Why You Should Dance…Before the Lord
Why did King David, the man after God’s own heart, dance before the Lord? While some Christians may excuse it as the quirks of an eccentric leader, the truth is that he is a model for all worshipers of God. While this may make some believers uncomfortable, we must always go back to examining what Scripture clearly states rather than sticking to our cultural preferences. Dancing is one of the oldest arts that continues in our culture today. From ballet and ballroom dancing, and from folk dancing to hip hop, there are endless creative expressions in dance. Christians should enjoy and celebrate this art form.
What we see clearly in Scripture is that the verses calling us to dance are not only given to the priests, or to a particular class, but to all worshipers. Psalm 149 reads, “Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!” Yes, that’s right – dancing, and playing percussion instruments are commended by God’s Holy Scriptures. If you grew up in charismatic circles, as I did, this may not surprise you at all, but if you grew up in something like the old Presbyterian circles, I’m probably stretching your comfort levels. That’s intentional, and Biblical.
You’re welcome.
Research on Benefits of Dancing
Recent research confirms what Scripture has promoted. We should all be dancing, if we know what is good for us. Studies in numerous universities in recent decades have confirmed what dancers have known all along. Not only is it good exercise, but it promotes mental health, and lifts our spirits. If we take time to read the research, we just might begin to understand why King David, the man after God’s own heart, danced before the Lord.
According to Harvard Medical School, dancing is so beneficial to our health, that it is being used to treat people with Parkinson’s disease (a progressive neurological movement disorder). Scientists are demonstrating that dance provides more than just the benefits of exercise. There is something uniquely beneficial in dancing.
In 2003 the New England Journal of Medicine published research from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, demonstrating dance decidedly improves brain health.
North Dakota’s Minot State University did similar research in 2012, demonstrating that Zumba dancing improves mood and cognitive skills such as visual recognition and decision-making.
Dancing has also been shown to reduce stress, and increase the levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin. Medical researchers are helping us understand how it helps us to develop new neural connections in brain regions related to executive function, and long-term memory, as well as spatial and pattern recognition. This means that our bodily health and mental health, as people made in the Image of God, is improved by dance. Clearly this is by design, and that is why it is also expected of God’s people.
To Dance is To Be Human
Children do it intuitively when they hear a good beat. I remember my son dancing to Herbie Hancock tunes when he was a few years old. No one told him to dance. It was a natural response. We all recognize the instinctive desire to move our bodies to melodies and rhythms. Too many of us change as we grow old and succumb to being overly self-conscious. It would be helpful to remember the famous quote of Picasso:
“Every child is an artist.
The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
In the same fashion, I would ask you to consider that, “Every child loves to dance. The problem is how to remain free to enjoy dancing and the physicality of our bodies as we grow up.” Too many of us have been ashamed of our lack of rhythm or style, and we are more afraid of what others would think than considering what benefits might come from physical dance and bodily expression in our worship. So we retreat, play it safe, and never realize we may be missing something. Our mental health and spiritual health may both be suffering.
Dancing in the Bible
Dancing was commended in celebration of God’s goodness and redemption. Israelites were praising God with their voices, and with prayers, as well as with dancing. Consider the words of the prophet Jeremiah:
They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD— the grain, the new wine and the olive oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more.
Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.
– Jeremiah 31:12-13 (ESV)
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Dancing was promoted in the context of worship:
Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the godly!
Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
Let them praise his name with dancing,
making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
– Psalm 149:1-3 (ESV)
In God’s word, dancing is celebrated, not forbidden or condemned, as some denominations have infamously claimed. I will spare you the countless jokes about Baptists and dancing (some of them are pretty good). We may need distinctions about the kinds of dance Israelites participated in, but we cannot take Scripture seriously, and dismiss the role of dancing in Israelite culture and worship.
A Different Kind of Dance
To be clear, dancing in the Old Testament was typically a kind of folk dancing. It was not sexual gyrating or performance art. The point of the dance was not to bring attention to yourself, but to celebrate this life God has given you, with all of your body and soul.
It is often helpful to take a moment to think it through. God has blessed us with physical bodies, which we already use in worship of God, and celebration of the life He has given us. Some people only use their lips, others raise their hands (also Biblical), others start to sway back and forth to the music, while still others move the point of calling it “dance.”
If we were in Ancient Israel, we would be singing songs to God, and dancing together while we sing. We would know that God isn’t grading our dance ability any more than He does our vocal performance on Sunday mornings.
If God is blessed when we “make a joyful noise” (Psalm 100), then our imperfect dancing is not a problem. We are not trying out for Dancing with the Stars. We are simply using all of our corporeal body to enter into worship. We know that God cares about the heart, not the performance. That is where it is the opposite of most dances today. In the folk dancing of Israel and other cultures, everyone was welcome. The point was that we celebrate together, not focusing on individual ability.
King David’s Dancing and a Warning
We have all heard the famous passage where David danced before the Lord. But why was he dancing? David danced when the Ark of the Covenant was brought back to Israel (2 Sam 6). He was so overjoyed to see the Ark return to the house of God, and so overjoyed to see God’s name kept holy that he could not contain his excitement. Not everyone was equally pleased.
David’s wife, Michal, was ashamed because she claimed that David’s dancing was not ‘dignified’ and did not fit what she considered, proper etiquette. But she missed the very point. She missed the overwhelming joy David experienced, and the overwhelming desire David had to praise God with not only his lips, or by raising his hands, but by using his whole body to dance before the Lord. For David, in that moment, nothing less would do. He cared more about worshiping God with his whole body, than the opinions of others.
When in doubt, we can read the context in Scripture. And Scripture is clear: David’s actions are recognized as good. Michal’s criticism is condemned. The result is severe. The end of the chapter tells us that God closed her womb in judgment for her contempt of David’s worship (2 Sam 6:23). While there is so much more to explore about this passage, at minimum, it should give us pause before speaking when we consider the importance of dance. If nothing else, we should pray and ask God to show us what we may have been missing due to our own cultural assumptions and judgments.
Dancing, the Arts, and the Church
Since the Reformation, many denominations have had a low view of art. Such a view is unbiblical and unhealthy. God gave us an imagination and the skills to write songs, create plays, design architecture, dance, and so much more. The arts are a gift of God, and valuable for us to enjoy. Consider the words of Martin Luther and John Calvin:
“There is no vehicle which displays the Glory of God and the Wonder of God as clearly as the arts. Art is the reflection of God’s creativity, evidence that we are made in His image.”
– Martin Luther
“The poets are more correct who acknowledge that all which is suggested by nature comes from God; that all the arts emanate from Him, and therefore ought to be accounted divine inventions.”
– John Calvin
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Copyright © 2025 Joel & Michelle Pelsue. All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission.
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