It is weird for me to look upon human behavior with all of our highs and lows and oddities. It's like we "think" we have an understanding of the good that we should do and then our efforts (often flawed efforts) then lead to so much weirdness.
In our reading today, I think I saw several versions of this:
David asks God if he should fight a battle, God says yes, David obeys, they win, and they rejoice, so much so that they are returning the Ark of the Covenant, singing and celebrating God!
Along the way, one of the oxen pulling the cart that held the Ark of the Covenant stumbled and Uzzah reached out to steady the ark (we don't want to fall to the ground) and was instantly struck dead by God. What did Ahio think of that?
That messes with so many things that I "think" I know about God. His mercy, lovingkindness, etc.
Look, I get it, I have heard the excuses for this. Uzzah was breaking the rules. He should have known better. And yet...is that how justice works? It's just weird, here's this guy serving God to the best of his ability and then he's struck dead (presumably for trying to help.) Why? And, what are the results of that?
David, the new King who loves God is now frightened of the Ark and refuses to take it home.
Either way, he's back to celebrating. Dancing and celebrating and sacrficing before the LORD as they brought the Ark back to town. David is so rambuctious in his celebration that he exposes himself? His wife Michal who loved him (see: 1 Sam 18:20,28) and protected him (1 Sam 19:11-12) in the past sees this and despises him in her heart. Why is she angry? My tendancy has always been to side with David in all this, he's the hero after all, willing to look undignified for God! But, are his motives right in all of this? Does that matter to us? This time through I wonder if these people are just confused, hurt, frustrated, afraid, damaged and doing their level best...which I would expect to be met with understanding and grace (as oppsed to zapped dead or become childless)--even when we fall short.