Atoned For His Elect

“And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the people of Israel, and they shall be forgiven, because it was a mistake, and they have brought their offering, a food offering to the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD for their mistake. And all the congregation of the people of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger who sojourns among them, because the whole population was involved in the mistake” (Numbers 15:25-26, ESV).

It is interesting to note that during the time of Moses, the atonement for sins was made for the congregation of the people of Israel — not including the other peoples in the world, except for the stranger who sojourned among God’s people.

In the New Testament, we read that Jesus offered Himself as the atoning sacrifice for the people whom the Father gave to Him, as we read in John 17. We also read the words of Jesus in John 6:37, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

The people given by the Father to the Son came to Him or truly believed in Him. Jesus called them His sheep. “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15).

They are the congregation of the people of God today, the Church. The people who came not only from the Jewish nation, but also from other nations in the world — but not everyone in the world. For those whom the Father gave to Him, not only were given forgiveness of sins but also given the grace of faith.

God attracts. Through Jesus Christ, atonement for sins are effected for His people — the elect, the called out ones or the church — “ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9).