2 Samuel 6:14 (Misinterpreted Scriptures)
And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
Misinterpretation: This Scripture is often used to tell people that there is something wrong with their spiritual life (usually pride) if they do not dance during worship.
Facts: There is nothing wrong with dancing in worship. As a matter of fact, dancing as a form of worship to the true God has a long, long heritage. It dates at least back to the Israelite exodus from Egypt, when Miriam, the sister of Moses, led some of the women of Israel in dance (Ex. 15:20). However, just because David danced does not mean that people have to dance.
The problem with the UPC presentation of David’s dance is that they often say that if a person refuses to dance during worship then something is wrong with their spiritual walk. If this is true, then we all should have to wear linen ephods to truly worship the Lord. After all, that’s what David was doing!
March 1st, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Brother,
You are right; we do not have to dance before men… even David made it clear that he was not dancing before men, as for them to see, but before God. It was a beautiful sacrifice of humility for the new king. It is a shame that men will peer upon others to judge their worship. But I will say, that sometimes we do strange things that enable us to get past the flesh and really connect with God. If dancing does that, fine; if kneeling, great….but just to reach into the holy place and experience his presence is worth anything.
All the Best on your walk!
July 16th, 2008 at 4:26 am
Could someone dance and truely not be converted by God’s Grace? Shouldn’t we focus on what is really importaint? I have no problem with somebody dancing in a service, but lets get the donkey in front of the cart. Do we go to church so we can practice our dancing skills?
August 9th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I too was raised in the UPC and was an Apostolic minister for nearly 13 years of my 17 years in Ministry. This is a widely misquoted scripture by many. And so many I have ministered to have left church thinking there was something terribly wrong with them because they were not as vocal in their worship or did not dance and run the isles. I know many great saved folks who have not shouted and dance and ran but they are saved.
The Apostle Paul in his second letter to Timothy the 4th chapter and the 2nd verse, He said “Preach the Word” not ones opinion. Lets love the Word of God enough ti just preach the word. It will really change people.
In His Grip,
Rev. Josh Sparks.
January 27th, 2010 at 6:27 am
I’ve just stumbled across this post. I’m a dancer who wants to encourage people to dance for the Lord, but I’m shocked that anyone would suggest that someone who doesn’t dance has a spiritual problem. It’s basically spiritual abuse, for which the UPC is notorious.
February 11th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Just a thought… Please notice that David was not in the Tabernacle when he danced! Neither was Miriam. This was a Jewish thing, not a Christian thing and no where in the New Testament church is dancing recorded in the church. Also note that David was not in the “right” during this time because he should not have been wearing a Levitical priestly item like the ephod. This was a priest’s garment to be worn in the Tabernacle – David was from the tribe of Judah, not Levi! This could be one reason Michal looked on him with such hatred. He was being hypocritical in his worship. We are not necessarily told that it was right for him to be dancing or wearing an ephod, it is just recorded that this is what happened. Michal had been ripped from her husband who loved her and wept when she was taken away II Samuel 3, only to be added to David’s harem of other wives II Samuel 5:13. And yet the kings were commanded in Deuteronomy 17:17 “Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away:” so David was in disobedience to God in this area. Does anybody see a repeating pattern with David on this? He took away a man’s wife who clearly loved her, so he could have her for himself. Remember Bathsheba and Nathan the prophet’s story? My point to all this is that just because someone does something in the Bible that might LOOK like worship, does not necessarily mean that it is right or that the person’s heart is right with God at the time the event is recorded. David had good intent when he tried to bring the ark the first time, he just did it the wrong way. Sometimes we want so badly to do something for God (like worship) that we can do it in all the wrong ways. We should seek to worship God like HE wants to be worshiped, not what we like or what makes us feel good. God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in Truth John 4:24
May 24th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
KT girl, go back and read the scriptures. Michal was David’s wife before her father gave her away to the other man. Whether her adulterer husband cried is of no importance. He had to have known that she didn’t really belong to him.
As King, if David had not asked for her back, it would have made him look weak to some as if he didn’t keep what was his. As to his righteousness, I believe that Michal’s lack of childbearing speaks to that. If David was being hypocritical, it was up to the priests, prophets and God to punish it. None of them did a thing until the Bathsheba incident, which was a different story.
May 24th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
After reading my prior submit, I thought I should clarify my thoughts concerning Michal. Michal’s contempt brought childlessness upon her, which was seen in a horrible light in that time. Other women would have seen her as cursed! She had no right to speak to King David in that way. Her disrespect for him could have had her killed.
June 1st, 2010 at 10:05 am
There are some that would judge the UPC for their so called “spiritual abuse”. I feel that they use the thinking and judgment of some of the people in the church as example of the official stance and doctrine of the UPC church in general. There will always be IN EVERY CHURCH, groups or clicks of people, that portray opinions of their church beliefs that are actually outside the true stance of the church. If you are going to judge the UPC please quote the official stance and doctrine of the UPC and not some person or group that you have run into that portrays otherwise. I go to a UPC church and am Pentecostal and we do not “require” people to dance in the Spirit as a absolute sign of being saved or spiritual.
June 1st, 2010 at 10:50 am
Frederick, thanks for your feedback. In the introduction to the “Frequently Misinterpreted Scriptures” section of this Web site I wrote:
“Disclaimer: I created this list of Scriptures from my own experiences in the UPC. I am not saying that the ‘misinterpretations’ that I list are the views that are officially endorsed by the UPC or any other Oneness organization. I am only giving the interpretations that I heard time and time again during my years in the UPC.”
With that said, I was in Oneness churches for the first 26 years of my life, and all but one of them told people that if they did not ever dance in the spirit then they were proud. It was not pressed over the pulpit every sermon, but they all brought it up at some time or another.
If your church is one of the ones that does not accuse the non-dancers of pride then I think that’s great! Unfortunately, though, many churches do.
In Christ,
- Josh S.