 he story of Ruth and how God remained faithful to her as she remained faithful to Him. (Written for Central Church's "Bethlehem Walk," 2004) The Story Of Ruth
King David’s Great Grandmother
Retold by Eric Elder
3 ACTORS 9 DOLLS:
- 5 boys (Elimelech, Mahlon, Kilion, a harvester, and Boaz)
- 3 girls (Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah)
- 1 baby (Obed)
2 PROPS:
- household table or bail of hay, low enough for kids to act out story with dolls on the table while the kids sitting on another bail of hay
- handful of barley stalks (or stalks of wheat)
THE STORY
(Storyteller:) Welcome to Bethlehem, the birthplace of one of the greatest kings Israel has ever had, King David! I’d like to tell you a story tonight about King David’s great grandmother. Since your family is descended from King David, that would make her your great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother, or something like that.
Her name was Ruth. She wasn’t from Bethlehem originally, but I’d like to tell you the story of how she got here. This is a true story, and there are lots of people in it, so my children are going to help me tell it.
Our story starts right here in Bethlehem. We normally grow a lot of barley here (Storyteller holds up handful of barley). But in the days when the judges ruled Israel, before we had kings in Israel, there was a terrible famine here, so there was nothing to eat (drop barley behind table). Because of the famine, a man named Elimelech took his wife and two sons to live in the country of Moab (children walk 4 dolls across the table - Child 1 takes parents, Child 2 takes sons). His wife’s name was Naomi, and his sons were named Mahlon and Kilion.
While they were in Moab, Elimelech died (Child 1 makes dramatic dying sound as Elimelech doll dies). (Storyteller looks at audience, shakes head and says:) My children are so dramatic.
So Naomi was left with her two sons, who eventually married two women from Moab. One married a woman named Orpah (Child 2 sets Orpah next to son), and the other married a woman named Ruth. (Storyteller says to audience...) Now Ruth is the heroine of our story, so cheer for her when she comes out (Child 2 walks Ruth across table to son as crowd cheers).
But about ten years later, both Mahlon and Kilion died (Child 2 makes 2 dramatic sounds as two sons die - Storyteller just shakes head at audience and smiles). This left Naomi alone, without her husband or sons.
Then Naomi heard that the LORD had blessed his people in Bethlehem by giving them good crops again (Storyteller puts barley back on Bethlehem side of table). So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland.
But on the way, Naomi stopped and said to her daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. (children dramatically burst out crying with dolls).
Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye and returned to her homeland (Child 2 walks Orpah doll back to Moab). But Ruth insisted on staying with Naomi.
Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.”
But Ruth said, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. I will go wherever you go and live wherever you live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.”
So when Naomi saw that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her, she let her come. So Ruth came with Naomi right here to Bethlehem.
When they arrived here, it was the beginning of the barley harvest. Ruth said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the fields to gather leftover grain behind anyone who will let me do it.” And Naomi said, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.”
So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters (Child 1 sets down Naomi doll and brings up harvester doll, and Ruth gathers barley behind him). This is called gleaning, and it’s a way for farmers to let the poor people get some food, too. Ruth happened to be working in a field that belonged to a man named Boaz. Now Boaz was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem and was a relative of Ruth’s father-in-law, Elimelech. (Storyteller tells the crowd, as an aside:) Boaz is the hero of our story, so when he comes out I want everyone to cheer for him.
While Ruth was still gleaning in the field, Boaz arrived and greeted the harvesters. (Child 1 brings out Boaz doll - crowd cheers)
“The LORD be with you!” he said.
“The LORD bless you!” the harvesters replied.
Then Boaz noticed Ruth and asked, “Who is that girl over there?”
The harvester replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi.”
(Boaz and Ruth doll go talk to each other)
Boaz talked to Ruth and when he found out all that that she had done for her mother-in-law, he told her she could glean in his fields anytime! Boaz sent Ruth home with some extra barley (load Ruth doll up with tons of barley, weighing her down), and she took it to Naomi.
(Child 1 set down harvester and Boaz and holds up Naomi next to Ruth again)
When Naomi heard of the kindness of Boaz and realized that he was also a close relative of her husband’s, Naomi suggested to Ruth that Boaz would be a good man to marry.
Boaz got the same idea. So he redeemed Naomi’s property and married Ruth (bring Boaz back next to Ruth), and together they had a son named Obed (Child 2 brings out Obed, Child 1 brings out Naomi and Obed is put in her lap, dolls can stay here until the end). Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David. And that’s how Ruth came to Bethlehem and that’s how she became the great grandmother of King David.
Now, I have 2 questions for you.
The first question is this: Does anyone know what kind of man Boaz was before he got married? (pause for effect, then...) Ruthless! Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha. I love that one.
But the second question is more important: Does anyone remember why Ruth left her country and came to Bethlehem? (wait for answer, if any, then add to it... “That’s right, and also because of her great love for Naomi...”)
She came because of her great love for Naomi. Ruth saw something different in Naomi and wanted to stay near her. She said, “I will go wherever you go and live wherever you live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” And because she did she became the great grandmother of one of the greatest kings we’ve ever had.
(This is the climactic moment)
Perhaps you’ve come to Bethlehem tonight from somewhere else, too, like Ruth, and you don’t really know much about our God, either. Then you need to find someone like Naomi, someone who does know our God, maybe even someone who came with you tonight. Ask them to tell you about the miraculous things God has done for our people and the miraculous things He can do for you, too.
Because you’ll find out that our God heals the sick like the dying Hezekiah,
He turns bad into good like for Joseph in prison,
He saves children from death like Moses in the Nile,
He saves hundreds of thousands like the slaves down in Egypt.
He fights battles with trumpets like for Joshua at Jericho,
He saves souls from the fire like Shadrach and Meschak,
He speaks to His people like Nathan and Samuel,
He forgives sins like adultery for David and Bathsheba.
He gives children to the childless like Abraham and Sarah,
He gives hope to the hopeless like Hannah at Shiloh,
He gives food to the hungry like Manna from heaven,
And He restores what was lost like for Ruth and Naomi.
When you find someone who can tell you how powerful our God is, who knows what might happen then?
I hope you’ll say to them, “I will go wherever you go and live wherever you live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” Then God might do something special in your life, like He did in Ruth’s, and one day someone may be telling your story, too.
On behalf of my children and me, I’d like to thank you for coming and listening to the “Story of Ruth.”
(storyteller and children bow (children bow dramatically))
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