In 1 Chronicles 13 we read about King David’s attempt to return the ark of the covenant to its rightful place. The ark had been captured by the Philistines some twenty years before. After God struck the Philistines with tumors, the ark was sent to Beth Shemesh and then to Kirjath Jearim. The ark is being transported on a new cart driven by Uzza and Ahio. The oxen pulling the cart stumble and Uzza puts his hand on the ark to steady it and is immediately struck dead by God. This angers David. Later, in 1 Chronicles 15 David realizes that the fault lies with him. In verses 12 and 13 David says, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. For because you did not do it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.” David realized that God had given instructions on how the ark was to be transported. Verse 15 says, “And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.” When God tells us what to do, or how it is to be done, we are responsible to do what He says the way He says to do it. Everything else is excluded. The fact that we have good intentions does not matter. David had good intentions when he tried to transport the ark on a new cart, but Uzza died anyway. King Saul claimed to have good intentions when he failed to carry out God’s command to utterly destroy the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:15). Yet Samuel told him, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). David’s fault was in not consulting the Lord before he acted. We should consult the Lord as well by studying His word, the Bible.