编者按
这是一套在美国很受欢迎的教材，按年龄共分三部分：0-6岁学龄前儿童教程，6-12岁学龄儿童教程，和12岁以上青少年教程。我们将陆续翻译成中文，分享给大家。
这套教材里的每一篇，无论是教程还是各种活动，都独立成篇，没有先后顺序，大家可以按需要和负担选择使用。
*更多内容：thedoorofsheep.com/青少年 课程目的
让学生对旧约中的路得记有一个总体的理解
帮助学生认识到对有需要的人的忠诚是每个信徒的使命
激励学生为那些不幸的人做事情，即使是很不方便或很不舒服
主题
可靠、公平、家庭、帮助、善良、责任、牺牲
背诵经文
路得记 3:11
开始祷告(3-5分钟)
团队建造(5分钟)
这些“你会选择哪一个”的问题，旨在帮助学生思考失去一种便利以获得更大收益的想法。这将是本课稍后讨论如何帮助有需要的人，即使这可能需要付出巨大代价时的焦点。
你会选择哪一个：
你会选择富有但失明，还是贫穷但能看见？
你会选择在沙发上看电影或玩电子游戏一天，还是在救济厨房喂饱饥饿的人一天？如果待在沙发上要花费你100美元，你会如何选择？
你会选择住在豪宅里但没有朋友，还是住在破屋里但有很多朋友？
你会选择瘫痪但能听见，还是全身健康但失聪？
课堂起头(2分钟)
我们已经学习路得记几周了。在前几章中，我们讨论了路得对拿俄米的忠诚以及波阿斯对传统的忠诚。今天，波阿斯和路得的关系再次以忠诚为中心。
深入学习(30分钟)
读 路得记3:1-6
讨论问题：
1.拿俄米为什么让路得去见波阿斯？（她想找到一个可以照顾路得的人）
2.拿俄米给路得什么建议？（打扮好去见波阿斯）
3.拿俄米还给了路得什么其他指点？（他睡觉的时候在他脚边躺下。我们不确定这意味着什么，但显然这是古代以色列的一种习俗。拿俄米向路得保证波阿斯会告诉她下一步该做什么）
4.拿俄米的建议和指点在你看来是否奇怪？为什么？（是的，因为我们现代没有这样的习俗）
5.路得如何回应她婆婆的指点？（“凡你所说的，我必遵行”）
读 路得记3:7-13
讨论问题：
1.根据第7节，波阿斯在一天辛苦工作后做了什么？（躺下休息）
2.在第9节，是什么让波阿斯感到惊讶？他问了什么？（他发现有个女人在他的脚边，问“你是谁？”）
3.路得自我介绍后，还说了什么？她向波阿斯请求什么？（“请你展开你的衣边遮盖你的婢女”）
4.路得认为向波阿斯提出这个请求的理由是什么？（他是她家族的近亲救赎者。这听起来有些奇怪，但用衣边遮盖路得的想法象征着结婚的意图。路得大胆地请求波阿斯照顾她）
5.波阿斯愿意答应她的请求，但他首先提出了什么？（有另一个人更近的亲属，先有权作为近亲救赎者）
6.如果另一个人选择不做近亲救赎者，波阿斯在第13节中誓言做什么？（“我指着永活的耶和华起誓，我必为你尽亲人的本分”）
这个近亲救赎者的概念是本章的核心。波阿斯有义务照顾他的家人。路得和她的婆婆拿俄米从摩押返回。有些人可能会选择忽视她，因为她不是血缘关系，而且她是个外国人。波阿斯没有这样做。相反，他对她表现出了极大的忠诚。他愿意做她所请求的事情。
读 路得记3:14-18
讨论问题：
1.你认为波阿斯为什么坚持让路得在夜幕下离开？（她是一个高尚品德的女人，他不希望她的名誉受损）
2.波阿斯送路得回家时给了她一份礼物。那是什么，为什么要这样做？（六簸箕大麦。他在照顾她，并明确表示他是认真的。他也可能是为了给她一个在打谷场的借口，而不会引起怀疑。换句话说，她是很早就去收集谷物了）
3.路得到家后向拿俄米报告了什么？拿俄米如何回应？（这是一个好消息，拿俄米向路得保证，到今天结束，她会有一个人来照顾她）
应用(25分钟)
这一切听起来都很美好，但让我们还是来想想波阿斯在这所要承担的责任。
一般讨论：
1.拥有配偶需要承担什么责任？（他不再只考虑自己的利益，他需要多养一个人，他需要提供给她生活所需，她将成为他财产的继承人，他们可能会一起抚养孩子，等等）
2.波阿斯在这里还必须考虑什么？社区如何看待这件事？他个人会受什么影响？（他比路得大很多岁，他可能会比她早去世，社区可能会因为她是摩押人而觉得这件事不好，等等）
3.波阿斯为什么还是愿意这样做？（这是正确的事情。路得品德高尚。这是法律规定的，等等）
在路得记中，波阿斯常常预示着基督在教会中的角色。在新约中，神的子民被称为外邦人。我们与神分离隔绝。我们不配，我们堕落，我们是神的敌人，根据某些经文。我们有点像路得。然而，耶稣仍然愿意爱我们，拯救我们，救赎我们，并称我们为祂的。这个救赎有巨大的代价，就像波阿斯在考虑救赎路得时面临的巨大个人代价一样。
一般讨论：
1.耶稣对我们的忠诚与波阿斯对路得的忠诚有何相似之处？（波阿斯愿意为路得承担责任，即使她是一个摩押人，被认为不配他。同样，耶稣愿意为祂的信徒承担责任，即使我们不配祂。波阿斯和耶稣都愿意在很大的个人代价下承担责任）
2.当你想到如何接近基督，不配和不完美但有很大的信心时，你能理解路得在这里的处境吗？（是的，她把自己置于非常容易被拒绝、被误解的情况下）
3.考虑到她在生活中已经经历过的事情，你认为这对她来说很难吗？（是的，她经历了巨大的损失，在提出这个大胆的请求时还要把自己置于危险之中）
4.当波阿斯发誓要照顾她时，你想象她会有什么样的情感？（解脱、喜悦、感恩，感谢、感到值得等。）
波阿斯说：“我必行那事。”有趣的是，这“事”有多大。它涉及到收购土地（我们将在第四章中看到），并与一个他几乎不认识的外国女子结婚。他忠于法律，忠于传统，忠于他的民，最重要的是，忠于路得。这将让他付出巨大代价，但这是值得的。
一般讨论：
1.对你来说，“那件事”是什么？神可能在呼召你做什么事，这将花费你一些代价，但又值得？（让学生分享）
2.你认为我们为什么会回避艰难的责任？（让学生分享）
3.所以这是最大的“你会选择哪一个”的问题：你是愿意一生舒适，但不做任何有意义的奉献，还是愿意一生不适，但为基督在世界上做出改变？为什么？（让学生诚实回答，不要羞辱那些选择舒适的学生）
精神成熟的标志之一，是当我们能够为了他人而放弃自己的东西。波阿斯是我们能这样做的伟大灵感。他的忠诚驱使他愿意牺牲，而这种牺牲带来了巨大的回报。我们将在下周结束我们的学习时看到这种回报到底有多大。
结束祷告(5分钟)
为学生祷告，让他们能发现自己生命中的重大目标。尽管这需要付出代价，但祈祷他们能全心全意地投入，顺服神的呼召。
**** 英文版 *******
Ruth
Lesson 3: Boaz’s Loyalty to Ruth
LESSON OBJECTIVES
Goals
1. To give students an overview understanding of the Old Testament book of Ruth
2. To help students see that loyalty to those in need is a call on every believer’s life
3. To inspire students to do things for those who are less fortunate even if those things are inconvenient or even uncomfortable
Topics
Dependability, Fairness, Family, Helping, Kindness, Responsibility, Sacrifice
Scripture Memorization
Ruth 3:11
OPENING PRAYER (3 to 5 minutes)
GROUP BUILDING (5 minutes)
The purpose of these would-you-rather questions is to help students think through the idea of losing a convenience to gain something greater. This will be the focal point later in the lesson as we discuss helping those who are in need, even when it may be at great cost to ourselves.
Would-You-Rather Questions
• Would you rather be rich and blind or poor and able to see?
• Would you rather spend the day on the couch watching movies or playing video games, or spend the day feeding the hungry at a soup kitchen? What if it cost you $100 to stay on the couch?
• Would you rather live in a mansion and have no friends or live in shack and have many friends?• Would you rather be paralyzed and be able to hear or fully mobile and deaf?
GETTING STARTED (2 minutes)
We have been studying the book of Ruth for a few weeks now. In the first couple of chapters, we talked about Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi as well as Boaz’s loyalty to tradition. Today, Boaz and Ruth’s relationship is defined with loyalty once again at its center.
DIGGING IN (30 minutes)
Read Ruth 3:1-6
Discussion Questions:
1. Why does Naomi send Ruth to Boaz? (She wants to find someone who will take care of Ruth.)
2. What advice does Naomi give Ruth? (Get dressed up and go visit Boaz.)
3. What other instructions does Naomi give to Ruth? (Uncover his feet while he is sleeping and lie down. We cannot be sure what this means, but it is obviously a custom in ancient Israel. Naomi assures Ruth that Boaz will tell her what to do next. )
4. Do Naomi’s advice and instructions seem odd to you? Why or why not? (Yes, as we don’t have a custom like this in our modern times.)
5. How does Ruth respond to her mother-in-law’s instructions? (“I will do whatever you say.”)
Read Ruth 3:7-13
Discussion Questions:
1. According to verse 7, what does Boaz do after a hard day’s work? (Goes and lies down.)
2. In verse 9, what startles Boaz? What does he ask? (He finds a woman at his feet and asks “Who are you?”)
3. Ruth identifies herself, but then says more. What does she ask of Boaz? (“Spread the corner of your garment over me.”)
4. Why, according to Ruth, is this an appropriate request of Boaz? (He is the guardian redeemer of her family. This sounds kind of strange, but the idea of covering Ruth with a corner of the garment was a symbol of the intent to marry. Ruth is boldly asking Boaz to care for her.)
5. Boaz is willing to do what is asked, but what does he propose first? (There is another man who is a closer relative and therefore should have the first shot as the guardian redeemer.)
6. If the other man chooses not to be the guardian redeemer, what does Boaz vow in verse 13? (“As surely as the Lord lives, I will do it.”)
This idea of being the guardian redeemer is central to this chapter. Boaz has an obligation to take care of his family. Ruth returned from Moab with Naomi, her mother-in-law. Some people would have chosen to disregard her as she was not a blood relation and she was a foreigner. Boaz does not do so. Instead, he shows great loyalty to her. He is willing to do what she asks.
Read Ruth 3:14-18
Discussion Questions:
1. Why do you think Boaz insists Ruth leave under the cover of darkness? (She is a woman of noble character, and he doesn’t want her reputation to be damaged.)
2. Boaz sends Ruth home with a gift. What is it, and why does he do so? (Six measures of barley. He is caring for her and making it clear that he is serious about his intentions. He may also be giving her an excuse to have been at the threshing floor that would not invite suspicion. In other words, she arrived very early to collect grain.)
3. What does Ruth report to Naomi upon arriving at home? How does Naomi respond? (It’s a good report, and Naomi assures Ruth that she will have someone to take care of her by the day’s end.)
MAKING IT REAL (25 minutes)
This all sounds fantastic, but think about what Boaz is signing up for here.
General Discussion:
• What responsibility goes into having a spouse? (He no longer thinks of his own interests, he has an additional mouth to feed, he has to provide for her, she will be an heir to his property, they may end up raising kids together, etc.)
• What other considerations must Boaz make here? How might the community view this? How will he be personally affected? (He is much older than Ruth, he will likely die before her, the community may view it as scandalous because she is a Moabite, etc.)
• Why do you think Boaz does it anyway? (It’s the right thing to do. Ruth is of noble character. It was commanded in the law, etc.)
Often in the book of Ruth, Boaz serves as a foreshadowing of Christ’s role with the Church. In the New Testament, the people of God are called aliens. We were separated from God, alienated from Him. We are not worthy. We are corrupt. We are enemies of God, according to some passages. We are sort of like Ruth. Still, Jesus sees fit to love us, rescue us, redeem us, and call us His own. And this redemption comes at a great cost, just as Boaz faces great personal costs when he contemplates redeeming Ruth.
General Discussion:
• How are Jesus’ loyalty to us and Boaz’s loyalty to Ruth similar? (Boaz takes responsibility for Ruth even though she is a Moabite and therefore perceived as undeserving of him. Similarly, Jesus takes responsibility for His followers even though we are undeserving of Him. Both Boaz and Jesus take on this responsibility at great personal cost.)
• When you think about how you approach Christ, undeserving and imperfect but with great faith, can you sort of begin to understand Ruth’s position here? (Yes, she was making herself very vulnerable to rejection, being misunderstood, etc.)
• Having experienced the things she had already experienced in life, do you think this was difficult for her to do? (I think so, she suffered great loss and is putting herself on the line with this bold request.)
• What range of emotions do you imagine her feeling when Boaz swears to care for her? (Relief, joy, gratitude, thankfulness, worth, etc.)Boaz says, “I will do it.” It is interesting how big “it” was. It involved acquiring land (as we will see in chapter 4), and marrying a foreign women who he barely knew. He was loyal to the law, to his tradition, to his people and, above all, to Ruth. It will cost him, but it will be worth it.
General Discussion:
• What is “it” for you? What might God be calling you to do that will cost you something, but will be worth the sacrifice? (Allow students to share.)
• Why do you think we shy away from difficult responsibilities? (Allow students to share.)
• So here is the biggest would-you-rather question of them all: would you rather spend your life in comfort and not contribute anything that matters, or would you rather spend your life in discomfort but make a difference in the world for Christ? Why? (Allow students to answer honestly, and don’t shame those who pick comfort.)
One of the marks of spiritual maturity is when we are able to give up things for ourselves so others might benefit. Boaz is a great inspiration for us to do just that. His loyalty drives him to sacrifice, and that sacrifice pays off big time. We will get to see just exactly how much when we wrap up our study next week.
CLOSING PRAYER (2 minutes)
Pray for your students to discover a big purpose for their life. Even though it costs them, pray they jump in with all their heart and obey God’s calling.
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