Biblically speaking, the word "Worship" only means "To bow down" or "To physically show a tangible display of loyalty and willful service" such as through kneeling. The modern English use of the word however is much different, however in Olde English, the word "Worship" meant "Worth-ship" as in "One who was worthy of being kneeled to", that's why Judges were called "Your worship".
Like the word "god", which means "Power" and can apply to Angels, it is important to separate modern English use of the word from its actual Biblical context which itself can be a whole discussion to garner. But the word "Worship" never means anything outside of bowing down, " or "falling on one's face" or kneeling. In Asia, cultures that retain the bow are in a way what is called "Worship". King David was "worshiped". The commandment is to worship God AND serve Him only, this would mean one can worship beings under Him in his chain of command so long as they don't serve another god. Worshiping the Evil one would not be serving Him.
I think you're making this too complicated. It's really a pretty simple concept I'm talking about.
1 Samuel 12:21
"Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good,
nor can they rescue you, because they are useless."
Psalm 115:
4Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of mans hands.
5They have mouths, but they cannot speak;
They have eyes, but they cannot see;
6They have ears, but they cannot hear;
They have noses, but they cannot smell;
7They have hands, but they cannot feel;
They have feet, but they cannot walk;
They cannot make a sound with their throat.
8Those who make them will become like them,
Everyone who trusts in them.
Habakkuk 2:18
"Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies?
For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak"
My contention is that the idea of actually trusting these entities is completely lost among Westerners claiming to be polytheists. Yes, the Christian God calls them useless idols but the point of this thread was not to say that. In the minds of these ancients, they truly believed that what God called "idols" were indeed actual "gods" with power.
