On Dancing, Music, Holy Kiss
But doesn’t the Bible speak of dancing? We have to be careful when we read the Bible not to see a statement or read a certain word and immediately draw a conclusion that defines what we’re reading by our own understanding of the word instead of the Bible’s understanding of the word in view.
For example, 4 different times the Bible tells us to greet one another with a “holy kiss”. And a 5th time we’re told to greet one another with a “kiss of charity” (1 Peter 5:14). Do we do this today? And if not, why not? Well, the answer is that we do not do this literally – because it’s not possible to give someone a “holy kiss” physically. We could give someone a kiss but it surely wouldn’t be holy. Kissing spiritually points to sharing the gospel. If we share the gospel with others we have given them a “holy kiss”.
Likewise, when we look at the word dancing in the Bible, we find that it too points to a spiritual meaning. For example,
Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
4 Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.
In the verses above God is referring to His elect people (loved with an everlasting love) who, the Lord says, He will build them (compare: 1 Peter 2:5 built up a spiritual house) – and they (it is speaking of the body of Christ collectively and not of any single individual) will be “adorned with tabrets, and shall go forth in the dances of them that make merry”. So we see that adorning with tabrets and dancing is a result of God building the city of Jerusalem-which completely identifies with His salvation program. To say it another way, dancing comes into view as a picture of something that pictures salvation. There is joy and dancing – when a sinner becomes saved. See:
Luke 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
The elder son hears the music and dancing and knows that a joyous celebration is taking place because the prodigal son has returned home. He has repented. And so there’s joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. The dancing illustrates this joy.
We see this same connection between musical instruments, dancing, and salvation in:
Psalm 149:3 Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
Verse 3 declares, “Let them praise His name in the dance:” and then we see in verse 4 that God will beautify the meek with salvation. We also see the link between dancing and salvation in the case of Miriam the prophetess who came out with a timbrel in her hand in:
Exodus 15:20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
The setting for this playing of music, singing, and dancing is the time immediately after Israel has miraculously crossed the Red sea while Pharaoh and the Egyptian army were drowned in it. It is a historical parable looking at the glorious time when God’s people experience the completion of their salvation as the enemies of God and His kingdom are destroyed. The dancing spiritually points to the joyous nature of completed salvation.
This Scripture also describes the same truth:
Psalm 30:11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
God also uses dancing to show the consequences of His judgment on a rebellious people:
Lamentations 5:11 They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.
13 They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.
14 The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their musick.
15 The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.
When “our dance is turned into mourning” this means that there is no longer any salvation taking place within the churches and congregations during the time of God’s judgment upon them. Likewise, when we read of the removal of musical instruments from the world – we can understand that this points to the removal of the blessing of salvation from off the whole earth:
Isaiah 24:8 The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.
And,
Revelation 18:22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
Of course, without music there is no dancing taking place either. Salvation for this world has ended.
Finally, the subject of the beat or rhythm of the music. We know that the kingdom of God has its own language. We recognize that the words of songs used to worship God must be in agreement with the language (doctrine) of God. Even the most modern Christian groups today try to use words that speak of Christ and God and of things found in the Bible – although there still is the problem of incorrect doctrine entering into their lyrics – still though, they recognize that the lyrics are to be vastly different than the lyrics used by the world in their songs. But, when it comes to the music itself, the same care and concern is often not shown. Often, the music tries to bring together godly lyrics with worldly melodies and the results are not good. The inconsistency tends to ruin the song and remove its God glorifying quality from it.
Certain principles can be employed when trying to figure out if the music of a song is something that glorifies God or not:
The music should not overshadow the lyrics. The lyrics have to be heard.
The music should not be something that stirs the flesh rather than calls the spirit to sober meditation.
The music should be peaceful in some ways – as God’s kingdom is peaceful. Perhaps this is better understood by looking at the opposite: the world’s music is often anxiety producing – or that which is completely opposite of the idea of peaceful.
Musical instruments should serve to highlight the words which in turn focus attention upon God.