God Strikes Uzzah Dead for Reaching Out to Steady the Ark

David has organized a great procession to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem — thirty thousand men, music, celebration. When the oxen stumble, Uzzah reaches out his hand and takes hold of the ark to steady it. God's anger burns against him on the spot. He dies there beside the ark. David is terrified and angry. He halts the procession, refuses to bring the ark into the city, and leaves it in a stranger's house for three months. The ark must not be touched — not even to save it from falling. The rule is absolute, and Uzzah learned it by dying.