The Book of Ruth comes as a striking contrast to the Book of Judges, although it is thought to be associated with the same period of history.
In Judges, national sin and corruption portray a dark picture. The character of Ruth the Moabitess, however, who displays loyalty and devotion to Naomi, her Hebrew mother-in-law, presents to us a picture of what can be accomplished if true trust and confidence in God is developed.
Ruth is described as a virtuous woman (Ruth 3) which the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 31) further develops for us in terms of the characteristics and attributes which Ruth must have displayed in her life of service to God.
