Thank you for the question on worshipping God, “In the scriptures, does the Lord ever command us to worship Him as opposed to simply telling us to keep His commandments?”
As I thought about this question, there needs to a clear identification of the reference to “Lord” and “Him” in the question. In other words, is the question asking about worshiping YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob or is the reference to Lord as to Jesus in worshiping him or obeying his commandments?
A. The worship of Lord as referring to YHWH Elohim.
In regards to the worshiping Elohim (God), Exodus 20 makes it clear that the Jewish people were to worship only YHWH Elohim, who revealed himself to Moses by that name.
The command of God contains the instruction that they are to worship him alone and no other gods. Thus it is not either or but rather both and for the Jewish people. The words, bow down or worship them, that is the other gods would infer that they are to worship YHWH only.
Exodus 20 says this, “And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments” (NIV).
B. The worship of Lord as referring to Jesus.
Did Jesus command his followers to worship Him? The answer is no. The reason is this: Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost. He didn’t come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.
For Jesus to command his followers to worship him while he was on earth would mean that he would not be the Servant-King, but The Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Jesus states that he came to do the will of the Father. He taught his disciples, “not my will, but your will be on earth as it is in heaven.”
There was no need for Jesus to command his disciples to worship him. They would come to that deeper and greater insight of who he truly is-the eternal Son of God who came into this world.
The Apostle Paul says this in Philippians 2: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (NIV).
On earth, Jesus was despised and rejected by men. Jesus is now exalted to the highest place, even at the right of God whereby every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
The angelic beings do not require a command by God to worship the exalted Jesus Christ. They recognized him for who he is and his redemption of sinful people.
Revelation 5 says this, “11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” 14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.“ (NIV).
The angelic beings worship him who sits on the throne and the lamb. They attributed praise and glory to the Lamb. They need no command from God to worship the Lamb.
If the angelic beings worship the Lamb and are not condemned by God, would God condemn us for worshiping the worth of the Lamb and his sacrifice for the redemption of mankind?
SUMMARY: No command is needed for the angels to worship God and the Lamb in heaven. Thus no command is needed for the humans to worship God and the Lamb on earth.
-Kingston