4242. 'And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall you say to my lord Esau' means the first acknowledgement that good occupied the higher position. This becomes clear from the meaning here of 'commanding the messengers to say' as reflection and consequent perception that this is so, dealt with in 3661, 3682, and therefore as acknowledgement; and from the representation of 'Esau' as good, dealt with above in 4234, 4239. The acknowledgement that it occupied the higher position is meant by his calling Esau not his brother but his 'lord' and also by calling himself in the next breath his 'servant', and likewise further on. For while a person is being regenerated truth seemingly occupies first position and good second, but once he has been regenerated good occupies first and truth second, see 1904, 2063, 2189, 2697, 2979, 3286, 3288, 3310 (end), 3325, 3330, 3332, 3336, 3470, 3509, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3579, 3603, 3701. This is also what is meant by the prophetic utterances made by father to son - when Isaac declared to Esau,

By your sword you will live, and you will serve your brother; and it will be, when you have dominion over him, that you will break his yoke from above your neck. Genesis 27:40.

It is the turning round within this state, foretold in these prophetic utterances, that is dealt with here.

4239. 'Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau' means the first communication of that truth with celestial good. This is clear from the meaning of 'sending messengers' as communicating, and from the representation of 'Esau' as celestial good within the natural, dealt with in 3300, 3302, 3494, 3504, 3527, 3576, 3599, 3669. The subject at present, as stated above in 4234, is the joining of the Divine truth of the Natural, meant by 'Jacob', to the Divine good there, meant by 'Esau'. Consequently the enlightenment of the Natural by the Divine has been dealt with first, 4235, and now the first communication by the truth there, which is meant by the statement that 'Jacob sent messengers to his brother Esau'. Also, in the Word good and truth are referred to as 'brothers', see 367, 3303.