Who Exactly Does The Bible Say To Worship?

In the Hebrew Bible, worship is primarily directed towards Yahweh, the God of Israel. The name “Yahweh” is derived from the Hebrew verb “hayah,” meaning “to be” or “to exist,” signifying God’s eternal and self-existent nature. This name emphasizes God’s transcendence and sovereignty over all creation.

In Exodus 3:14, when Moses encounters God at the burning bush and asks for His name, God responds, “I am who I am,” which in Hebrew is “ehyeh asher ehyeh.” This revelation of the divine name solidifies the Israelites’ understanding of their God as the one true God, distinct from all others.

Essentially, God defines himself. He has authority over his own name, hence him saying, “I am who I am.” This is also a significant statement in the New Testament because the Pharisees asked Jesus who he was and how he was descended from Abraham. Jesus responded: “Before Abraham was born, I AM (John 8:58).”

There are several verses in Scripture where Jesus equates Himself with God Almighty. I will list just a few of them below:

1. John 8:58: “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.'” In this statement, Jesus uses the divine name “I am” (ego eimi in Greek), which echoes God’s self-identification in Exodus 3:14. By applying this title to himself, Jesus asserts his eternal existence and divine nature.
2. John 10:30-33: “I and the Father are one.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?’ The Jews answered him, ‘It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.'” Here, Jesus claims unity with the Father, which the Jews interpret as blasphemy, indicating that they understood his claim to be divine.
3. John 14:9-11: “Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.'” In this passage, Jesus equates seeing him with seeing the Father, indicating his oneness with God.
4. Matthew 26:63-64: “But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, ‘I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.'” Jesus’ affirmation here, especially in the context of the high priest’s question about his identity, suggests his claim to divine authority.

Additionally, the Hebrew Bible uses the name “Elohim” to refer to God, which is a plural noun but often used with singular verbs, highlighting God’s unity and majesty. This name emphasizes God’s power and authority as the Creator of the universe. In Genesis 1:1, the opening verse of the Bible, it states, “In the beginning, God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth.” This declaration establishes God’s role as the supreme being worthy of worship and obedience.