“The holy fear kindled in David's heart by the death of Uzzah eventually bore good fruit. The disaster moved David to consider the event and to search the Word to discover why they had failed. The king learned that God is jealous to be approached according to His appointed means, and that His wrath broke out because ‘we did not consult Him about the proper order’ (vs. 13). Thus David determined to move the ark with great care that every command of God was carefully obeyed. He gave strict instructions to the Levites according to the commands of Moses and carefully appointed singers and musicians from among the sons of Aaron to ‘raise the voice with a resounding cry.’ Later revelation tells us that these appointments were not arbitrary, but based upon the commandment of God. (2 Chronicles 29:25).

The happy result of David's carefulness is summed up in verse 26. There we are told that God, who broke out in wrath against Uzzah, now ‘helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant.’ All that was required for God's blessing was conformity to His Word. The fact that the Levites responded to God's ‘help’ by offering sacrifices indicates that they understood that their obedience did not merit God's favor, but was rather an outworking of His redemptive grace which centered in Christ’s substitutionary offering.

Another important observation here is that the strict obedience of Israel on this occasion did not quench their joy. It is often argued by opponents of the Regulative Principle of Worship that such carefulness in approaching God only according to His prescribed commands results in a joyless worship experience. Nothing could be further from the truth! The discovery of their previous sin, and the care taken as a result, only added to the exultation of David and Israel when the ark was ushered to the place that was prepared for it.

The idea that obedience kills the joy of God's people is one of Satan’s best means of encouraging rebellion. God's people should know better! It was Michal, the daughter of Saul and the wife of David, who despised the king in her heart for showing ‘too much exuberance’ in the celebration of God's gracious presence.” (Comin, 122-123)