Does the Holy Bible make it clear that it is not permissible to bow down for the purpose of worship, except before God alone?

The Holy Bible in both Testaments often makes this principle explicitly clear. It also provides examples of angels and humans refusing to bow down in worship before anyone other than God. For example, in the Old Testament, the three saintly youths refused to worship the golden statue of the king (Dan. 3:12). Mordecai refused to bow down before Haman to worship him in the days of King Ahasuerus, which caused all the Jews to be sentenced to death, though the Lord saved them (Est. 3:5–6). In the New Testament, the angel

30 Origen, Homilies on Exodus 8.5 (FOTC 71:325–327).

who accompanied St. John the Evangelist prevented him from bowing down to worship him, saying, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God” (Rev. 22:9). St. Peter the Apostle did the same with Cornelius the centurion, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man” (Acts 10:25–26). The Lord Christ Himself commanded us: “For the Father is seeking such to worship Him … in spirit and truth” (John 4:23–24); and as the apostle says, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth” (Phil. 2:10).