Shall We Dance?
Scott Aniol August 4th, 2008
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When discussing what are or are not acceptable elements for worship, some will raise the issue of dancing. “David danced before the Lord, didn’t he?” Here are just some sketches of thoughts about this issue:
1. Whatever “dancing” is in the Old Testament, it is nowhere found in the New Testament, so a strict observance of the Regulative Principle of Worship would eliminate dancing as an acceptable element of worship for the Church. Even so…
2. Several terms are used in the Old Testament that have been translated “dance” by various translations.
a. Of them, only machowl is a term that clearly signifies “artistic movement to music” - what we would call “dancing.”
b. Other terms often used are forms of karar and raqad, terms that simply refer to joyful spinning, leaping, and jumping for joy. These could be translated “dance,” but they are not as clear as machowl.
c. Interestingly, the KJV is the most liberal in translating these other two terms as “dance.” Newer translations usually translate them as “jump” or “spin.” Even so, there are only 11 occurances of “dance” in the KJV translation of the OT.
3. 2 Samuel 6 - David and the Ark. Machowl is not used in this passage, only karar and raqad.
a. The context is God punishing the people (specifically Uzzah) for not following his prescribed instructions for carrying the Ark. Instead they borrowed pagan practices, and God punished them. So whatever kara and raqad are in this passage, they certainly are not pagan dancing.
b. Contextually, this seems to be more of spontaneous leaping for joy because of the safe return of the Ark.
c. Even if this is some kind of choreographed, artistic dance, it is the only record of a king, priest, or prophet ever dancing, and most certainly gives no justification for some kind of liturgical dance.
4. Uses of machowl in the OT.
a. Exodus 15.20 - Miriam danced in celebration.
b. Judges 11.34 - Jeptha’s daughter celebrated victory.
c. 1 Samuel 18.6 - Celebration after David killed Goliath.
d. Jeremiah 31.4, 13 - Israel dances for joy
e.. Lamentations 5.15 - Dancing is turned to mourning.
f. Psalm 149.3 - “Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!”
g. Psalm 150.4 - “Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!”
h. Observations:
1) These are clearly references to some kind of artistic movement to music.
2) Whatever it was, it could not resemble anything like modern, MTV dancing, which intrinsically expresses sexuality.
3) Probably refers to some kind of Jewish folk dancing, always connected with joyful civil celebration. This dancing would have communicated joy and exuberance and certainly not any kind of immorality or sexuality.
4) There are few modern, American equivalents to this; maybe square dancing or barn dancing or jumping in celebration.
5) Except for the two Psalms, it is clear that none of these are public worship. They involve the social life of the Jews.
6) Even the two Psalms are not necessarily prescribing dance for public worship. The Psalms call everything to “praise the Lord,” much of which would never be included in public worship, such as war, food, children, music, folk dancing, etc.
5. In the Old Testament there are teachers of song, teachers of instruments, choir leaders, orchestra leaders, leaders of praise, but never choreographers. If God wanted dance for worship, why wouldn’t he have included this group of leaders?
6. Conclusions:
a. God wants every part of our lives to praise Him, including eating, drinking, playing, war, and any wholesome folk dancing that may be part of our culture.
b. God abhors immorality, so any public expression of sexuality in the form of dance is sin.
c. There is no doubt that God has not prescribed dance for New Testament Church worship, and very little (if any) conclusive evidence that He prescribed dance for Old Testament Temple worship.
- This is why we shouldn’t have dance in church
... or this kind of music, for that matter! HT... - The Church Assembles for Worship, Part 3 by Ryan Martin
In this series, I have been attempting to show that... - A Commitment to Deliberate Worship
The third priority of Religious Affections Ministries is to encourage... - The Liberating Regulative Principle of Worship
Uncertainty reigns today in churches over whether or not certain... - The Church Assembles For Worship, Part 2 by Ryan Martin
Last week I offered an initial argument that believers gather... - Worship
- Comments(7)
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I appreciate the conciseness of this answer. Thanks
Scott, Based on this article and your article “The Liberating Regulative Principle of Worship,” I’m very curious as to whether you use instruments in public worship, since this is nowhere prescribed in the New Testament.
Hi, Eric.
I would see music as the element prescribed in the NT, and instruments would be a form that fits within Christian principles, patterns, and prudence. As I explained in the RPW article, once the prescribed elements have been determined, the forms are flexible.
Additionally, in Ephesians 5, Pauls says to “sing and make melody.” “Sing” is a terms used for vocal music, “make melody” literally refers to playing on a stringed instrument. So even there, instruments are implied.
That’s not even necessary, though, since forms are flexible as long as they fit with Christian principles, patterns, and prudence, according to the RPW.
Hi Scott,
This is a very interesting topic to me. Do you see the music practices and customs prescribed and modeled in the OT as part of the sacrificial system and thus abrogated in the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ? Or do you see music as separate from the sacrificial system?
As a Presbyterian I hold more to a covenantal rather than dispensational view, but am curious to know how the covenantal view differs from the dispensational view regarding music (although I readily admit that there doesn’t seem to be a universal covenantal view as regards music). For instance, would it be valid in dispensationalism to cite OT descriptions and examples of appointing trained and skilled musicians to be relevant to the church today? And on paying musicians? Can Nehemiah’s scolding of church officials for releasing the paid musicians from their posts (Neh. 13) inform today’s church? Or from a dispensational view do you see these practices of the church as a more pragmatic concern? Just curious. Thanks!
Tim
Hi, Tim.
I think the only way in which dispensationalism would have direct influence over church music would be that I would limit the ELEMENTS of congregational worship to those prescribed in the New Testament since the church is distinct from Israel. Then I think it is quite acceptable to look to the Old Testament regarding the forms and circumstances of those elements, so all of the principles that you listed would be applicable.
In other words, music is an approved, New Testament element, and in the Old Testament we find principles that will help us work out the forms and circumstances of that elements.
No, I don’t necessarily see music as tied to the sacrificial system since Israel was a theocracy, and so much of the discussion and examples of music in the OT are simply social, even though they still have references to God, etc.
Very interesting! Thank you, Scott!
Tim
Well done.