1 Chronicles 13

David receives the fear of the LORD.  It's kind of unclear (at least to me) why a man who tries to keep the ark from falling and being damaged is destroyed by God for touching it.  Just seems to me that a little grace could have been applied here.  But, then I am not God and He did give them the rules.  It appears that David has taken a short-cut or two in transporting the ark in the first place.  There were rings in the ark and two poles.  The ark was suppose to be transported by priests carrying it upon their shoulders.  It was not acceptable to move the ark in a cart (even a new one) pulled by oxen.  Also, the reading does not say whether Uzzah was a priest.  He and his brother were simply driving the cart.  For a non-priest to touch the ark was a capital offense.  So his death probably could've been avoided if David had followed God's instructions for moving the ark.  David learns a hard lesson here.  He receives the fear of the LORD.  When he finally moves the ark to Jerusalem, in a couple of chapters, we'll see he has learned this lesson and moves it with poles and it is the priests and Levites who carry it.

This story, too, is a repeat.  You can find it in 2 Samuel 6.  As I started flipping back and forth for comparisons, I was wishing that I had a copy of Walt Wangerin's "Book of God."   It is an excellent novel and I would have loved to read the story of David moving the ark with Walt Wangerin's slant on it this morning.  But, it appears I gave my copy away, again! I keep purchasing them and then giving them away... It is an excellent read!