The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-02-16
NOTES ON THE LESSON.

NOTES ON THE LESSON.
The parallel and fuller account of bring
ing the ark to Zion, in ChrOn. xiii and XIV,
should be carefully read. From cOmparl-
son of the two accounts, it seems probable
that the defeat of the Philistines, in the last
lesson, occurred between the first and second
attempt to bring up the ark.
Verses l, 2.-The nation called to rsmOpe
the ark.-"Again," seems to refer to the
grand assembly at the amounting, and not to
the repulse of the Philistines, mentioned in
the last chapter Compare the fuller account
in Chronicles.
The first important act of his reign, after
David was established in his new capital, was
to restore the ordinsnces of public worship,
much neglected during Saurs reign. And
that the Inauguration of public worship might
be duly imposing, and appear as a national
act, he summoned the nation by representa-
tiVes to Jerusalem. He first consulted with
the leading men and officers, / Chron. XIII; y
and received their hearty approval. If the
thirty thousand mentioned here were the
whole assembly, they represented sail Israel
from ShihOr of Egypt even unto the entering
of Hemath, who are said to have been gath
cred on the occasion, Il Chron. xiii b.
After the ark had been captured by the
Philistines it was sent back first to Beth she
mesh, and thence to Kirjath jearim, Sam.
vii: L. where it remained, except when car
ried into battle, q Sam. xiv: IL, } until the
present occasion. This city had several
names, Baale of Judah, Baalah, Kirjah-baal,
Josh. xviii: A. derived from the name of
the old Canaanite deity Baal, and HuJath-
iearim, i" city of the woods, probably from
its situation. "We found it the ark in the
fields of the wood" Psalm cxxxii: o. 1t is
now called Kuryet el.'Enab, and is nine
miles from Jerusalem on the road to JOppa.
"David went from Basle. -
Some commentators suggest that the text be
corrected, and read "to Baale" as in Il
ChrOn. xiii g. Correcting the text is al
ways a dangerous expedient; here it is en-
tirely gratuitous and uncalled for, The
writer of the account in Chronicles speaks
of going to Baalah, and carrying thence the
ark, this writer simply mentions the going
from the city with the ark. i.
"The ark of God, or "ark of the cove,
nan" as it was more commonly called, was
a chest oyerlaid with gold, two and half
cubits long by one and half wide and deep.
1t contained the two tables of the law writ
ten by the finger Of God, AarOn's rod that
budded, and pot of mama. Heb. TX; 4 }
The last two were probably removed and
lost before David's time, 4 King viii y
"WhOse name is called by the name of
the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the
cherubim. The ark was called by His
name because it was especially the place of
His manifested presence and glory. Gods
dwelling place is on the msrey-seat, the Gov
ering of the ark, between the cherubim.-
The eherubim were symbolic figures, here of
the same beaten gold as the mercy-seat, and
were always connected with the gospel of
mercy.
Remarks 1. The religion of a country is
its most important interest. Let it be first
considered.
?. Gods chosen dwelling place is on the
mercy-seat. He is still between the eheru-
bin, and his most respondent glory is mani |
tested in the gospel of mercy.
3. Yet the mercy.seat rests upon "the
ark of the covenant, which preserves the
law unbroken.
Verses 3, 4.-Ths Ark Rsmogea 1t was