Why should you dance in Praise ?
Alot of people wonder why we dance in Praise the way that we do.Well for the answer lets take a look at the bible-
1. Dancing seems to have occurred at certain very great occasions in Israel’s history. Here are some of the best know Old Testament occasions of dancing on momentous occasions:
a. Dancing was prophesied as a future event at the restoration of Israel from bondage and captivity. The Lord said, “I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful.... Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness” (Jeremiah 31:4,13).
b. Dancing at the return of victorious armies. Two instances are recorded in Scripture: (1) the return of Saul and David from battle after Goliath was slain and (2) the return of Jephthah from victory over the Ammonites.
The Bible says, “When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. As the danced, they sang: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’ ” (1 Samuel 18:6-7).
This incident is referred to by the servants of Acish king of Gath, who asked, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands?’ ” (1 Samuel 21:11). Again, the Philistine commanders are quoted as asking, “Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands?’ ” (1 Samuel 29:5). Note that we have here three separate occurrences of the word dance, but they all refer to the same instance of dancing in honor of the returning military heroes.
The other mention of dancing at the return of a victorious army is this: “Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: ‘If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.’ Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands.... When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines!” (Judges 11:30-34). I do not intend to comment on Jephthah’s tragic vow, but simply to note that the daughter came out dancing, apparently to celebrate her father’s victorious return.
c. Dancing at the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea. Here is a very great event in Israel’s history. “When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them” (Exodus 15:19-21).
Here again let’s note that only the women are dancing. And in fairness it should be noted that this dancing is to the Lord, not something done in a carnal way.
On this occasion, “David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart. They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord” (2 Samuel 6:14-17).
Note that it was not a moderate, restrained, or choreographed dance; the Bible records that he was leaping and dancing.
This same event is recorded later in the Bible: “As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart” (1 Chronicles 15:29). So we have two occurrences of the word dance referring to one occasion.
Dancing seems to have occurred at certain great occasions in Israel’s history as well. I have listed dancing after the miraculous Red Sea crossing; dancing at the prophesied restoration of Israel from bondage and captivity; dancing at the return of victorious armies; dancing at the return of the ark to Jerusalem; These are all the Old Testament’s occurrences of dancing on momentous occasions.
- The Bible does say there is a time to dance. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: ... a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4).
David dancing at the return of the ark (2 Samuel 6)
Miriam and the women dancing on the far side of the Red Sea (Exodus 15)
After reading all this information you may better understand why we do it.The word has
very clearly shown us that this is the way ELohim wants us to worship him,here are two more-
“Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp” (Psalm 149:3)
“Praise him with tambourine and dancing” (Psalm 150:4)
1. Dancing seems to have occurred at certain very great occasions in Israel’s history. Here are some of the best know Old Testament occasions of dancing on momentous occasions:
a. Dancing was prophesied as a future event at the restoration of Israel from bondage and captivity. The Lord said, “I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful.... Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness” (Jeremiah 31:4,13).
b. Dancing at the return of victorious armies. Two instances are recorded in Scripture: (1) the return of Saul and David from battle after Goliath was slain and (2) the return of Jephthah from victory over the Ammonites.
The Bible says, “When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. As the danced, they sang: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’ ” (1 Samuel 18:6-7).
This incident is referred to by the servants of Acish king of Gath, who asked, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands?’ ” (1 Samuel 21:11). Again, the Philistine commanders are quoted as asking, “Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands?’ ” (1 Samuel 29:5). Note that we have here three separate occurrences of the word dance, but they all refer to the same instance of dancing in honor of the returning military heroes.
The other mention of dancing at the return of a victorious army is this: “Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: ‘If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.’ Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands.... When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines!” (Judges 11:30-34). I do not intend to comment on Jephthah’s tragic vow, but simply to note that the daughter came out dancing, apparently to celebrate her father’s victorious return.
c. Dancing at the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea. Here is a very great event in Israel’s history. “When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them” (Exodus 15:19-21).
Here again let’s note that only the women are dancing. And in fairness it should be noted that this dancing is to the Lord, not something done in a carnal way.
On this occasion, “David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart. They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord” (2 Samuel 6:14-17).
Note that it was not a moderate, restrained, or choreographed dance; the Bible records that he was leaping and dancing.
This same event is recorded later in the Bible: “As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart” (1 Chronicles 15:29). So we have two occurrences of the word dance referring to one occasion.
Dancing seems to have occurred at certain great occasions in Israel’s history as well. I have listed dancing after the miraculous Red Sea crossing; dancing at the prophesied restoration of Israel from bondage and captivity; dancing at the return of victorious armies; dancing at the return of the ark to Jerusalem; These are all the Old Testament’s occurrences of dancing on momentous occasions.
- The Bible does say there is a time to dance. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: ... a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4).
David dancing at the return of the ark (2 Samuel 6)
Miriam and the women dancing on the far side of the Red Sea (Exodus 15)
After reading all this information you may better understand why we do it.The word has
very clearly shown us that this is the way ELohim wants us to worship him,here are two more-
“Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp” (Psalm 149:3)
“Praise him with tambourine and dancing” (Psalm 150:4)