Is it acceptable to bow before people?
Answer From The Annual Reading Schedule - Week 12 Notes For Genesis: It appears to be acceptable in certain situations as bowing to the King anointed by Yahweh or even our Father in the flesh. In Genesis 48:12 it literally says in the Hebrew that Yoseph (Joseph) put his nose to the land. This appears to be bowing before his Father. The place where we see bowing to the King anointed by Yahweh as acceptable is 1 Kings 1:23 where Nathan the Prophet of Yahweh bowed down to King Dawiyd (David). Although some teach that we should not or do not "worship" Yahushua, we can see very clearly that worship simply means to bow if we research the words in these verses. The word for bow is the same word as for worship in the Hebrew. If it is okay to bow before our earthly Father, and if it is okay for a prophet of Yahweh to bow before the King anointed by Yahweh, then certainly we too can and should bow before the King Yahushua who is anointed by Yahweh. This means, therefore, that Yes – we DO worship Yahushua; but in doing so we are not violating any of Yahweh's commands. Worship simply means to bow.
We can see further confirmation that bowing is acceptable when Mosheh (Moses) himself bowed before his father-in-law Yithro in Exodus 18:7. If anyone should know the Laws of Yahweh, wouldn't it have been Mosheh? It is clear that under certain circumstances bowing is permissible. That doesn't mean bowing is always permissible, but we can't say that it is always forbidden either.
One clear place where bowing is forbidden is in Exodus 20:5 – it is forbidden to bow down to carved images, idols, etc.. We see believers refusing to bow down in Daniel 3. Daniel 3 is a clear example where a person should NOT bow down.