When we say Christ died for our sins, many believe it is through Penal Substitutionary Atonement, that is, Jesus took the punishment that humans deserve for sin, in their place, so they can be forgiven and reconciled to God. What many don’t realise is that, the law, the prophets and God Himself doesn’t approve Penal Substitutionary Atonement when requested. In this post, we will explore why Penal Substitutionary Atonement is only for Israel and only Substitutionary Atonement applies for Gentiles or for all mankind in general.

What is Atonement?

And on the next day Moses said to the people, “You yourselves have committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves! But now, if You will forgive their sin, very well; but if not, please wipe me out from Your book which You have written!” However, the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will wipe him out of My book. But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you; nevertheless on the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.” Then the LORD struck the people with a plague, because of what they did with the calf which Aaron had made. (Exodus 32:30-35)

Atonement is simply forgiveness of sins when God is directly involved. It does not require any sacrifice, spilling of blood or any penal substitution.

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said:“Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.” (Isaiah 6:6-7)

We can also read in Isaiah 6:6-7 where atonement was made in the presence of God with burning coal.

.. and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.’ ”(Numbers 25:8-13)

The above is another incident where atonement is made for children of Israel by killing the wicked.

He shall also do with the bull just as he did with the bull of the sin offering; he shall do the same with it. So the priest shall make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven. (Leviticus 4:20)

Animal sacrifice in the law or old covenant is only required in the temple when atonement is made through a priest (ref: Numbers 18:5-7).

What does the Law permit for Atonement?

It is important to lay down what the old covenant allows and don’t allow for atonement and compare it with Christ’s teachings and His life.

Point	OT Verse Reference	NT Verse Reference
Law is against any form of human sacrifice as atonement	You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the LORD. (Leviticus 18:21); Does the LORD take pleasure in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give Him my firstborn for my wrongdoings, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? (Micah 6:7)	Heaven Father giving His own Son as a sacrifice is against His own law Note: Israelites giving their own children as human sacrifice did not even come into the mind of God (Jer 7:31; Jer 19:5) The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. (Hebrews 9:26)
Shedding innocent blood defiles the land and does not atone for anyone	And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and their daughters Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was defiled with the blood. .. (Psalms 106:38-39)	Shedding innocent blood does not atone for anyone, rather defiles the land .. said to them, “I find no grounds at all for charges in His case. (John 18:38) He who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; (I Peter 2:22)
Law forbids ransom for the life of a murderer. This includes Christ giving His life as a ransom	Moreover, you shall not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is condemned to death, but he must be put to death. (Numbers 35:31)	Christ cannot be a ransom for any murderer just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)
Law doesn’t allow substituting Christ’s blood to atone for the land of Israel	So you shall not defile the land in which you live; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. (Numbers 35:33)	Christ’s blood cannot be substituted for the blood of murders .. He Himself brought our sins in His body up on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you were healed. (I Peter 2:24) and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (I John 2:2
Law requires atonement sacrifices to be offered only at the place the LORD chooses to make His name dwell	But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and you shall come there. You shall bring there your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your vowed offerings, your voluntary offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. (Deuteronomy 12:5-6)	Atonement sacrifices can only be made within the place which the LORD chooses which is Jerusalem. Christ was crucified outside of Jerusalem. Note: The author of Hebrews clearly understood this tension and used it to point to a future New Jerusalem. Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood. So then, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. (Hebrews 13:12-14)
God provided blood as a means to make atonement according to the Law	For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’ Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘No person among you may eat blood, nor may any stranger who resides among you eat blood.’ (Leviticus 17:11-12)	Law strictly forbids eating blood but we have no life if we don’t drink Christ’s blood. Note: Even while symbolic, the very idea of eating or drinking blood is contrary to the Law. So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. (John 6:53-56)

Christ rejects Penal Substitutionary Atonement

The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt (Matthew 18:26-27)

Penal Substitutionary Atonement defines God’s penal wrath/judgment must be satisfied and a substitute bears the penalty in place of the guilty. The substitute suffers the exact judicial punishment deserved by others. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, there was neither substitutionry atonement nor penal wrath/judgment satisfied. All it took is God’s mercy for Him to forgive the debts of the unforgiving servant the first time.

God rejects Penal Substitutionary Atonement

Below are some of the examples where God the Father refused to accept the requests for Penal Substitutionary Atonement.

Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. So now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” (Exodus 32:30-32)

In the above passage, Moses offers himself to be blotted out in place of Israel for the sin of golden calf. God does not accept his Penal Substitutionary Atonement, but relents from full destruction

Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.” … And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel. (II Samuel 24:17; 25)

In the above passage, David offers himself and his household as target of punishment for census judgment. God stops the plague on Israel but does not accept his Penal Substitutionary Atonement request.

How can God forgive without any Penal Substitutionary Atonement?

So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. (II Samuel 12:13)

God the Father can forgive David for murder and adultery without any substitutionary atonement.

Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” (Mark 2:9-11)

Jesus Christ can forgive sins without Him being crucified on the cross.

Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. (Matthew 18:32)

Even in the parable of the unforgiving servant, Christ mentions no atonement for God to forgive sins. God forgives because of His compassion and mercy, not because of some substitutionary sacrifice made for the servant.

God allows Non-Sacrificial and Non-Substitutionary Human Intercessory Atonement

Below are some examples of those who interceded for sinners. God mostly forgives but not always.

Intercessor	Situation / Context	Intercessory Action	What God Did	Scripture Reference
Abraham	Abimelech takes Sarah unknowingly	Prays on behalf of Abimelech	God forgives and heals Abimelech’s household	Genesis 20:17
Moses	Israel refuses to enter Canaan	Appeals to God’s mercy and covenant character	God pardons (“I have forgiven them”) but disciplines	Numbers 14:13–20
Moses	Ongoing rebellion in wilderness	Fasts and intercedes for people and Aaron	God spares them from destruction	Deuteronomy 9:18–20
Job	Friends sin in speaking wrongly about God	Prays for them	God accepts Job’s prayer and forgives them	Job 42:7–9
Jeremiah	Judah’s persistent sin	Intercedes and confesses on behalf of people	God refuses forgiveness due to hardened sin	Jeremiah 14:7–12
Daniel	National sin in exile	Confession and appeal to God’s mercy and covenant	God responds with assurance and restoration plan	Daniel 9:3–23

In the above examples, we can see God’s prophets pray and intercede and God hears them. There was no sacrifice or any penal substitution involved.

God does not desire or require any sacrifice

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
(Hosea 6:6) … With what shall I come before the LORD, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:6-8) … “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats. … “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:11; 16-17)

God does not desire sacrifice but loyalty (or mercy as in LXX), justice, loving kindness, walk humbly with God, cease to do evil, learn to do good, seek justice and rebuke the oppressor.

God does not require sacrifice but obedience

For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’ (Jeremiah 7:22-23)

As in Jeremiah, God does not require any sacrifices for Him to forgive.

I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas. I will bring the land to desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it.
I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you;your land shall be desolate and your cities waste. … ‘But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me, and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies;if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt— then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember;I will remember the land. (Leviticus 26:31-33; 40-42)

In the promise of blessing and retribution, God will bring sanctuaries to desolation (i.e., place of sacrifice), the land is desolate and scattered among nations. God will remember the covenant if they humble before Him while in exile. There wasn’t any requirement of penal substitutionary atonement using animal sacrifice as per the law for God to remember His covenant.

Christ as guilt offering

But the LORD desired To crush Him, causing Him grief; If He renders Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. (Isaiah 53:10) – NASB

While some translations use sin offering, the underlying Hebrew word is אָשָׁם (asham), which specifically refers to the guilt offering as described in Leviticus (Lev 5–7). Below is a tabulation of Guilt Offering vs Sin Offering.

Guilt Offering (Trespass Offering)	Sin Offering
Purpose is atonement for guilt requiring compensation (Lev 5:14-16)	Purpose is atonement for sin and impurity (Lev 4:20, 4:26, 4:31)
Emphasis is on Restitution and atonement (Lev 5:16; 6:4-7)	Emphasis is on Cleansing and forgiveness (Lev 4:20; 4:31)
Restitution mentioned: repay and one-fifth (Lev 5:16; 6:5)	No restitution mentioned (Lev 4:1-35)
Anyone committing specified offenses will offer it (Lev 5:15, 6:2)	Priest, whole congregation, leader, or individual can offer it (Lev 4:3, 4:13, 4:22, 4:27)

Isaiah deliberately uses “Guilt Offering” as used in the law for the “Suffering Servant”:

• Bearing liability for wrongdoing
• Providing atonement that restores what was lost

This does not fit Gentiles who are not part of the Old Covenant for being considered liable and they never had a relationship with God for them to be lost. The lost sheep is always Israel and this Guilt Offering is for Israel. The Guilt Offering in Suffering Servant is all about Jesus Christ taking the role of Israel and fulfilling everything for, and about Israel.

Christ representing Israel

Below are a few key comparisons how Christ is representing Israel

Israel is the vine Let me sing now for my beloved A song of my beloved about His vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. He dug it all around, cleared it of stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it, And also carved out a wine vat in it; Then He expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones. (Isaiah 5:1-2)	Christ is the true vine I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. (John 15:1)
Israel as the light to the nations He said to Me, “You are My Servant, Israel, In whom I will show My glory. … He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the protected ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:3, 6)	Christ as the light for the Gentiles “Now, Lord, You are letting Your bond-servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all the peoples: A light for revelation for the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32)
Israel as the suffering servant But the LORD desired To crush Him, causing Him grief; If He renders Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. (Isaiah 53:10)	Christ as the suffering servant For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
Israel was tested for 40 years And you shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, in order to humble you, putting you to the test, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. (Deuteronomy 8:2)	Christ was tested for 40 days And immediately the Spirit brought Him out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving Him. (Mark 1:12-13)

Christ’s blood was shed for all mankind

Gentiles were never under the curse of the law anytime for them to be redeemed

• And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. (Mark 14:24)
• For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28)
• Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. (Luke 22:20)

As we had previously seen, Christ can forgive sins without spilling of blood. However, His blood was spilled for the creation of a new covenant.

“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— (Jeremiah 31:31)

The New Covenant is with house of Israel and house of Judah, not with Gentiles.

Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” (Isaiah 49:6)

Christ’s blood was shed for Israel for creating a New Covenant where Gentiles are not excluded. It is through this New Covenant, Christ is a light to the Gentiles. Hence, Christ died for all mankind.

Who did Christ pay ransom to?

Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45)

Christ death is absolutely necessary for defeating death since that is the only way the curse of death on mankind spoken by Word of God can be defeated, for He is the Word of God. In other words, the ransom Christ is paying with His own life is to undo the curse of death on mankind spoken by God in garden of Eden.

But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah (Psalms 49:15)

Christ entered death to defeat it and rose again who now holds the keys to death and hades (Rev 1:18). The primary purpose of Christ’s death is to defeat death. God cursed man to death in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:16–17) and His Words will come to pass and never returns void (Isaiah 55:11). Hence, no one on heaven, nor on earth can go against God’s Word except God Word Himself. Hence, the Word became Flesh, took the curse of death of mankind upon Himself by becoming a Man (John 1:1;4;14) and entered death. But Christ is life (John 14:6) and death cannot overcome Him. Christ defeated death and now we have access to the Father through Christ who is the only way (John 14:6).

I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)

Christ death is absolutely necessary for defeating death since that is the only way the curse of death on mankind spoken by Word of God can be defeated, for He is the Word of God. The ransom which the Word of God paid with His own life is to redeem us from the curse of death spoken by God in the beginning.

Christ as Penal Substitutionary Atonement for Israel

As we saw above, Christ died taking the representation of Israel to create a New Covenant to restore Israel’s relationship to God. These are Substitutionary Atonement. Let’s now explore Penal Substitutionary Atonement.

For thus says the LORD:“You have sold yourselves for nothing, And you shall be redeemed without money.” (Isaiah 52:3)

God says, He will redeem Israel without money who sold themselves for nothing.

Penal Substitution	Verse Reference
Punishment borne by Suffering Servant for the benefit of Israel Sin directly linked to suffering inflicted on Suffering Servant	But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
Iniquity of Israel transferred to Suffering Servant	All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
Death of Suffering Servant explicitly caused by Israel’s sin	He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. (Isaiah 53:8)
Bearing Israel’ sin resulted in justification	He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11)
Suffering Servant bore the sins of Israel	.. Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12b)

Who is the Suffering Servant according to Isaiah 53?

Verse	Why it is used for Israel interpretation
“But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: (Isaiah 41:8-9)	Identifies Israel as “servant”
God’s Blessing on Israel “Yet hear now, O Jacob My servant, And Israel whom I have chosen. Thus says the LORD who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you: ‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant; And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. (Isaiah 44:1-2)	Israel is the servant
For Jacob My servant’s sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me. (Isaiah 45:4)	Servant is and the elect is explicitly identified as Israel
“And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified.’ (Isaiah 49:3)	Israel directly identified as Israel

Throughout the book of Isaiah, Servant is identified as Israel.

“And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified.’ Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the LORD, And my work with my God.’ ” “And now the LORD says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, So that Israel is gathered to Him (For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, And My God shall be My strength), Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” (Isaiah 49:3-6)

The above passage cannot be more clearer. Israel, God’s Servant will bring back Jacob to God, restore the preserved ones of Israel, light to the Gentiles and salvation to the ends of the earth.

Israel, God’s Servant	God’s Own Arm
Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” (Isaiah 49:6)	He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him. (Isaiah 59:16) I looked, but there was no one to help, And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath upheld Me. (Isaiah 63:5)

Christ representing Israel is God’s own arm (i.e., God Himself) is fulfilling the role of Suffering Servant to bring back Jacob to God, restore the preserved ones of Israel, came as a light to the Gentiles and salvation to the ends of the earth.

Here is the important and undeniable tension to consider.

• Israel spilled innocent blood, the land was polluted which can only be atoned by the blood of the murderer. Hence, Christ took the role of Israel and spilled His own blood for Israel to redeem the land of Israel.
• Spilling innocent blood of Christ once again defiles the land.

So you shall not defile the land in which you live; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. (Numbers 35:33)

The Suffering Servant identified in the book of Isaiah as Israel, who is Jesus Christ, who is also the arm of God is killed by Israel.

“Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man. (Genesis 9:6)

Israel, by shedding the innocent blood of Suffering Servant identified as “Israel”, what God spoke in the above passage is fulfilled. But Suffering Servant is not just Israel or representing Israel but rather, He is also the arm of God as in Isaiah and the Word of God i.e., God Himself.

Penal Substitutionary Atonement by and for God

As we saw earlier, the law and the prophets do not allow Penal Substitutionary Atonement.

However, God is not bound by any Old Covenant laws for Him to function with Sovereign Authority. Everything He spoke will come to pass. In other words, God is bound by His own words which He spoke.

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” (John 10:17-18)

• So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)
• For I am the LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; .. (Ezekiel 12:25a)

Law	Israel’s Sin / God’s Action	Penal Substitutionary Atonement
Harlotry then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done a disgraceful thing in Israel, to play the harlot in her father’s house. So you shall put away the evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 22:21)	“When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 16:8) They committed harlotry in Egypt, They committed harlotry in their youth; Their breasts were there embraced, Their virgin bosom was there pressed. (Ezekiel 23:3)	Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. (Hebrews 13:12)
Adultery ‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death. (Leviticus 20:10)	For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them. (Ezekiel 23:37)	Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. … (Hebrews 9:28a)

Penal Substitutionary Atonement by God and for God is the only way to redeem Israel from the curses due to covenant unfaithfulness because it will be fulfilled in the Word of God Himself who is Jesus Christ. This is the ultimate sacrifice and love God showed to Israel by giving Himself as a sacrifice acceptable to God.

Christ is not a Penal Substitutionary Atonement for Gentiles

Unlike Israel, Christ is not a Penal Substitutionary Atonement for gentiles. There is no Old Testament prophecy or or OT Scripture evidence for any punishment for sin of Gentiles placed upon Christ. As we saw above, Suffering Servant passages are about Israel and for Israel.

Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” (Isaiah 49:6) … The LORD has made bare His holy arm In the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth shall see The salvation of our God. (Isaiah 52:10)

Gentiles were never under the law for Christ to redeem us from the curse of the law. However, gentiles were under the curse of death spoke of by God which can only be defeated by the Word of God who is Christ. Hence, Christ becoming human for all mankind to defeat death is Substitutionary Atonement and not Penal Substitutionary Atonement.

Christ is not a Penal Substitutionary Atonement for Murders

“Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man. (Genesis 9:6)

Under the covenant given to Noah, there are no requirements or punishments given mankind. The above is a requirement given to mankind to kill anyone who killed an another human being but not tied to any covenant relationship. Even if Christ took the place of a murderer as a Substitutionary Atonement, this is not a penal one because nothing in the covenant requires the death of the murderer for God to restore His relationship with mankind, nor any punishment for mankind when they didn’t kill a murderer.

Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Genesis 9:8-11)

God’s covenant with Noah and his sons is unilateral with only promises and no punishments or curses. Hence, Christ is not a Penal Substitutionary Atonement for Murders and His Substitutionary Atonement covers for all mankind.

Why this matters?

Depending on the protestant denomination or Christian tradition, each have their own views due to the complexity mentioned above. The view they take shows the emphasis on their point while rejecting the rest of Scriptural evidence.

Christian Tradition	Substitutionary Atonement (General)	Penal Substitutionary Atonement (PSA)	Purpose of the Atonement	Notes / Emphases
This post	Affirmed for all mankind (inc. Gentiles) to defeat death	Affirmed for Israelites to fulfill the covenant requirements	Raise up the tribes of Jacob, restore the preserved ones of Israel; Light to the Gentiles, God’s Salvation to all mankind (Isa 49:6).	Redeeming Israeites from curse of the Law and all mankind (inc. Gentiles) from curse of death. (Christ, who is the Word of God in Flesh is the only Man who can undo any curse spoken by God)
Reformed / Calvinist	Strongly affirmed	Strongly affirmed (central doctrine)	To satisfy God’s justice and remove guilt of sin	Christ bears the exact penalty for sin (PSA: punishment transferred to Christ to satisfy justice)
Lutheran	Affirmed	Affirmed (less systematized)	To reconcile sinners to God and remove divine wrath	Emphasis on Christ bearing God’s wrath (PSA: Christ takes divine punishment in place of sinners)
Evangelical (broad)	Strongly affirmed	Widely affirmed	To forgive sins and restore relationship with God	Common in Baptist/non-denominational contexts (PSA: Jesus dies instead of us, taking our penalty)
Anglican / Episcopal	Mixed	Mixed	Varies: forgiveness of sin, moral transformation, or victory over evil	Range includes PSA and Moral Influence (Christ’s death shows God’s love and inspires change)
Methodist / Wesleyan	Affirmed	Partial / reinterpreted	To enable forgiveness and moral renewal	Blends PSA with Moral Influence (Christ’s death demonstrates love and motivates repentance)
Roman Catholic	Affirmed (qualified)	Generally rejected as primary	To restore humanity’s relationship with God and heal sin	Satisfaction Theory (Christ restores God’s honor rather than taking punishment); emphasis on grace and participation
Eastern Orthodox	Generally rejected (legal sense)	Rejected	To defeat death, corruption, and the power of sin	Christus Victor (Christ defeats sin, death, evil powers) and Theosis (humans share in divine life)
Anabaptist (e.g., Mennonite)	Often rejected/reinterpreted	Rejected	To transform human behavior and reveal God’s love	Moral Influence (Christ’s life/death inspire ethical transformation), strong nonviolence emphasis

Conclusion

Penal Substitutionary Atonement for Gentiles, or for humanity in general, is not supported by the Law, the Prophets, or anywhere in the Old Testament. When God is directly involved, atonement often occurs without any sacrifice. Animal blood sacrifice is specifically given for Israelites under the Law. God repeatedly rejected penal substitutionary atonement, as seen in the intercessions of Moses and David. The Law explicitly forbids human sacrifice, prohibits ransom for murderers, and does not allow substitutionary atonement for land defiled by blood. For Israel, Christ’s Penal Substitutionary Atonement is the ultimate act of God’s love, fulfilling covenant requirements by becoming the Suffering Servant. Through His sacrifice, He establishes a New Covenant in which Gentiles are not excluded. For Gentiles, however, Christ’s death is not a Penal Substitutionary Atonement since they were never under the curse of the Law, but rather a Substitutionary Atonement that defeats death once for all, for all mankind.