David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.
And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. And David was angry because the LORD had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?” So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household.
Comment: About 20 years previously the Holy Ark which represented the presence of God amidst the descendants of Jacob, was taken as spoil of war by the Philistines (as told in 1Samuel 5-7). God used the time of capture to underline His power and Holiness by smashing the Philistian fish god Damon and killing a number of people who treated it unlawfully. David sets out to have it transported to Jerusalem. Interestingly the name of the place where it was left has been changed to Baale-Judah (the God of Judah). I suspect because of God’s blessing which came on those who cared for it properly. David is deeply upset when the same happens when Uzzah acts outside the given ways of handling the ark during transportation. Uzzah is killed by God. Like David, we humans always seem to have trouble with respecting the Greatness and Holiness of God. The ark is pushed into a place on the property of Obed-edom, not an Israeli, who with his household were greatly blessed.
Prayer: Help me to understand You, as You have revealed Yourself, not as I wish to draw You, O my God!
As I read it! 