Joel had been raised on hit parade music and at 16 he found he had a gift for writing songs. He played keyboards in a five-man band that became popular at churches, youth rallies and other community events throughout his teens. In 1972 Joel formed the group Lamb. Lamb, whose music soon came to be known as simply Messianic Music, quickly became one of the premier groups of the new movement that was sweeping the country. Recording on national labels, as well as their own independent imprint, Lamb recorded a total of 14 albums over two decades. With Lamb’s break-up in 1992, Joel focused his energies into several prominent organizations within the Messianic Jewish movement. Joel is currently the General Secretary of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA) and also president of the International Messianic Jewish Alliance (IMJA).
As of 2005 Lamb have reformed, with fellow Messianic artist Ted Pearce.
Joel has a brother David (aged 54), who is a Messianic Rabbi at Congregation Beth Yeshua in Philadelphia. They are the sons of Martin and Yohanna Chernoff, the founders of Cincinnati's Beth Messiah messianic congregation.
****** ************************************************************** ********
Joel Chernoff is one of the pioneers of Messianic music. For 20 years, he has been lead singer and songwriter for the music group LAMB.
Lamb, whose recordings have sold over 600,000 copies, has produced 14 Messianic recordings - many of which have reached Top 10 status on the contemporary religious charts.
He has also recently recorded and released two new solo national recordings from Galilee of the Nations entitled, The Restoration of Israel and Come Dance With Me. His most recent release, also from Galilee of the Nations, and distributed by Integrity Music in 2005 is a new Lamb recording titled The Sacrifice.
Besides his continuing recording and singing ministry, Joel is serving as President of the International Messianic Jewish Alliance and as General Secretary of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America or MJAA. The International Messianic Jewish Alliance is the largest affiliation of Messianic Jews in the world today with over 20 national member alliances. The Messianic Jewish Alliance of America is the largest of these 18 national alliances.
Joel Chernoff also serves as Chairman of the MJAA Joseph Project which has shipped over $40 million worth of humanitarian aid to Israel over the last 5 years.
Come Dance With Me
Joel Chernoff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come dance with me,
Yeshua, Yeshua,
Come dance with me
Sing, sing, sing to the Lord,
A new song, I sing to You,
With all my heart, with my lips,
Dance, dance, dance to the Lord,
I lift my hands to You,
With all my strength will I leap,
And in Your presence dance.
I humble myself before You,
Grateful I'll always be,
For you have brought me salvation,
You delivered me.
Without You I would have fallen,
Sin overwhelming me,
Without You I would have never know,
Your sweet mercy.
Shir, Shir, shir l'Adonai
Sing, sing, sing to the Lord)
Shir chadash, ani shar l'cha
(A new song, I sing to you)
With all my heart will my lips,
Sing praises to your name.
Rikedu, rikedu, rikedu, L'Adonai
(Dance, dance, dance to the Lord)
Ahrim' yaday elecha
(I lift my hands to you)
With all my strength will I leap,
And in your presence, dance.
Joel Chernoff's song "Come Dance With Me" is a joyful and celebratory invitation to Jesus, using imagery of dancing and singing to express worship and gratitude. The opening lines "Yeshua, Yeshua, come dance with me" are a direct call to Jesus, using the Hebrew name for Jesus, which means "salvation." The repetition of this line emphasizes the intimacy and personal relationship the singer feels with Jesus, inviting him to join in the dance of worship.
The verses of the song describe the singer's attitude of thankfulness and reverence towards God for his salvation and mercy. The line "Without You I would have fallen, sin overwhelming me" expresses a sense of dependence on God for salvation and forgiveness, while "With all my strength will I leap, and in your presence dance" demonstrates a desire to express devotion and love in a tangible way. The Hebrew phrases used throughout the song, such as "shir l'adonai" (sing to the Lord) and "rikedu l'adonai" (dance to the Lord) add a sense of cultural and linguistic richness to the lyrics, and create a sense of unity in praise.
Overall, "Come Dance With Me" is a song that inspires joy and gratitude, while also expressing a deep reverence and worshipful attitude towards God. The imagery of dancing and singing creates a sense of intimate connection and celebration, while the lyrics emphasize the singer's dependence on and gratitude for God's mercy and salvation.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeshua, Yeshua,
Come dance with me,
Calling on Jesus to come dance with me in celebration of His presence.
Sing, sing, sing to the Lord,
A new song, I sing to You,
With all my heart, with my lips,
Sing praises to Your name
Singing a fresh song of praise to the Lord with all of our being - heart, soul and voice.
Dance, dance, dance to the Lord,
I lift my hands to You,
With all my strength will I leap,
And in Your presence dance.
Jumping and dancing in pure joy before God, lifting hands in surrender and letting our hearts exult in His presence.
I humble myself before You,
Grateful I'll always be,
For you have brought me salvation,
You delivered me.
With humility and gratitude, acknowledging that God has saved us and brought deliverance to our souls.
Without You I would have fallen,
Sin overwhelming me,
Without You I would have never know,
Your sweet mercy.
Recognizing that without God, we would be lost and trapped in sin, but thanking Him for His mercy and grace towards us.
Shir, Shir, shir l'Adonai
Sing, sing, sing to the Lord)
Shir chadash, ani shar l'cha
(A new song, I sing to you)
With all my heart will my lips,
Sing praises to your name.
Continuing to sing to the Lord with gratitude and pouring out our hearts to Him in worship.
Rikedu, rikedu, rikedu, L'Adonai
(Dance, dance, dance to the Lord)
Ahrim' yaday elecha
(I lift my hands to you)
With all my strength will I leap,
And in your presence, dance.
Dancing with greater intensity in God's presence, boldly lifting hands in worship and joyfully expressing our love for Him.
Writer(s): Jimmy van Heusen, Sammy Cahn
Contributed by Riley M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.