He Was Leaping and Dancing and She Despised Him
Leaping and dancing is fairly common in our society in many situations. That show of enthusiasm happens at all the sports games, happens at music concerts, happens when someone wins the lottery, and the list goes on of such celebrations within the world. Howbeit, it is downright prohibited to leap and dance in today’s Churches as a way to praise and worship the Living God! I remember sitting in a Church, and when someone got “happy” they would stand up, dance around, wave a Christian flag, and might even shout with a joyful shout. In that same Church, I remember the day when the local pastor started to ask congregational members to “Please sit down” when they began to leap and dance before the Lord. The Spirit of the Living God is being oppressed while the secular spirit of enthusiasm continues on! Expressing the Joy of the Lord gives birth to the Life within the Spirit of God, but to oppress that praise and worship for God is as if to abort the birth of the Spirit of God. The world, through Satan, despises God’s Children leaping and dancing, which the consequences are to quench the birth of the Children of God.
The Spirit of God is Life and Joy, and to be reconciled to the Spirit of God fills the heart with the desire to leap and dance before the Lord. Satan despises that rejoicing in the presence of God because it brings new birth and new life in the Spirit. In secular situations, that rejoicing is not in the presence of the Lord, and Satan encourages it to the utmost. The Message of the Cross is becoming a rare teaching within the Church today because it reconciles humanity to the Spirit of God. There is more rejoicing over one new birth of a repentant sinner than there is over 100 already born anew. Repentance is occasion for leaping and dancing. “And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.” When a miracle happens, and when sin is put into remission, the Spirit of God’s Joy bubbles up in us, there is leaping, dancing, and rejoicing. Satan despises the Children born from the Cross of Christ. Because of what Christ did for us on the Cross, our sin is washed away, there is unity with the Spirit of God and rejoicing is in our heart and soul! We separate ourselves from the worldly ways of dancing and leaping because it is not in the presence of God. Satan despises praise and worship to God and his intent is to steal, kill, and destroy the Spirit of God that causes us to leap and dance before the Lord.
When David saw the Ark of the Lord come into the City, he began to leap and dance in the presence of the Lord. David’s daughter saw him leaping and dancing and despised him, and the consequences of that spite was that she had no children to the day of her death. We are the City of God, or better stated, we are the Temple of the Lord. The Ark represents the presence of God within the Tabernacle of God, our body. When God comes into the City, there is going to be leaping and dancing, but Satan will despise that and make accusations. Those despising the Spirit of God within us are barren to the birth of the Spirit within themselves. May the Joy of the Lord be abundantly in us through the Holy Ghost to fill our Spirit with the desire to leap and dance. The source of the Holy Ghost, and our way into the presence of God, is through the remission of sin according to what Christ has done for us on the Cross.
Acts 3:7-8 is the source of the quote in the second paragraph.
“And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.”
“Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovered himself! And David said unto Michal, It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel: therefore will I play before the Lord. And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honor. Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death. 2 Samuel 6:16, 20-23