"I will praise Thee for ever, for what you have done."
Ps.52:9
DANCE BACKGROUND
Messianic, Davidic Dance comes from traditional Jewish dance, which was only
ever intended as praise dance, and worship to the Lord. We have much evidence in the Torah.
CHIYL (TO TWIST OR TO TWIRL) Judges Ch. 21:23
"While the girls were dancing each man caught one and carried her
off to be his wife."
RAQAD (TO STAMP AND SPRING
ABOUT WILDLY FOR JOY)
1.Chronicles Ch. 15:29 “And when she saw King David dancing
and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.” Job Ch. 21:11 “They send
forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.”
Ecclesiastes Ch. 3:4 “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn,
and a time to dance;” Isaiah Ch. 13:21 “...wild goats
will leap about…”
MACHOL (A ROUND DANCE) Psalm 30:11 A company of people praising Yahweh
together in the dance. This is a biblical community way of dancing, and is a wonderful way of
enjoying praising the King of Kings together.
KARAR (WHIRL AROUND)
2 Samuel Ch. 6:14 & 16
“David, wearing a linen ephod danced before the Lord with all his might. Michal...saw
King David leaping and dancing before the Lord:”
HAG
Hag is the word
mostly translated as “feast” or “festival.
"Rightly translated, as there certainly would have been a
Simchah Celebration!
At Simchat Torah, you can see the Rabbis dancing,
giving thanks for the Torah.
Since all celebrations were part of Feasts and Festivals,
that was when you had your dance! It’s quite a new thing for
couples to dance together even in Israeli dance. During the time of Yeshua, when the priests had
ministered in the Temple at the time of Yom Kippur,
they changed out of their festal garments, washed their hands
and feet, and then the evening closed with a feast.
CHAGAG (marching in procession)
1 Samuel Ch. 30:16
“David was taken to where they were eating, drinking and dancing
because of their plunder.
THE ALMIGHTY DANCES TOO!
Zephaniah 3:17
“The Lord your God is with you:
He is mighty to save: He will take great delight in you:
He will quiet you with His love: He will rejoice over you
with singing.”
(NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES.)
ORCHOS (dance rank-like, or in a ring)
Matthew Ch. 11:17
“We played the flute for you and you did not dance.”
Mark Ch. 6:22
“When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced…”
CHORUS (Greek - a round dance)
Luke Ch. 15:25
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near
the house he heard music and dancing.
FOLK DANCE
Folk dance, though similar in step, is far removed from praise dance,
though many folk dances are very scriptural.
Western
culture has given us a dance root that is not scriptural,
but pagan.
Where the body needs to look good, and people
are ‘dressed to kill,’ looking attractive and desirable. This
dancing is always done for pleasure. This doesn’t
mean that social dance is wrong, and has not a place
in our modern society, but it ought not to be used in worship.
“Lift holy hands!”
Worship is to be in holiness.
MECHOWLAH (a company dance)
Exodus Ch. 15:20
“Then Miriam took a tambourine in her hand and all the women
followed her, with tambourines and dancing.
Judges Ch. 11:34
“When Jephthan returned to his home in Mizpah,
who should come out to meet him but his daughter dancing
to the sound of tambourines.”
1 Samuel Ch. 18:6 & 7
“The women came out of the towns to meet the King with singing
and dancing as they danced they sang.” (after the battle)
THE WORD "JOY"
1. The word JOY is sometimes translated as REJOICE, and is
taken from the Hebrew “YAGIL”, literally meaning;
“To spin around in joy” for God will spin around with joy
over His people.
2. “The JOY of the Lord is your strength” is familiar to us.
A better translation from the Hebrew is “The ENJOYMENT of the Lord is your strength.”
3. REJOICE and DANCE are the same word in Aramaic, the common
language spoken in the time of Yeshua (Jesus)
4. We know that choreographed dance also took place in the temple,
using simple steps to unite the community worship.
Eventually the focus shifted after Yeshua’s time.
The temple was no more, and many Jews dispersed.
There was always, in the Diaspora, a desire to dance,
it was a natural expression for the Lord’s people.
In the ghettos of Europe from the year 132 A.D.
under persecution under cramped conditions, social dance
for weddings and special occasions emerged.
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