God welcomes happy expressions of joy and delight from those who worship and praise him (Isaiah 30:29; Jeremiah 30:19; 31:13; Zephaniah 3:17; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16).
King David tried two times to bring the ark of God (also called "the ark of the LORD" or "the ark of the covenant") to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:1–11, 12–23). Both times involved celebration.
In the second procession with the ark, three Hebrew words describe "dancing" (see also 1 Chronicles 15:25–29):
karar ("danced" in 2 Samuel 6:14, 16)
pazaz ("leaping" in 2 Samuel 6:16)
raqad ("dancing" in 1 Chronicles 15:29)
These words show a lively physical expression, unlike the Hebrew word for "celebrate" used in David's first attempt (2 Samuel 6:5). In the first procession with the ark, David celebrated. In the second, he danced joyfully and celebrated with music, shouting, and trumpets.
Musical instruments were important in temple worship. In 1 Chronicles 25:1–31, David assigned groups to music ministry. Many psalms mention playing instruments to praise and worship God (see Psalms 33:2–3; 57:8; 81:2; 92:1–3; 98:4–6). In Psalms 149 and 150, dance and music are combined as a praise offering. In a similar way, music and dancing were present in the father's house in the parable of the lost son (Luke 15:25). This was because the son's return was a joyful event.
The book of Revelation describes an eternal celebration for the faithful. This celebration involves worship in God's presence (Revelation 4:1–11; 5:8–14; 15:1–4). It is like a wedding feast where the bridegroom (Jesus Christ) and the bride (his church) unite forever (Revelation 19:9; see also Matthew 22:1–14).
Passages for Further Study
Exodus 5:1; 12:17; 15:20–21; 1 Samuel 18:6; 2 Samuel 6:1–15; 2 Chronicles 7:6–10; Ezra 3:10–11; Psalms 30:11; 69:30; 98:4–6; 107:32; 149:1–9; 150:1–6; Isaiah 30:29; 54:1; Jeremiah 30:18–19; 31:4, 13; Lamentations 5:14–15; Zephaniah 3:17; Luke 15:22–25; 1 Corinthians 5:8; Ephesians 5:18–20; Colossians 3:16; Revelation 18:20