Program 261
The Insignificance of Worshipping Yahushua

Worshiping Christ does not make him divine. Many people are “worshiped” in Scripture.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Part 1: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: Should Christ be worshiped? Well, if you’re a trinitarian, the answer is going to be a resounding, “Yes! Of course!” But if you’re a unitarian—if you believe that only Yahuwah the Father should be worshiped—then you’re more likely to believe that Yahushua, as a human being, should not be worshiped.

Hi, I’m Miles Robey and you’re listening to World’s Last Chance Radio where we cover a variety of topics related to Scripture, prophecy, practical piety, Biblical beliefs, and living in constant readiness for the Savior’s unexpected return, whenever that might be.

It might surprise you to learn that Scripture definitely says Yahushua should be worshiped. Well, if you’re a trinitarian, this won’t surprise you. But at World’s Last Chance, we are not trinitarian.

We used to be. But after diligent study, comparing Scripture with Scripture, we now know that Scripture teaches that only Yahuwah is divine while Yahushua is His fully human son. So how, then, can he be worshiped? Are we committing blasphemy when we worship Yahushua? That’s what we’re going to be looking at today. Dave’s got some interesting insights that will shed light on this confusing paradox. Later, Jane Lamb has a promise for all those who partner with Yahuwah in saving souls.

Dave? I’m going to turn the time over to you now. I’m interested in hearing how worshiping someone other than Yahuwah can not be blasphemous, because it seems like it would be.

Dave Wright: I understand. I know it sounds blasphemous to worship a human being, and Scripture definitely teaches that Yahushua should be worshiped. Trinitarians, of course, resolve this conflict by saying that Yahushua is divine. We know, however, that he isn’t.

Miles: I just want to insert really quickly that, although we don’t have time to get into the full humanity of Christ in this program, we’ve got a lot of programs and articles on our website that cover this topic. So, if you haven’t had a chance to look at the evidence yet, be sure and check those out. In the meantime, if you’re a trinitarian, I just want to ask you to listen with an open mind. We’ll never ask you to just take our word for anything.

But the evidence is there, so I really hope that, if this is new to you, you’ll take the time to study it out for yourself.

Dave: Thank you, Miles. Yes, we’ve got something of a paradox. On the one hand, Scripture is abundantly clear that only Yahuwah is to be worshiped. On the other hand, Scripture says that Yahushua is to be worshiped. Not a problem if you’re a trinitarian, but a confusing problem once you know that Scripture teaches Yahushua is not divine.

Miles: So how do we resolve this? I’ve had trinitarians say, “Yahushua must be divine because he’s worshiped.” Have you ever heard that argument?

Dave: I have, and from people who should know better, too. I’m talking about priests and pastors: those who’ve gone to seminary.

To claim that Yahushua must be divine simply because he’s worshiped, is to be either misinformed or ignorant.

Miles: So what are you saying?

Dave: To understand how Yahushua could be worshiped without it being blasphemy, to understand how he could be worshiped and yet still fully human, we need to take a look at the original Greek and Hebrew words that are translated into our modern Bibles as “worship”? This will clarify just who can be worshiped, what worship means, and within what parameters only Yahuwah is to be worshiped.

Miles: That sounds contradictory: Only Yahuwah is to be worshiped, but … Yahushua is worshiped. That doesn’t make sense.

Dave: It’ll become clearer as we go along. We’ll look first at what the Greek and Hebrew means by the word “worship.” How it’s defined in those languages. Then, we’ll take a look at a contradiction most people aren’t aware of in their belief systems, and that is simply this: Claiming that Yahushua must be divine because he’s worshiped denies his humanity. This is a rather huge contradiction for which trinitarians don’t have a solution.

Miles: Well, that’s interesting. I’d think trinitarians wouldn’t have a problem with that.

Dave: They do, but we’ll get into that later in our program.

For now, let’s look at what it means to be worshiped. How do we interpret the act of worship? How is the word used in Scripture? And, in the Bible, do we have any instances of someone other than Yahuwah being worshiped?

Miles: Well, yeah. The Israelites worshiped the golden calf. They worshiped Moloch and other false gods.

Dave: This is true. Of course. And they sinned when they did so. Perhaps a clearer way to ask that question is: are there any instances in Scripture where a human being was “worshiped” … and it was not an act of blasphemy?

Miles: I … I really don’t know.

Dave: Well, we need to answer that question because it will teach us a lot about what “worship” means and how it was used in Scripture.

I maintain that to claim Yahushua must be divine because he’s worshiped is ignorant of how Scripture defines worship. See, a lot depends upon the definition of the word.

Miles: I suppose an important point then would be to discover why—under what circumstances—a human being can be worshiped. Can a human be worshiped, and it not be idolatry?

Dave: I believe so, yes. But again, it gets back to how the word was originally understood. As we get into this, you’ll see that the argument that Yahushua is worshiped because he’s divine, and he’s divine because he’s worshiped, is fundamentally flawed. It’s incorrect.

Miles: Not to mention a logical fallacy. It’s circular reasoning.

Dave: A large part of the confusion arises over the presuppositions we make with regards to that word. Really, the only time we ever use “worship” today is in connection with a god: either the true, Creator-God, or false gods.

Miles: I’ve heard of “Your Worship” being used as a title of respect for a magistrate.

Dave: I have, too, but that’s quite antiquated. I don’t know anyone who uses that anymore.

Miles: True. Is there anyone in Scripture, besides Yahuwah, Yahushua, and false gods, that is justifiably worshiped and it’s not a sin?

Dave: The answer, surprisingly, is yes.

Miles: Really?! And it’s not in an idolatrous sense?

Dave: No. This is what I meant when I said we bring certain presuppositions to this word, because in our language, “worship” is only ever used to refer to the homage we rightfully pay the Creator, or wrongfully pay to false gods. There’s no in between.

Miles: Interesting.

Dave: I’m surprised you thought to ask but I’m glad you did because this is the crux of today’s program: Scripture reveals humans can be “worshiped” without it being idolatry and it’s in this sense that Yahushua is worshiped. So to try and establish Christ’s divinity on the basis that he’s worshiped is inconsistent with the many other times Scripture says someone is worshiped – and they’re clearly not divine!

Miles: That’s really surprising to me. Are we dealing with different definitions maybe?

Dave: Well, let’s look at that. That’s a good place to start.

I printed off the modern definition of the word. Here … would you read that for us, please?

Miles: Yeah, uh … “Worship.” It says: “The state or quality of being worthy; excellence of character; dignity; worth; worthiness.”

Dave: We don’t really use it like that very often anymore.

Miles: Yeah, it says this usage is obsolete or archaic.

Uhh … it goes on: “A prayer, church service, or other rite showing reverence or devotion for a deity; religious homage or veneration … unbounded admiration; intense love; extreme devotion.”

It can also mean, “to adore or pay divine honors to as a deity; to reverence with supreme respect and veneration; as, to worship God. … to have intense love or admiration for, as a lover; to idolize.” It also says “to engage in worship; specifically, to perform religious service; to offer prayers, attend church services, etc.”

Dave: So, even now, we have several meanings to the word, we just generally tend to think of it only in relation to Yahuwah. Or false gods. Whatever.

What does it say in your antique dictionary there?

Miles: Umm … “Chiefly and eminently, the act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being or the reverence and homage paid to him in religious exercises, consisting in adoration, confession, prayer, thanksgiving and the like. The homage paid to idols or false gods by pagans.”

Dave: Okay. So that still goes along with what we think of today when we hear the word “worship.”

Now, in the Old Testament, there are three different Hebrew words that are translated into our language as “worship.” Number 6087 occurs only once in Jeremiah 44:19 where it talks about fashioning cakes to the queen of heaven. The next word that’s translated as worship comes from the Hebrew word, seg-eed. The only place it’s translated as “worship” in our Bibles is in Daniel. And it means, just … worship.

The most common Hebrew word that appears in our Bibles as worship comes from the Hebrew word, shaw-khaw, or number 7812. Shaw-khaw is used 172 times in the OId Testament.

I brought my copy of Strong’s Expanded Dictionary there. Would you please turn to number 7812 and read what it says?

Miles: All right, uh … it’s a prime root that means “to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially reflecting in homage to royalty or God):–worship.”

Oh, this is interesting. Apparently, it’s translated as “worship” 99 times; as “bow” 31 times; “bow down” 18 times; “obeisance” 9 times; “reverence” 5 times, and “stoop” and “crouch” one each.

Oh! And “fall down” three times.

Dave laughs: Would that come under the category of accidental worship?

Anything else?

Miles: Yeah, uh …

“Shaw-khaw portrays the act of bowing down in homage by an inferior before a superior ruler and before a social or economic superior to whom one bows. It is the common term for coming before God in worship. Other gods and idols are also the object of such worship by one’s prostrating oneself before them.”

Dave: Okay, so you can see how trying to establish Yahushua’s divinity on the basis of this word is going to lead you into trouble.

Miles jokes: Yeah, maybe the person just fell down! What about in the New Testament?

Dave: “Worship” in the New Testament has some interesting connotations we don’t get from shaw-khaw. Our most common translation as “worship” comes from the Greek word pros-koo-neh-o. It’s number 4352. Would you please turn there and read the definition for us?

Miles: Oh, this is funny! It says that pros-koo-neh-o means “to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand; to fawn or crouch to, i.e. prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore): — worship.”

It says: “This word means ‘to make obeisance, do reverence to.’” It’s most frequently translated as “worship” and is used “of an act of homage or reverence to God, to Christ, to a man, to the Dragon, by men, to the Beast, the image of the Beast, to demons and to idols.”

Dave: The Gingrich New Testament Lexicon says pros-koo-neh-o means to “(fall down and) worship, do obeisance to, prostrate oneself before, do reverence to, welcome respectfully.”

Miles: So, basically, just like any of us would greet a king or queen, a president or prime minister or whatever.

Dave: Yes. Especially if it were our own. We’re not going to prostrate ourselves in front of, say, the king of Thailand, although Thais are very careful to always stay lower than the king. That’s part of their cultural way of showing respect.

But we show respect, too. Thais crouch down lower than the monarch. Other cultures show respect by standing when an important person enters the room: you don’t lounge about when someone you respect walks in.

Miles: Soooo … “worship” is showing respect.

Dave: It’s showing extreme respect in a more formalized way.

Miles: Okay. We’re going to take a quick break but when we come back, could we take a look at some examples where humans are worshiped?

Dave: Sure!

Miles: Okay. We’ll be right back.

* * *

Stamina is important. Whether you’re an athlete, a doctor working long shifts, a student studying for finals, or a parent whose baby keeps waking up throughout the night, stamina is what gives us the strength to keep going.

It’s important to have spiritual stamina, too. Stress, physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, grief, ill-health – all of these can weaken our spiritual stamina. And, let’s face it: some seasons of life are more stressful than others. To learn how you can not only maintain but actually strengthen your spiritual stamina, listen to Program 256 called “Strengthening Your Spiritual Stamina.”

Join Miles and Dave as they delve into the best ways to keep on keeping on, even when life experiences exhaust you. Look for Program 256, “Strengthening Your Spiritual Stamina” on WorldsLastChance.com.

* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Dave: So. In both Hebrew and Greek, the word “worship” means for someone to bow down and show extreme deference to a superior.

Miles: Like a dog, licking your feet.

Dave chuckles: Basically, yes.

Let’s look at a few examples of this used in Scripture. We’re all most acquainted with the way the word is used in Exodus 34:14. Would you read that for us please?

Miles: “Do not worship any other god, for Yahuwah, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”

Dave: Here Yahuwah is reiterating the third commandment given in Exodus chapter 20.

But there are other instances. Turn to Genesis 22 and read verse 5. This is just before Abraham offered Isaac as a burnt offering. They, and a couple of servants, were traveling to Mount Moriah. And what does Abraham tell the servants? Genesis 22 verse 5.

Miles: “[Abraham] said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.’”

I’ve always liked this verse. It shows Abraham’s faith that Isaac will either be spared or raised back to life because he tells the servants that he and the boy will go and return. But this is still an act of worship directed at Yahuwah. Do you have any examples where a human does this to another human?

Dave: I do indeed. And the reason I had you read Genesis 22 verse 5 first is that the word translated “worship” in this verse, is the exact same word in Hebrew that is translated as “bowed down” in this next passage.

Turn to the very next chapter: Genesis 23. This is when Sarah died and Abraham was negotiating to purchase a cave in which to bury her. What does it say Abraham does? Verse 7.

Miles: “Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.”

Dave: The phrase translated here as “bowed down” is translated from the exact same word as used in the third commandment.

In fact, let’s take a look at that really quick. Could you please read Exodus 20 verses 4 to 6? This is the third commandment.

Miles:

You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I Yahuwah your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Dave: Verse 5 says, “You shall not … bow down … to them or serve them.” So, whether you translate it as “bow down” or “worship,” the same concept is being conveyed and you can see that it’s used interchangeably as an act of worship directed at the Creator, or an act showing respect to a human being.

Miles: Didn’t Joseph’s brothers bow down to him? When he was governor of Egypt? Do you know if that’s the same word?

Dave: Yes, it is. I actually looked that up. There it’s translated as “bowed down” but it’s the same Hebrew word that’s translated elsewhere as “worship.” So there are a lot of passages that speak of humans “worshiping” other humans. None of them are considered divine simply because they’re “worshiped.”

Let’s take a look at David.

When David was fleeing from King Saul, someone betrayed his whereabouts to the king. So, Saul and his soldiers marched out to the wilderness of Engedi. While there, Saul needed to … well, from the way it’s phrased, sounds like he needed to use a toilet. So he goes into this cave to relieve himself.

What he didn’t know was that David and his men were hiding out in that very cave!

Start reading at verse 4 and read through verse 8: 1 Samuel 24.

Miles:

And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which Yahuwah said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul's robe. And afterward David's heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul's robe. He said to his men, “Yahuwah forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, Yahuwah’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is Yahuwah’s anointed.” So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.

Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage.

Dave: Now, we all know that David was Yahuwah’s anointed. But David was humble. Saul was also Yahuwah’s anointed, and David had tremendous respect for that. Saying that David paid “homage” is from the exact same Hebrew word that is translated elsewhere as “worshiped.”

Miles: David worshiped Saul.

Dave: Yes. But here’s the difference. David worshiped Saul … as Yahuwah’s anointed. He did not worship Saul as God. He didn’t give him the homage due to our Creator alone. He paid him the respect of his office as king and Yahuwah’s anointed, but not as divine. That’s the difference.

Now, after David became king—and even a few times before—others worshiped David! They knew he was also Yahuwah’s anointed, so they paid him that respect.

Drop down to the very next chapter: 1 Samuel 25. Here we see Abigail, a very wise woman, worshiping David. David and his men had helped Abigail’s husband, Nabal. So, when they needed supplies, they sent to Nabal asking for provisions.

Nabal’s rejection of their request was insulting in the extreme and David lost his temper. He decided to march on Nabal and show him who’s the boss.

Start reading at verse, uh … 14. Verses 14 to 16.

Miles:

But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master, and he railed at them. Yet the men were very good to us, and we suffered no harm, and we did not miss anything when we were in the fields, as long as we went with them. They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.

Dave: So, without telling her husband, Abigail quickly gathered together some provisions. And not just a little. She took 200 loaves, some skins of wine, five sheep already cleaned and slaughtered. She also took over 7 liters of grain, a hundred clusters of grapes and 200 cakes of figs and set off to meet David.

Then what? Verse 23.

Miles: “When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got down from the donkey and fell before David on her face and bowed to the ground.”

Dave: She was showing extreme respect, almost to the point of reverence. Not that she viewed David as divine, but because her life and the lives of all the servants—as well as her husband—hung in the balance and she knew it.

Keep going. Verses 24 to 26.

Miles:

She fell at his feet and said, “On me alone, my lord, be the guilt. Please let your servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant. Let not my lord regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I your servant did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent. Now then, my lord, as Yahuwah lives, and as your soul lives, because Yahuwah has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal.

Dave: Abigail goes to David. She bows down. She worships him. She calls him “my lord.” You read through the entire chapter and you see that Abigail calls David “my lord” a total of 13 times!

But the point to remember is, Abigail did not worship David as Yahuwah.

Miles: Yeah, there’s a difference.

Dave: So to try and claim that Yahushua must be divine because he is worshiped, is to ignore these many other passages of Scripture where people were “worshiped” but not as Yahuwah.

There’s a really interesting passage in 1 Chronicles 29. Why don’t you turn there for us? 1 Chronicles 29 and read verse 29. This is when David announced that Solomon would build a temple for Yah.

You have it? Go ahead.

Miles: “And David said to all the congregation, Now bless Yahuwah your God. And all the congregation blessed Yahuwah God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped Yahuwah, and the king.”

Dave: They worshiped whom? They worshiped Yahuwah … and …?

Miles: The king.

Dave: “And” is a coordinating conjunction. It links two different things together. It’s saying that they worshiped Yahuwah … and … the king.

But again, as with Abigail, only Yahuwah was worshiped as God, as the Creator. David was “worshiped,” he was respected—another translation says they “paid homage” to Yahuwah and the king—so David was paid homage as the king anointed by Yahuwah. But no one in the crowd that day was confused. None of them thought that King David was divine. They paid him homage as Yahuwah’s anointed, but they didn’t assume this made him God just because the Hebrew word for “worship” was being applied to both.”

Miles: That is really interesting. I never looked at it that way before.

Dave: We see this again in Psalm 72. This was a psalm celebrating Solomon’s coronation. Read verses 10 and 11. Let’s see what it says.

Miles:

May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands
render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
bring gifts!
May all kings fall down before him,
all nations serve him!

Dave: The phrase “fall down”—other translations say “bow down”—comes from the same Hebrew word for “worship.”

Miles: So, clearly being “worshiped” isn’t a prerogative of divinity.

Dave: Not so long as the worship is not being done as an act of homage to someone as “God,” or as Yahuwah. Only Yahuwah is entitled to receive the highest levels of worship by virtue of the fact that He is our Creator.

Isaiah 45 gives us a prophecy of Cyrus, the Persian ruler who would let any Israelites who wanted to return to Palestine. Yahuwah is speaking in this passage, foretelling what will be said of Cyrus.

Read verse 14 and as you do that, take note again of the phrase “bow down.” It’s “worship” in Hebrew.

Miles:

This is what Yahuwah says:

“The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,
and those tall Sabeans—
they will come over to you
and will be yours;
they will trudge behind you,
coming over to you in chains.
They will bow down before you
and plead with you, saying,
‘Surely God is with you, and there is no other;
there is no other god.’”

Dave: So here Yahuwah Himself is saying that the Sabeans will bow down to—worship—Cyrus. And in the same sentence the reason why is given: it’s because they can see that Yahuwah is with Cyrus and aside from Yahuwah, “there is no other god.”

So here we clearly have spelled out that a human being can be, quote/unquote, “worshiped,” while at the same time it’s clearly understood that only Yahuwah is divine and aside from Him, there is no other god.

There are literally hundreds of examples in the Old Testament of people being worshiped without it being considered idolatry precisely because it was understood they were being honored; they were not being worshiped as the Creator.

Miles: What about in the New Testament? That’s a completely different language. Does the Greek word for “worship” only apply to Yahuwah there?

Dave: That’s a good question and the answer is no. As with the Old Testament, the word is used for both Yahuwah and human beings.

Now, at a surface reading, it could appear that this word is applied to Yahushua in a way that suggests he should be worshiped because he’s divine. Let’s look at a few of these, but bear in mind that these do not prove Yahushua is divine. All the other Biblical evidence points to him being fully human.

Turn to Matthew 2 verse 8. This is Herod speaking to the wise men. What does he say?

Miles: “He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’”

Dave: Turn now to Matthew chapter 8. A trinitarian is going to argue that Yahushua received worship, therefore he must be “God.” But that’s not what’s happening here.

Read verse 2, please.

Miles: “And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.’”

Dave: Okay. That’s a newer translation. Here … read it in this older one.

Miles: “And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”

Dave: So we can see here that the Greek word, like the Hebrew word, can be used interchangeably, both for worship and for the act of bowing down to show respect.

Go to the next chapter: Matthew 9. Read verse 18 for us.

Miles: Which version?

Dave: Use the older one.

Miles: All right, uh, it says: “While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.”

Dave: The more modern translation says the ruler bowed down to Yahushua.

Miles: Okay, but, like you pointed out, a trinitarian is going to say Yahushua received worship because he was divine. Otherwise, it’s idolatry: receiving worship that was not due him.

Dave: There’s a difference between receiving worship as the Creator, and receiving respect. Yahushua was receiving respect and the honor rightfully due him as Yahuwah’s anointed.

* * *

You are listening to World's Last Chance Radio.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *

Priorities. When we’re busy or under stress, it’s easy to get our priorities skewed. This can even happen in our spiritual life. It’s important to ask if our priorities are aligned with Christ’s. Do you even know what his priorities were? To save souls, of course. But it was much more than that.

How did Christ’s priorities influence his daily decisions and life choices? It’s important to analyze if we’re consciously choosing to align our priorities with the Savior’s or if, perhaps subconsciously, we let other things become more important. To learn what was most important to Yahushua, how that was revealed in his daily life, and how you can shift your priorities to align with the Savior’s, look for the radio program called “Keep the main thing the main thing.” That’s program #145: “Keep the main thing the main thing.”

You can find previously aired programs on our website at WorldsLastChance.com.

* * *Part 3: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: These are all great examples of people “worshiping” Christ, but a trinitarian is going to say that of course, he was worshiped because he’s “God.” Are there any examples in the New Testament of humans … I mean, humans other than Christ, being worshiped?

Dave: There are. There aren’t as many simply because the New Testament is much shorter than the Old Testament, but there are some.

Let’s look at an example where Christ himself used the Greek word for worship to illustrate deep respect. Turn to Matthew 18. This is the parable where a king was going over his accounts and discovered a certain servant owed him a great deal of money. Ten thousand talents.

Now, just so you can grasp the significance of this story, ten thousand talents is the equivalent of 13.2 trillion US dollars in today’s economy.

Miles: How’d he even get to borrow so much?

Dave: Right? So the king orders the servant and his wife and children and all that he has to be sold to put toward the debt. Obviously, it wouldn’t even make a dent in it, but he could recoup a little of the losses.

Upon hearing this, what did the servant do? Read verse 26.

Miles: “The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.”

Dave: Which is utterly ridiculous because that amount of money is the equivalent of 160,000 years’ wages.

Miles: Wow!

Dave: There’s no way the servant could ever pay back such an immense amount of money, which is why this translation says he “worshipped him.” Other translations say he “fell on his knees before him.” The servant didn’t have a chance and he knew it, so in fear and despair, he cast himself on the mercy of the king, showing the greatest respect that he could. His actions in showing respect weren’t the point of this parable. Yahushua added it in as a point of illustration to demonstrate the servant’s desperation. So, this was still a commonly understood term for showing great respect.

Another place “worship” is used is found in the Book of Revelation. Turn to chapter 3. This is the message to the church of Philadelphia. What does the angel tell them? Verse 9.

Miles: “I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.”

Dave: And in the other translation?

Miles: Uhhh … “Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.”

Dave: Now, clearly, if holy beings are causing this to happen as a sign of honor and respect to this group of believers, it’s not a sin. But again, they’re being honored; they’re not being worshiped as divine. That’s the difference.

Turn to Deuteronomy 8. In this chapter, Moses is recounting to the Children of Israel the events that occurred during their Wilderness Wanderings. And he ends his sermon with a solemn warning. Read verses 19 and 20. These are the last two verses of the chapter, the climax he’s been building toward.

Go ahead.

Miles:

And if you forget Yahuwah your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations that Yahuwah makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of Yahuwah your God.

Dave: The warning is never to worship anyone or anything else … as God; as the divine Creator.

Turn back to Deuteronomy 6. Read verses 1 and 2.

Miles: “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that Yahuwah your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it.”

Dave: Verse 3 basically says, “Listen! I’m going to tell you what you need to believe to prosper.” Now read verses 4 and 5.

Miles: “Hear, O Israel: Yahuwah our God, Yahuwah is one. You shall love Yahuwah your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

Dave: This is the verse Yahushua quoted when he was asked what was the “greatest commandment.” But there’s another verse in this chapter that’s very important. Would you read verse 13, please?

Miles: “It is Yahuwah your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.”

Dave: Yahushua referred to this verse in Matthew 4. Would you turn there, please? This chapter is about the temptation of Christ in the wilderness. When the devil showed him all the glories of the world and offered them to Christ if he’d just worship him, we know how Yahushua responded. Read verse 10.

Miles:

Then Yahushua said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship Yahuwah your God
and him only shall you serve.’”

Dave: So, the Savior had a very clear understanding that only Yahuwah and Yahuwah alone is to be worshiped as “God,” as divine. Yahushua always put Yahuwah first and even said that Yahuwah was more important than he was, so we can know that the, quote-unquote, worship Yahushua received was not an act of devotion given to a Supreme Being but rather the “worship” that is simply great respect.

Miles: Well, yeah. It doesn’t make sense that Yahushua, knowing Scripture, knowing only Yahuwah is to be worshiped as God, would accept the sort of worship that is due to Yahuwah alone. That would be blasphemy, and he wouldn’t have done that.

Dave: Of course not. And if you take the time to read the context surrounding this commandment, you’ll find that it’s always given as a contrast to worshiping other gods.

So, think back to the dictionary definition of worship. There are several different nuanced definitions, but the main one is an act of devotion or an expression of adoration to the Supreme Being. Well, there’s only one Supreme Being, and that’s Yahuwah.

So, sure. We can “worship” other humans in the sense of showing respect. We meet a king or a president or premiere, we might bow the head, or whatever culture dictates as a sign of respect.

Miles: The traditional wedding vows as given in the Church of England include the phrase, “with my body, I thee worship.”

Dave: Right. That doesn’t mean you’re promoting your wife to the role of Supreme-Being-Big-Shot-Told-Ya-So-Boss-Of-The-Universe status. It simply means you’re giving her the proper love and devotion she has every right to expect as your spouse.

Miles: When you realize how many, many times Scripture tells us to worship Yahuwah alone, it amazes me that we ever could have believed in a triune godhead.

Dave: Well, to be fair, the issue was largely obfuscated by the use of titles in our modern translations. Titles are useful for drawing comparisons between Yahuwah as the only true God versus false gods. But titles are really an umbrella term. So, throughout the Old Testament, if all you ever see is the phrase “the Lord God” and you don’t know it’s actually giving Yahuwah’s personal name, and then you get to the New Testament and see Yahushua referred to as “lord,” you’re going to draw the logical, if incorrect assumption, that Yahushua falls under the umbrella term of “God” as part of a trinity.

In the Old Testament, Yahuwah repeatedly states that only He is to be worshiped as God. In the New Testament, Yahushua repeats that, excluding himself as being part of “God.” So, it’s actually quite ironic that when you worship Yahushua as God, you’re committing idolatry.

Miles: Wow. Say more.

Dave: Well, again, Yahuwah repeatedly states that only He is to be worshiped. “He” is a singular pronoun. Even trinitarians divvy up the godhead in to He the Father, He the Son, and He the Holy Ghost. Again, it’s a singular pronoun. It can’t refer to more than one.

So, once you know that Yahuwah repeatedly states that only He is to be worshiped as God, but then you worship a trinity as God, you tell me: are you committing idolatry?

Miles: Well, yeah. You’re adding on to Yah’s clear commands in the Old Testament.

Dave: Commands that Yahushua reiterated and confirmed. Yahushua never included himself as being on a par with Yahuwah. He always deferred to Yahuwah which, if they were both divine, would be misleading and disingenuous.

Miles: Is there a word in Scripture that’s translated as “worship” that is used for Yahuwah alone? And can we tell from context that’s it’s referring to Yahuwah only?

Dave: There is, yes. In the Greek concordance, it’s got reference number 3000. It means “to minister to God, to render religious homage.”

Read what Paul said to Governor Felix: Acts 24:14.

Miles: “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets.”

Dave: Obviously, Paul’s speaking strictly of Yahuwah here.

Turn now to Philippians 3 verse 3.

Miles: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Yahushua, and have no confidence in the flesh.”

Dave: We worship Yahuwah. We rejoice in Yahushua. Those are two exclusionary statements.

The only other place this word is used refers to worship that is false, because it’s rendering to false gods the type of worship that is due to Yahuwah alone. You can find it in Acts chapter 7.

This is Stephen’s sermon before the Sanhedrin just before he was martyred. Read verses 41 and 42.

Miles:

And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:

“‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices,
during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

Dave: The title here translated as “God” comes from the Greek title, theos, and is defined as, quote, “the Supreme Divinity.” So, again, making a statement that worship as acts of devotion rendered to anyone other than Yahuwah, is idolatry. Only Yahuwah is to be worshiped as divine.

Miles: So what you’re saying is that the reason behind why we bow down, the purpose prompting the act of worship—whatever it is—is what makes the difference. I can bow to, say, King Charles, but I’m not sinning because I’m bowing to him as king, not as God.

Dave: Correct.

Now apply that same concept to Yahushua. We worship him as Yahuwah’s anointed. We give him the respect he is due as the world’s redeemer. We do not worship him as the Supreme Being since only Yahuwah is the Supreme Being, the originator of all life.

We honor Yahuwah by honoring His anointed. In the New Testament, that’s Yahushua. In the Old, those were His appointed kings: first Saul, then David and after him, Solomon.

Now if it was acceptable to honor Yahuwah by “worshiping” His anointed kings, how much more acceptable is it to worship the Son of David that was to come and rule from David’s throne forever?

In fact, that’s what Psalm 110 is all about: worship due the world’s Redeemer. Why don’t you turn there and start read verse 1?

Miles: “Yahuwah says to my Lord:
‘Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.’”

Dave: And drop down to verses 4 and 5?

Miles:

Yahuwah has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.”

Yahuwah is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.

Dave: There are several reasons why worshipping the fully human Savior is appropriate. Obviously, because he is Yahuwah’s anointed, and he is due our love and respect for his great sacrifice. But there’s another reason. Philippians 2:9-11 tells us what it is. Would you read that for us, please?

Miles:

Therefore [Yahuwah] exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Yahushua every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Yahushua Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Dave: This is also why it is appropriate to worship—to show ultimate respect to—Yahushua: because Yahuwah has exalted and elevated him. At the judgment, all shall bow and proclaim that Yahushua—the human—is lord. He’s not God, but he is lord.

One final point: to say that Yahushua must be divine simply because he’s worshiped, is to deny his humanity.

Miles: Okaaay, but. Trinitarians do claim he’s human. As I was taught, they believe he’s 100% human and 100% divine.

Dave: Which makes no sense whatsoever. But that’s also a problem for trinitarians because if you believe that the Savior is at all human—and you’re right: trinitarians believe he’s equally human and divine—but if you then worship him as divine, you are effectually denying his humanity. Even his trinitarian version of humanity!

You can’t worship him as divine and admit he’s in any part human. It just doesn’t work.

Now if, as trinitarians claim, only Yahuwah can be worshiped, then Christ cannot be human. If being worshiped is proof of divinity, then worshiping Christ just disproved his humanity. You can’t have it both ways.

Miles: Hmmm. That’s a really good point. Trinitarians focus on Yahushua’s divinity. Oh, they believe he had a human nature and that he “set aside” his divine nature, but they still insist he was fully human while still being fully divine. But you’re right: if you try to prove his divinity based on the fact that he is worshiped, you have—just that fast—denied his humanity.

Dave: And is that not the spirit of antichrist? To deny Yahushua has come in the flesh?

We’ve said it before in other programs, but I’m going to say it again: truth is harmonious. It will never contradict itself. Today’s program is but another illustration of that. Yahushua is not divine, but he is exalted. He’s fully human, but he is to be worshiped as our Redeemer and Yahuwah’s anointed. But he is never worshiped as God because only Yahuwah is divine.

Miles: That’s very interesting. Thanks for a fascinating study.

Up next is Jane Lamb with today’s daily promise!

* * *Daily Promise:

Hello! This is Jane Lamb with your Daily Promise from Yah’s Word.

Christopher Wren was an incredibly intelligent, skilled, and talented man. Born in 1632, he studied physics and engineering. He was a professor of astronomy at Oxford but was also a very knowledgeable mathematician and geometrician. Not only that, but Wren was an inventor as well. One of his inventions was a machine operated by pressurized air!

What Christopher Wren is most remembered for today, however, is his skill as an architect. In fact, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Wren was “the greatest English architect of his time.” He was commissioned to design the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, the Trinity College Library in Cambridge, and the façade of Hampton Court Palace. Wren also designed 53 churches in London, including St. Paul’s Cathedral where Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles.

One day, as Wren was supervising construction on one of the churches, a journalist thought it would be interesting to interview some of the workers. He chose three different laborers and asked them all the same question: “What are you doing?”

The first construction worker replied: “I’m cutting stone for 10 shillings a day.”

The next answered: “I’m putting in 10 hours a day on this job.”

But the third responded: “I am helping Sir Christopher Wren construct one of London’s greatest cathedrals.”

Believers are offered the privilege of being transformed into the divine image. But what is more, we are also given the opportunity to cooperate with Heaven in the salvation of souls.

The apostle, Peter, wrote, quote: “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Yahuwah through Yahushua the Anointed. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

“‘Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”^[b]

“Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient … they stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of Yah, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” [See 1 Peter 2:5-10.] Unquote.

All who co-partner with Yah in the work of saving souls are promised an incredibly glorious reward. Daniel chapter 12, verse 3, promises, quote: “They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”

The infinite resources of Heaven are laid open to those who will take Yah at His word, accept salvation and, in turn, work to save others.

We’ve been given great and precious promises. Go, and start claiming!

* * *Part 4: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: I was kind of surprised by the title of today’s program. You called it “The Insignificance of Worshiping Yahushua.” But it’s not saying that Yahushua is insignificant. Not only is he Yahuwah’s anointed, he’s also the redeemer of mankind. Your point, as I understand it, is that the act of worship itself is not significant in that it does not prove his divinity.

Dave: That’s correct. Yahushua is highly exalted—as he should be—but being worshiped doesn’t make him any more divine than it made King Saul—

Miles: Who was a wicked king!

Dave: Or King David, or Solomon – who had his own issues with morality and worship.

The argument that Yahushua being worshiped proves his divinity is false. It’s based on tradition, not Scriptural evidence.

Miles: Well, it’s circular reasoning: Yahushua is worshiped because he’s divine; he’s divine because he’s worshiped. That’s a logical fallacy.

Dave: It is.

In closing, I just want to summarize the points we looked at today.

Number 1: Only Yahuwah is worshiped as God because only He is the Supreme Being. Any other act directed to any other entity as the Supreme Being is idolatry.

Number 2: Worship is rightfully due Yahushua based on two principles:

• He gave his life for us, and …
• Yahuwah has granted him all authority in heaven and on earth.

Number 3: We never worship Yahushua as the divine Creator. That designation and that level of respect belong to Yahuwah alone.

We must be careful not to let tradition dictate our beliefs, and this is one of them.

Miles: Very true.

Thank you for tuning in to today’s program. If you’d like to share today’s program with friends or family, you can find it uploaded on our website. Just go to WorldsLastChance.com and look for Program 261, entitled, “The Insignificance of Worshipping Yahushua.”

We hope you can join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

* * *

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This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

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