In Genesis 27 we are told the story of how Jacob pretended to be Esau, deceived his blind father Isaac, and was blessed by him with the blessing that Esau should have had. When Isaac discovered the deceit, and Esau cried and asked him for a blessing, he gave it to him, promising that, although he would have to serve his younger brother for a while, he would later throw off his dominion. That promise is now fulfilled. Though Jacob had not done right, Esau forgave him, and was good to him, and Jacob acknowledged that Esau was better than himself, by giving him a rich present, and bowing down seven times before him, and having his wives and children also bow down before him. Let us then think of Esau as standing for what is good. You remember that Esau also was red, and red stands for what is good. Jacob stands for what is true. For this reason he saw the vision of the stairway at Bethel. We need to be both good and true. We learn the truth first, but we learn it in order that we may know how to be good. So good is most important, although it comes after we have learned the truth.

Did you ever stop to think why people bow to others? Men especially bow to women. Why? Why did Jacob bow down before Esau? Because Esau stood for what is good. Whenever we bow, it is to recognize goodness of some kind in others. From whom does the good in people come? Yes, the Lord. The Lord is the only source of goodness. He alone is really good, but He likes to share His goodness with people. He lets His goodness come into people, as the sun lets its warmth come into the earth and all things on the earth. Therefore we bow before the Lord more deeply than before anyone else. There are many people who bow their head or raise their hat whenever even the name of the Lord is mentioned, because they love to show that they believe that He is Goodness Itself. 

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