I guess what I don’t understand is why go through all this when Jesus was without sin in the first place.
JL: God could have done whatever he wanted and he did. God did not become present in the ark of the covenant till it was sanctified. The Holy Spirit does not indwell Christians before HE washes away their sins, by water and the Spirit.
We see in [Lk1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art HIGHLY FAVOURED, the Lord IS with THEE: blessed art thou among women.]
Mary was already sanctified, full of GRACE, before the angel appeared.
We see in [Gn3:15 And I will put ENMITY between THEE AND THE WOMAN and between THY SEED AND HER SEED it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel] Mary was NEVER the seed of Satan, she was ALWAYS at enmity with Satan from her conception. God said it, God promised it, God did it.
Romans 8:6 tells us what ENMITY means, [ROM 8:6 For to be carnally minded IS DEATH but to be SPIRITUALLY MINDED IS LIFE and peace 7 Because the CARNAL MIND IS ENMITY against God] So to be carnal minded is to be without grace, one is spiritually dead, Mary was highly favoured or full of grace, at enmity against Satan, from her conception, as God promised I WILL PUT ENMITY between her and Satan, even before the HER seed was conceived.
[Hb9:4 … the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, WHEREIN WAS the golden pot that had MANNA, and AARON’S ROD that budded, and the TABLES OF THE CONVENANT;]
Mary the ark of the new covenant, wherein was; the MANNA= CHRIST, TRUE BREAD OF LIFE, AARON’S ROD=CHRIST, TRUE HIGH PRIEST, TEN COMMANDMENTS=CHRIST, TRUE WORD OF GOD.
[Ex25:8 And let them MAKE ME A SANCTUARY; THAT I MAY DWELL AMONG THEM. 9ACCORDING TO ALL that I SHEW THEE, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. 10 Have them MAKE A CHEST OF ACACIA WOOD—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. 11 OVERLAY IT WITH PURE GOLD, BOTH INSIDE AND OUT, and make a gold molding around it. Ex25:40 See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.]
If the Lord wanted the ark of the old covenant, made by hands, made to exact pattern and specific detail, from acacia wood and covered inside and out with PURE GOLD, that he may dwell among us. How much more would he cover the flesh, body and soul, of the living ark of the new covenant, not made by hands, with the purity of the Holy Spirit inside and out, that he may dwell among us. Mary the living ark would contain, in her womb, the real living Word of God, CHRIST, the real living Bread of Life, CHRIST, and the real living High Priest, CHRIST. Not just symbols as the ark made by hands contained, but the actual realities.
2 MCABS 2:5 And when Jeremy came thither he found an hollow cave wherein he laid the tabernacle and the ark and the altar of incense and so stopped the door 6 And some of those that followed him came to mark the way but they could not find it 7 Which when Jeremy perceived he blamed them saying As for THAT PLACE IT SHALL BE UNKNOWN UNTILL THE TIME THAT GOD GATHER HIS PEOPLE again TOGETHER AND RECEIVE THEM UNTO MERCY. 8 THEN SHALL THE LORD SHEW THEM THESE THINGS AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHALL APPEAR AND THE CLOUD ALSO as it was shewed under Moses and as when Solomon desired that the place might be honourably sanctified
EX 40:34 Then** a cloud covered the tent of the congregation and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle** 35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation because the cloud abode thereon and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle
LK 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her** The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee** therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God
2 SAM 6:2
And David arose and went with all the people that were with him
from Baale of Judah to bring up from thence the ark of God whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims
LK 1:39 **And Mary arose **in those days **and went **into the hill country with haste **into a city of Juda **
2 SAM 6:9 **And David was afraid **of the LORD that day and said How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?
LK 1:30 And the angel said unto her **Fear not Mary **for thou hast found favour with God
2 SAM 6:9 And David was afraid of the LORD that day and said
How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?
LK 1:43 And
whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
2 SAM 6:16 And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window and saw king
David leaping and dancing before the LORD and she despised him in her heart
LK 1:44 For lo as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears** the babe leaped in my womb for joy **
2 SAM 6:18 And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings** he blessed the people in the name of the LORD** of hosts
LK 1:45 And** blessed is she that believed **for there shall be a performance of
those things which were told her from the Lord
2 SAM 6:11
And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom and all his household
LK 1:56 **And Mary abode with her about three months **and returned to her own house