Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
The Israelites had very strict rules for making any images that looked like God. If you've read the Ten Commandments, then you know that this is one of the very first rules. The Israelites were totally against statues of gods and they definitely weren't going to make an image of their God. False Idols = Very Bad.
And yet. They had a symbol that represented their God. And that symbol was the Ark.
This man-made symbol of Indiana Jones fame is called the Ark of the Covenant. If you want to know what it looked like, check out this picture or read Exodus 25. The Ark was made of gold and had cherubim adorning it. Fun fact: most people think of cherubim as the fat baby angels, but they're usually represented as a lion or bull with eagle's wings and a human face. Here's hoping you don't find one of those in the crib.
In 1 Samuel 4, the Israelites take the Ark into battle against the Philistines. The Ark represents the fact that God is with them, but apparently not too much because the Philistines defeat the Israelites and take the Ark for themselves. The joke's on them though because they eventually have to return it to Israel after it causes… ahem… uncomfortable medical problems.