Very true, but the nation was elect, predestined for the purpose of His plan of salvation..but Israel is still a perfect picture of the sovereignty of God in the affairs of men.
Look to the day of atonement.. as I am sure you know..the entire OT is about Christ and pointing to Him.. The day of atonement foreshadows Gods ordained plan of forgiveness
When the High priest went into the tabernacle to offer the atonement once a year (a typology of Christ) was that an unlimited atonement?
God made a covenant with the twelve tribes of Israel (Gods elect nation) at the foot of Mount Sinai. Animal sacrifices were offered,as God had prescribed Then "Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you.
Hebrews 5 through 10 is a New Testament commentary on Leviticus, emphasizing the priesthood of Christ and his atoning death. there is nothing there to indicate the sacrifice of the High Priest was an unlimited atonment .
The sacrificial system of Leviticus foreshadows tha sacrifice of Calvery
"On the Day of Atonement the priest made a special sacrifice. At this annual event, the High Priest would make a sacrifice for the nation of Israel as a whole. He would take two goat kids, one of which would become a burnt offering.
The second kid was a sin offering,( "scapegoat." )The High Priest would place his hands on the goat's head and confess over it the sins of the nation of Israel . Israel's sin was symbolically transferred to the goat. Then the goat was released in the wilderness, to die in the wild .
Both these goats were types of Christ. The first died for Israel's sins. The second, the scapegoat, symbolized the carrying away of their sin, where it would be lost and forgotten. Like the first, Christ died for our sins and like the second He carried away our sins "as far as the east is from the west" , But when that High Priest placed his hands on those goats he knew who's sin he was transfering. It was specific to the nation of Israel
All of this was peculiar to the agreement between God and Israel. It was not a general atonment by the Lamb. It was a specific atonment for a limited preselected people.
Deu 7:6 For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy God the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that [are] upon the face of the earth.
Deu 7:7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye [were] the fewest of all people:
Deu 7:8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
An elect nation , an elect people ... Gods choice .
This type of Christ demonstrated a limited atonement-
That principle is displayed all throughout the scriptures .
The Father imposed His wrath , and the Son underwent punishment for, either:
1. All the sins of all men.
2. All the sins of some men, or
3. Some of the sins of all men.
What is your position ?
The nation of Israel was a way for God to implement the plan of salvation. The Israel of the OT was an earthly nation, called out from all nations for God’s purpose. He elects whom to save, potter, clay. His will, not ours. Only spiritual Israel is ever saved, as true then as it’s true now.
Thank you for that terrific OT Bible lesson. That’s why I come to the FR religion forum.
That's an excellent analysis, Mom. Thanks much for the ping. :)