Was Jesus proved to be \’God\’ because he was worshipped?

Let’s look at the word often translated as worship (Heb. Shachah), which means to prostrate oneself in homage to deity or royalty.

For example, Abraham, 2 “… saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and 𝗯𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳[𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗱] to the earth” (Genesis 18:2–4).
Abraham saw three men and worshipped them. This is the word for worship that is most often used for that worship that is given to God. But it isn’t reserved for God alone by God’s people…

“5 Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers…7 ‘…your sheaves came around, and 𝗯𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 [𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗱] 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗳” (Genesis 37:5–8).

Did God give Joseph a dream wherein his brothers would bow down and worship him “as God”? No. But that is the Oneness conclusion about Jesus.

The same was written of Abraham…
7 “Abraham rose up, and 𝗯𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 [𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗱] 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 of the land…” (Genesis 23:7, 12).

Notice these other examples of worship:
“The two angels came to Sodom… Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. 𝗛𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳(𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗱)with his face to the earth” (Genesis 19:1).

“Isaac blessed Jacob, saying, ‘Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down (worship) to you. Be lord over your brothers; 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻(𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽) 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 …’” (Genesis 27:29).

“David… cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. When Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance [worship]”(1 Samuel 24:8).

“23 When Abigail saw David… 41 She…bowed herself [worshiped] with her face to the earth…” (1 Samuel 25:23, 41).

“4 When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she… 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲[𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗱], and said, Help, O king… 22 Joab fell to the ground on his face, and 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲[𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗱], and blessed the king… 33 …Absalom, he came to the king, and 𝗯𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳[𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗱]on his face to the ground before the king…”
(2 Samuel 14:4, 22, 33).

“Mephibosheth…came to David, and fell on his face, and 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲[𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗱]…” (2 Samuel 9:6).

“… the sons of the prophets… 𝗯𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀[𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗱] 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺[𝗘𝗹𝗶𝗷𝗮𝗵]” (2 Kings 2:15).

“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” (Revelation 3:9).

…

“David said to all the assembly, Now bless YHWH your God. All the assembly blessed YHWH, the God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads and prostrated [worshiped] themselves before YHWH 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴” (1 Chronicles 29:20).

It is also like what happened when, “…𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗛𝗪𝗛 as king…” (1 Chronicles 29:23).

It is all spelled out so clearly in the OT that it really shouldn’t need any further explanation! Solomon sat on the throne of YHWH, not as YHWH, but as His representative.
And that is the sonship that Jesus inherited as David’s heir!

And it was that very same kingdom (the Davidic kingdom inherited by Jesus) that the apostles were still anticipating when they asked the Lord Jesus, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6–7, NKJV). What kingdom were they talking about? Did they believe that God had stopped having a kingdom such that God’s eternal kingdom needed to be restored? Of course not. They were talking about the kingdom of David, which God had promised, wherein people bowed down before and obeyed the sons of David because God was with them!