God's plan draws Mary to Bethlehem and the temple mirrors the cosmos

Do you see, beloved, the plan of salvation of God, who arranges his own affairs through both the faithless and the faithful, so that those outside true religion may learn his strength and power? The star led the magi from the east, and the law drew Mary to the homeland spoken of by the prophets. From this it is clear to us that the Virgin also is of Davidic descent; for since she was from Bethlehem, it is obvious that she was also of the house and lineage of David. The Evangelist made this clear earlier when he said: And Joseph also went up from Galilee with Mary, because he was of the house and lineage of David (Luke 2:4). For Joseph's genealogy was traced, but no one enumerated her ancestors the way they did his. So that you may not doubt and say, "How then is it clear that she too is from David?" listen: In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David (Luke 1:26-27). The phrase "of the house of David" must be understood as spoken about the Virgin; and this very thing has been shown here as well. For this reason the decree and this law went out, bringing them up to Bethlehem. For as soon as they set foot in the city, Jesus was immediately born. Therefore he was also laid in a manger, since many people were rushing together from everywhere at that time, occupying the places beforehand and causing great crowding. That is where the magi worshiped him. But so that I may offer you a clearer and more recognizable proof, please stand up now; for I want to stir up a long history and read ancient laws, so that my word may become clearer to you from every side. There was an ancient law among the Jews. But let me take the account further back. When God delivered the Hebrew people from the Egyptian tumults and the tyranny of the barbarian, he saw that they still had remnants of impiety and were excited about material things, marveling at the size and beauty of temples. So he commanded them to build a temple that would surpass all the temples on earth, not only in the costliness of its materials and the variety of its craftsmanship, but also in the design of its structure. And just as a loving father, after a long time, takes back his son who has associated with defiled men, corrupters, and profligates, and who has enjoyed great luxury, and establishes him in greater abundance with security and dignity, so that he neither remembers his former life because of any lack nor longs for those things again—so also God, seeing the Jews excited about material things, lavishes great excellence upon these very things, so that they would never long for the things of the Egyptians or those among the Egyptians. And he makes the temple according to the image of the whole world, both the material and the spiritual. For just as there is earth and heaven, and this firmament as a partition in the middle, so he commanded that temple to be made. And dividing this temple into two, and placing a veil in the middle, he permitted the area outside the veil to be accessible to all, but the area inside to be inaccessible and unseen by all, except the high priest alone.