The Ark moved to Jerusalem

At the beginning of 1 Samuel, the ark of God was housed in the temple at Shiloh. Eli, an old priest was administering. In the temple, God called Samuel to His service. When the people of Israel went to battle and were defeated, they carried the ark of God into the battle field, hoping to defeat the Philistines. In the end, the ark was captured and the Israelites lost. The 2 sons of Eli were killed. We could say that the 'reign of Eli' ended with the death of his two sons.
The ark of God had a life of its own. It wreaked havoc wherever it went among the enemy tribes of Israel. At last, it was returned to Israel and settled in the house of Abinadab for some twenty years (1 Samuel 7:1-2). When Saul became king of Israel, he carried the ark once into battle at Gibeah (1 Samuel 14:18). But it never entered the house of Saul.
After becoming king over Israel and Judah, David and his 30,000 men (2 Samuel 6:1) went out, not to war, but to bring back the ark of God to Jerusalem, in a new cart driven by oxen, from the house of Abinadab (2 Samuel 6:3). Ahio & Uzzah, sons of Abinadab, were driving an ox-cart with Ahio in the front. The procession was sing and dancing with all their might in the front (2 Samuel 6:5).
When the ark reached the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled (2 Samuel 6:6). Uzzah put out his hand to take hold of, to stabilize the ark. But God was angry with Uzzah. For what? For using an ox-cart to carry the ark like what the Philistines had done in 1 Samuel 6:7-8? But what other options could they think of? The ark arrived there 20 years ago in an ox-cart. Wasn't it reasonable to send it out in similar manner? But God killed Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:7). How fearsome and unapproachable God is! Why did God kill Uzzah? But who can fathom the mind of God? It is indeed a mystery which, perhaps we will never know its true meaning. A probable explanation may run like this. The ark should go to its rightful place. The death of Uzzah, like the death of Eli's sons, probably marks the end of the custody of the ark of God in the house of Abinadab.
The scripture continues to say that David was angry (but does not mention with whom. God? or Uzzah?) and was afraid of the Lord (2 Samuel 6:8-9). Of course, you can be angry with and afraid of the same person at the same time. The ark was too holy and dangerous an object to reside in the capital. It remained in the house of Obededom for three months before entering Jerusalem. Only had the ark demonstrated that it was benign, was it allowed to enter Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:10-11)!
There was much pomp and reveling. David sacrificed an ox and a fatling every time the bearers (no more ox-cart this time! David was really smart!) of the ark moved 6 paces (2 Samuel 6:13). David himself was half-naked and danced before the ark with all his might (6:14). When Michal saw all these happenings, she despised David in her heart (6:16). What was worse, she could not hold her tongue. When David returned to bless the household, Michal said, "How the king of Israel honoured himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' maids, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself" (6:20)! How dare Michal spoke to the king like that! In her eyes, was the king of Israel the same young lover 15 or more years ago, so that she might speak to him teasingly? Or else, what backings did she have to speak so arrogantly like that to the king?
The last time Michal saw David, he was a young, giant-killer but a fugitive whom she loved and for whom she lied to her father Saul in order to help her lover escape (1 Samuel 19:11-17). Subsequently, Saul gave Michal to Palti(el) as wife (1 Samuel 25:44). Michal and David must have been separated for about 15 years. Did Michal love David no more, who had already accumulated 6 wives and many more concubines? In her eyes, David's behaviour was unbecoming and inappropriate for a king because he acted like a vulgar fellow indecently uncovering himself before lowly maid servants (engaging in sex with lowly female janitors?) Who would these maid servants be? Michal, the daughter of king Saul, probably felt it below her to live in David's harem. "His servants' maids" probably refers to the wives and concubines of David.
Michal did not seem to understand the precarious situation she was in. Her father and brothers were all killed. Her second husband, Paltiel, was such a weakling that he wept all the way, accompanying Michal until Abner told him off (2 Samuel 3:15-16). That probably explains why Michal had grown from a romantic starry-eyed girl to an arrogant woman, harbouring no fear nor respect for this sophisticated David and the Lord above him. Her words did not endear her to David. They only earned her his displeasure instead. In the end, she bore no child for David to the day of her death (2 Samuel 6:23). "The episode serves to announce the end of any possibility of an heir to the throne through Michal." (Bruce Birch, NIB, Vol. 2, pg 1248). The character of Michal in the whole drama must be of great interest to modern scholars. I am afraid I have not done her enough justice in my reflection on the text.
In the Old Testament, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Proverb 9:10). But in the New Testament, Jesus taught us that God is our Father. He is no longer fearsome and unapproachable. "Perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). [Had Michal's love for David been a perfect one and had made her speak so fearlessly to David, she surely had not been fairly reciprocated.] No doubt, it is a big progress. However, I still maintain that a healthy dose of fear is essential for our well-being, both physically and spiritually. Fear will prevent us from entering into detrimental situations, endangering our body and soul. We should recognize our own imperfections.The holiness of God inspires awe and fear. It should not be tinkered with.

My God, You are our loving Father. Very often, we abuse Your love and indulge in harmful activities. May You instill in us a healthy dose of fear so that we are sober enough to treasure Your love in us. We are unworthy creatures of this grace of Yours. May our love of You grow day by day until it reaches perfection so that we may love You and our fellow men freely without fears. Amen.