YHWH inhabits the praise of His people!
We are not called to be professional dancers but worshippers. To worship the Father through the dance one must have a clean heart.
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1
Praise is the gateway into the presence of our Father and a powerful weapon in defeating the enemy. When Israel was preparing for battle in Judges 1:1-12, they inquired of YHWH .. Who will be first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites? YHWH tells them … Judah is to go. In Judges 20:18 we see the army of Israel asking YHWH, “Who should go up first to attack the army of Binyamin?” YHWH said, “Y’hudah/Judah first.”
There were twelve tribes of Israel. Why should Y’hudah be called upon to go up first? The Hebrew word translated as Judah is used many times in English as PRAISE. So the scripture could be translated as, LET PRAISE GO UP FIRST.
Praisers are on the ‘front line of battle’ preparing the Way. When we put on our praise garments with a pure heart, YHWH Tzav’ot will fight our battles for us. He converts our praise and worship into blows to the enemy preparing the way for His presence to be manifested among the people. Bondages are destroyed while strongholds collapse. Freedom, deliverance and healing come forth.
Psalm 149:1-3 – Sing to Adonai a new song, His praise in the assembly of the faithful. Let Israel rejoice in their maker, Let Tziyon’s/Zion’s children take joy in their King. Let them praise His name with dancing; make melody to him with tambourine and lyre……
Jeremiah 31:4 – Once again I will build you; you will be rebuilt, virgin of Israel. Once again, equipped with your tambourines, you will go out and dance with the merrymakers.
Exodus 15:20 – Also Miryam the prophet, sister of Aharon, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourine, dancing, as Miryam sang to them; “Sing to Adonai, for He is highly exalted! The horse and it’s rider he threw in the sea!”
Isaiah 30:30-32 – Adonai will make his glorious voice heard, and he will reveal his arm descending with furious anger in a flaming firestorm, with cloudbursts, tempests and hailstones. 31 For Adonai’s voice will terrify Ashur, as with his scepter he strikes them down. 32 Every sweep of the punishing rod that Adonai imposes on him will be to tambourines and lyres, as he brandishes his arm against them in battle.