The history of the ark epitomizing the history of the nation.
If Ephratah is to be treated as the ancient name of Bethlehem, we must not understand this verse to affirm that the ark was ever there; but, putting himself back into the olden days, the poet represents David as having heard about the ark when he was living at Bethlehem. But it is more simple to take Ephratah as a general term for the district in which the ark was found. Historical or geographical precision is not necessary, in a poem or a psalm. It should also be noticed that this psalm is arranged in answering sentences for chanting. In saying that the ark was the symbol of the Divine presence, we are hardly precise enough. The Divine presence was a wondrous light that shone above the cover of the ark, and between the guarding cherubim. The ark itself represented the nation of Israel, and in it the tables of the covenant were put, as in the heart of the nation God's laws were settled. God's symbolic light resting on the representative ark signified God's acceptance of, and favor toward, the nation. So the history of the ark becomes the suggestion of the history of the nation. This may be illustrated in four stages.
I. THE ARK REPRESENTING THE NATION'S TRAINING-TIME. It was for a time in the making, according to Divine instructions, and during the wilderness-period, a ritual and religious associations were growing up around it. It is not always clearly seen that the religious system was being developed, as well as a national and governmental system, during the years of the desert-wanderings; and the system grew round the ark.
II. THE ARK REPRESENTING THE NATION'S SELF-WILLED TIME. Every nation, during its formation, has a self-willed time, such as is represented by the period of the Judges; and the fate of the ark during that period singularly answers to the up-and-down experience of the people. We have the ark dishonored; used for wrong purposes; lost; preserved by God; and partially restored. And these are evident suggestions of the national life of the period.
III. THE ARK REPRESENTING THE NATION'S PROSPEROUS TIME. Under David it was brought to represent the nation before God, and the light shone again on its cover, signifying full-restored relations. And under Solomon the ark and the glory gained permanent location, signifying the nations' religiously founded prosperity.
IV. THE ARK REPRESENTING THE NATION'S DECAYING TIME. It ceased to represent the whole nation—ten tribes neglected it. Then it became ill used, and at last it was carried away and lost, as the nation was ill used by encroaching Baalism, and carried away by Babylonian force.—R.T.