Chapter 13

Now that David is the King of all Israel, his first real act is to propose that Jews gone abroad be invited home, that the Levites be concentrated, and that worship in the Tabernacle be started up again, because:

3 Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul." [1Ch 13:3 ESV]

David proposes, and pursues, bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem from Kiriath-jearim.  (Another name for this city is Baalah.  It seems to have had many names over the years.)  Uzza killed.  David upset.  And this:

12 And David was afraid of God that day, and he said, "How can I bring the ark of God home to me?" [1Ch 13:12 ESV]

I didn't do a word study on "afraid", but I bet it would be interesting.  David likely is afraid that more will die if they get things wrong, and he is unsure of exactly what it is they are supposed to do.  Being ignorant of God's requirements can lead to fear.

The result of all this is that the Ark is "stored" for a time in the house of one Obed-edom, a Gittite who lived near the place where Uzza died.

2023 - Took a look at that word "fear".  It is pronounced "yaw-wray" in Hebrew.  It is plain old fear.  The fear that made Adam hide after eating of the forbidden tree.  The fear that made Lot move out of Zoar into a cave.  Every day fear that something bad is likely to be done to you by another.

2021 - David had called in all these people, from all over the kingdom, to bring the ark to Jerusalem.  They all believed it was God's will to bring it home.  Then Uzza is killed.  The celebration that was proclaimed far and wide, and is in fact in progress, comes crashing down, with David in charge.  Everyone goes home.  This would have been an embarrassment perhaps, and caused questions to be asked about David's leadership.