Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Exodus chapter 32, verse 32.

But now, if you will forgive their sin, but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have

written.

What a prayer. So this is Moses,

praying after the beginning of this chapter, God's people are worshipping an idol. They've constructed a golden calf. They're bowing down and worshipping it and indulging in all kinds of

immorality flowing from their idolatry, which is usually the way it works, always the way it works,

really. Idolatory leads to immorality. So Moses stands in the gap and he prays, he intercedes for the people in their sin.

And he's asking God to forgive them.

He's pleading for God to forgive them.

And he says in this verse, forgive their sin, but if not, now listen to this, to take

this far.

If you won't forgive them, oh God,

then please blot me out of your book that you have written. Wow. Like, what does it mean to pray like that? To pray for sinners who are under the judgment of God and to say if you won't forgive them,

like don't even forgive me.

Like Moses is so identifying himself with sinners here, with those who are under the judgment

of God that he's saying, if they're going to be under your judgment, then put me under

your judgment.

Like I'm with them.

Like this is true intercession.

You think about it, we see an example of this in Romans chapter 9 with Paul.

Paul's praying for the Jewish people.

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