The idea
The Ark was where God said he would 'dwell' among his people; it was overlaid with pure gold inside and out, and so holy that the holy things could not be touched on pain of death. If the new Ark is the dwelling of God in the flesh, it too must be pure and wholly holy — Mary.
Key verses
- Exodus 25:8 — 'let them make me a sanctuary' (v. 8); the ark overlaid 'with pure gold, within and without' (v. 11).
- Exodus 25:5 — built of acacia, which the Septuagint calls 'incorruptible wood.'
- Numbers 4:5 — the Ark must be veiled in blue before it moves (4:5–6), the text Pitre cites (p 46).
- Numbers 4:15 — the holy things must not be touched, 'lest they die' (editorial cross-reference; not cited by Pitre here).
The connection
| Old Testament root | New Testament fulfilment | |
|---|---|---|
| The pure-gold Ark, God's dwelling | → | Mary, the pure dwelling of God |
The Ark was pure gold and so holy it was death to touch it, because it housed God's presence. Pitre's how-much-more argument: if the vessel that held the tablets had to be spotless, how much more the woman who held God in the flesh.