An unfortunate event (2 Samuel 5:11-6:23; 1 Chronicles 13-14)

In some respects it is hard to understand why Uzzah was struck dead by God for attempting to keep the Ark of the Covenant from falling over.  After all, it seems like his intentions were good.  David, likewise, had a hard time with this because his fear of the Lord increased as a result.  Why did God do it?  That might be a question we will never have answered this side of Heaven, but I have some suspicions.  It seems that David was becoming haughty with the position he was given.  His desire for the Ark to be near seemed more like a desire to control God and to maintain the Lord's blessing on what he did.  When Uzzah touched it, it was like touching God Himself.  That lack of reverence and fear was enough to bring him to death.  Who was in control?  God.  That's evident through this entire reading.  David seeks the Lord's direction, and the Lord is the one who wins the battles.  It's ironic that the Israelites claimed "Saul has struck down his thousands and David his tens of thousands."  The reality is that God struck those people down through David; David didn't do it on his own.  A simple, unfortunate event like Uzzah's death was enough to remind David that God was not to be messed with.  Interacting with God was not a game then, and it isn't a game now.  And a proper respect of God is just as important today as it was in David's day.