No, we are not joking, but please do not ask me how and when to view the dancing God. You may be familiar with the concept of the running father in the story of the Prodigal Son. But, a dancing God? Neither had we until we saw it in the book of Zephaniah, and we noticed it because it is a follow-up to our previous post.
In that post, we saw how believers bring a curse upon themselves by not rejoicing in God’s provisions. If you missed that post, refer to the original passage in Deuteronomy 28:27-48. But now, we move to a different book, one of those books of the Bible, the existence of which many believers are ignorant.
When some of us meet Prophet Nahum in heaven, and he asks if we read his book, we shall respond with “Did you write a book?” Zephaniah is one such book. Yes, there is such a book in your Bible, and that is where we find the concept of the dancing God. I cannot wait to get to heaven and watch the Almighty dancing.
Prophet Zephaniah, whose name means “the Lord hides,” revealed several interesting Divine qualities in his book. For instance, he told us how God does not try to hide from us. In Zephaniah 3.5, we read: “The Lord is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning, He brings His justice to light; He never fails, but the unjust know no shame.”
What the prophet is attempting to portray here is that God will not hide Himself from you as long as you are righteous. He contrasts this with the first verse, where we try to hide from God because of our unrighteousness.
Thank You, Jesus
When our hearts condemn us of sin and guilt, we do not draw near to God; rather, we run and hide. We would not be the first; Adam and Eve ran to hide themselves when they heard God’s voice after they sinned. But a God who does not hide is only one of the interesting qualities of God that the prophet describes. He also speaks about a God who dances.
That is another reason to thank God for Jesus Christ, who is our Righteousness, with a capital R. How would we, who descended from sinful forefathers, know righteousness outside of Jesus Christ? But God counts everyone who accepts Christ as their savior and Lord as righteous. And from such people, God will not hide.
In addition, if you practice what our last few posts have recommended, you will experience the dancing God. The relevant verse in Zephaniah 3:17 says: “The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
You do not have to be a Greek or even a Bible scholar to imagine the scenario, especially in the bolded portions. How do you rejoice over your loved one with gladness? Or, how else can you rejoice over them with singing? If I wander too far into imagination, I will not be able to finish writing this post.
You Can Experience the Dancing God
Here is the Almighty God, maker of heaven and earth, in the midst of the righteous people. Keep in mind, God only dances among His righteous ones, those who have surrendered their lives to His beloved Son, Jesus. We see that He is glad, and He is singing. Then, he mixes all that gladness and singing with joy before pouring it over us.
Greek scholars assure us that the term means the dancing God is twirling over us in joy. I love that, but some people might confuse it with an obscene movement that starts with a T. We consequently limited ourselves to speaking about the dancing God. Even that is extravagant, like our very lavish God. What would you do in response to that scenario? I know what I would do; I would smile, perhaps laugh out loud, dance, and twirl in response.
In that situation, I am not concerned about whether or not God’s promises are manifesting in my life. I am too busy enjoying the dancing God. At this point in our relationship with God, the floodgates of miracles open to us. Or, do you suppose the God who is dancing over you with joy will withhold any of His promises from you? We all know the answer to that, but may not be ready to do what it takes.
First, become the righteousness of God by inviting Jesus into your life. This is not about church membership or even leadership; it is about a personal relationship with Jesus, the Righteousness of God. Next, learn to rejoice in the Lord always. Then sit back and watch the dancing God come to join you in that divine exultation and celebration.
Maranatha!
