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

2 Samuel chapter 24, verse 17.

Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people

and said, Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly.

But these sheep, what have they done?

Please let your hand be against me and against my father's house.

Let's make sure we have the context for what David just said to the Lord.

This chapter begins with David in his pride conducting a census to exalt basically himself in a way that displeased God.

And God said there will be consequences for your sin.

And those consequences lead to the death of 70,000 men.

Like David's one sin leads to the death of 70,000 men.

The Bible is shouting in this story.

Don't underestimate the effects of sin, the seriousness of sin in your life and especially as a leader,

which is why David then prays.

He says, behold, I've sinned, I've done wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done?

Please let your hand be against me and against my father's house.

But 2 Samuel chapter 24 is making clear that the

consequences of sin in our lives don't just affect our lives. The consequences of sin in our

lives oftentimes affect others' lives. And when we read a story like this, we need to have a view of sin that is all the more

serious that causes us all the more to run from sin, to resist temptation. And one of the lies of

the adversary when we are tempted is to say that this will only

affect us. But the reality is, I think about my life when I sin against God, even if I'm

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