Dancing

Dancing

Study to show thyself approved. Let us reason together on the inside page.

Hopefully, from time to time on this "Inside Page" of our bulletin, you will come and let us reason and study together topics of mutul interest. The "Inside Page" is not where you will find news and announcements. Rather we invite you to get out your Bible, read what is stated here and then compare and see if these things are in harmony with Scripture. --James S. McDonald, Jr.

Modern dancing in all of its forms is sinful and leads to other sinful practices. It is true that the devil, who knows more scripture than many "Christians," has rightfully said, "Well, what book, chapter, and verse says, 'Thou shalt not dance?"' Of course, there is no such statement, but the Bible, nevertheless, has much to say on the subject. Let us study this subject together.

What has led to much confusion among many people is the fact that the Bible mentions two kinds of dances, and whereas one is right and wholesome, the other kind is lustful and sinful. The devil and his advocates have made full use of this confusion among people by deceiving them into believing that if one kind is right, all kinds must be right.

One kind of dancing mentioned in the Bible was an expression of joy in worship to God. For example, in 2 Samuel 6:12-16, when the ark of the Lord was brought to the city of David from the house of Obededom, David danced before the Lord with all his might. In Exodus 15:20-ff, when the Lord had delivered the children of Israel from Egypt across the Red Sea, Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, led the women with timbrels and dances in praise to God. (Notice neither of these occasions of dancing involved both sexes.)

David in Psalms 150:4 said, "Praise the Lord with the timbrel and dance." It was this kind of dance, a dance of praise to God, which was engaged in when the prodigal son returned home after he had wandered in sin, and it was concerning this kind of dance that Solomon spoke when he said in Ecclesiastes 3:4, "There is a time to dance..."

But, there is not the slightest kinship between dancing in the Bible as an expression of praise toward God and the other kind of dance mentioned in the Bible and the kinds of dance forms practiced today which are designed to stimulate the lusts and affections of the flesh. You will recall this kind of dancing occurring after Moses had been in the mountain (Sinai) for a long period of time in order to receive the Law of God.

It was then that the children of Israel said to Aaron, "Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him." Aaron made a golden calf for the people, and they bowed down and worshipped it. God then commanded Moses to go down from the mountain. Moses saw the children of Israel were naked and were dancing. (Exodus 32:19,25). Notice, dancing is here associated with nakedness and idolatry. Surely with such association no one can say that what was happening was pleasing to God. It was a form of dancing to stimulate the lusts and affections of the flesh of the people so as to cause them to forget God and His deliverance of them.

It was this same kind of dancing which led to the death of that great preacher of righteousness, John the Baptist. John had told Herod that Herod was wrong in living with his brother's wife. The woman hated John for telling the truth. She hated him so that she wanted to see him dead. How did she get her wish? You know. Dancing! She had her beautiful daughter dance before Herod. Her dancing stimulated Herod's lusts so greatly that he was willing to give her anything she wanted. And that is just what happened. When Herod offered her anything she wanted, the dancing daughter of the divorcee turned to her mother, the wicked Herodias, for her wish. Herodias demanded the head of the man who had dared to tell the truth about her sinful state. Herod, even against his own conscience, stimulated to lustful passion, had the head of the preacher cut off. (Mark 7:17-25). Dancing will do that! It will cause one to think and do things contrary to what he knows is right. That is sin!

There are, therefore, only two kinds of dancing mentioned in the Scriptures:

1) That designed to praise and worship God; and 2) That designed to arouse the lusts and passions. Now ask, into which class does modern dance forms belong? The answer is clear. Modern dance forms are lustful and sinful, and are especially dangerous when participated in by youth who have not yet learned to control the passions of the body. No, there is not a chapter and verse: "Thou shalt not dance." But the Bible does set forth many guides to living the Christian life which are violated by the modern dance. How can a child of God dance and at the same time obey these Divine commands: 1) "Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good"(Romans 12:9). 2) "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (1 Thess. 5:22). 3) And to these could be added Matthew 5:16; 1 John 2:15; James 1:27; Titus 2:11,12; 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Even though the words, "Thou shalt not dance" do not appear as such in the Bible, the design and result of dancing is out right condemned. Dancing's design and result is lasciviousness, "wanton, lewd, lustful; tending to produce voluptuous or lewd emotions." In Galatians 5:19, this sin is listed along with others which if practiced will lead those guilty to such a state that they "shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:21). For those who object and say they can dance without sinning, ask, "Can a Christian conscientiously engage in that which is so likely to cause others to sin?" "Give no occasion of stumbling either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God" (1 Corinthians 10:32). If we cause others to sin, we have sinned ourselves.