What does the Bible say about David's sin in numbering the people?

In 2 Samuel 24, David's act of numbering the people without offering the required atonement incurred God's judgment, resulting in the death of 70,000 Israelites. According to Exodus 30, a census required a ransom offering; omitting this demonstrated irreverence for God's holiness. David's great sin was not merely pride but forgetting the significance of God's atonement. This incident reveals that even a man after God's own heart can falter, and God's severe judgment serves as a reminder of the essential nature of atonement in our approach to Him.