lay at his feet, and then ask him to cover her with his robe. Something was telling me the kids were not going to let me just breeze past this one. I needed to be prepared! I did some reading and most of what I found points to this little midnight meeting as something very innocent and symbolic for the times. "Covering" Ruth with his robe was a symbol that Boaz was going to take care of her and her family. As I read the scripture, the girls' eyes were wide and they started to snicker and then just came right out and said "WHAT?" I simplified the threshing floor scene by comparing it to a modern day proposal. Instead of a man getting down on one knee at a fancy restaurant or romantic spot and asking those four sweet words "will you marry me?" It was Ruth laying at Boaz' feet, in a dirty barn asking "will you cover me?". Same thing, different time. At least that is my working explanation and it seemed to pacify the kids.
As quickly as possible I diverted their attention from the threshing floor and started talking about the most important part of the lesson. Kinsman Redeemer. Naomi's land was for sale. She needed someone in her dead husband's family to buy the land and provide for Naomi and Ruth so they would no longer have to live in poverty. Boaz was a relative, so he qualified, but not the closest living relative. Legally, the closer relative had to have the opportunity to redeem the land before Boaz could. So Boaz went to the other relative and asked if he wanted to buy it. At first he said "yes". He was thinking "awesome! More fields, more money to be earned". But when Boaz explained that along with the land came the little matter of taking on the responsibility of caring for Ruth and Naomi, the guy backed out of the deal. The cost was too great for him. However, it wasn't too much for Boaz. He bought the land, married Ruth, and took care of Naomi. He paid the price for the land and gave Ruth and Naomi a new life.
Christ is our kinsman redeemer. The price of our sins was too great for anyone else to redeem. But Jesus paid the price, we became his "bride" and now we are given a new life. All we have to do is go to the threshing floor and acknowledge that Christ has already "covered" us. He did it when he shed His blood on Calvary.
It truly amazes me how much I am learning as I prepare each week to teach the Trek kids. It isn't enough for me to know about the story, I need to really know it, understand it and be able to answer questions about it. It is through teaching these kids that I too am learning.
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