Sunday School Lesson 38
THE ART AND ACT OF DANCING
MEMORY VERSE: “Then David danced before the LORD with all his might and David was wearing a linen ephod.”- 2 Samuel 6:14 (NKJV)
BIBLE PASSAGE: 2 Samuel 6:12-22
LESSON INTRODUCTION: Dance is a performing art form consisting of purposefully selected sequence of body movement. Dancing is one of those issues that have been questioned in the past. Some groups have viewed all forms of dance as evil. There are no Bible verses prohibiting us from dancing, rather, joyful dancing has been clearly documented in the Bible. However, dance can be used either as an act of worship to glorify God or for wrongful purposes. Youths should get the correct perspective and act wisely.
OUTLINES:
- DANCING IN THE BIBLE
- THE CORRECT PERSPECTIVE
1. DANCING IN THE BIBLE
There are instances of dancing in the Bible that can be categorised into two; dancing to God or with good intentions and dancing for idols or with bad intentions. The first appearance of God’s people dancing as an act of worship is found with Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister (Exodus 15:20). Another instance is found in 2 Samuel 6:16, which has David “leaping and dancing before the LORD.” The implication of this is that Christian youths should dance as an act of worship unto God.
In the second category, the Israelites were found dancing before a golden calf in worship and being out of control, they danced naked (Exodus 32:6,19-25). In this case, dancing led to a very sinful activity. Hence, the fact that you can dance or gifted in the art of dancing does not mean that you should dance to any kind of music or at any occasion/gathering where God’s name is not proclaimed or glorified (Ecclesiastes 3:4). This is because, in the process, you may be dancing before idols or to demon-inspired songs/beats.
2. THE CORRECT PERSPECTIVE
Many Christians have forgotten that the Bible warns against end-time devices of Satan (2 Corinthians 2:11). Christian youths should avoid sexually stimulating, indecent and seductive body movements while dancing so as not to create wrong impressions (2 Corinthians 12:19-20; Ephesians 4:17-19). Holding or touching of sensual parts of your body or the body of the opposite gender, in the name of dancing, should be avoided, as this could stimulate sexual urge and impure thoughts (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Also, any dancing that stirs up sinful thoughts or desires in yourself or in others is sinful. Dancing to bring attention to yourself or your body, therefore, would be sinful (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
As long as dance is decent, God-focused and praiseworthy, it can have a proper place in worship (Psalm 149:3). It is important to understand that dance in the context of worship is not simply self expression. It should be done in a way that is helpful to the entire congregation (Psalm 150:4). Hence, anything during a worship gathering that distracts from a focus on Christ should be left out.
Moreover, the content of a song (lyrics) and the personality of the singer (whether he or she is a child of God) should be verified before you dance to such songs/beats. The believer’s focus for dancing must be to fulfil 1 Corinthians 10:31 that teaches, So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
CONCLUSION: You can dance in a way that does not tempt or lure others to sin. Let your dance bring glory to God.
QUESTIONS:
- Is dancing condemned by the Bible?
- What is the right perspective to dancing?