Genesis 49:21 says, "Naphtali is a hind let loose." Immediately after Asher comes Naphtali, who is neither a young lion nor a lioness, but a hind. According to the Hebrew text, the title of Psalm 22 speaks of the hind of the morning, indicating that the resurrected Christ in Psalm 22 is a hind let loose. With Naphtali we have not only the victorious Christ as a lion, but the resurrected Christ as a released hind skipping on the mountaintops. Nothing can frustrate Him, and no one needs to pave the way for Him. He is the resurrected hind. Because He is in resurrection, He can leap upon the high mountains.
Verse 21 also says, "He giveth beautiful words" (Heb.). The resurrected hind in Genesis 49 corresponds to the resurrected Lord in Matthew 28. Matthew 28 firstly reveals that Christ has risen and then it tells us that when the disciples were gathered together to Him, He charged them, saying, "Go therefore and disciple all the nations..teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you" (Matt. 28:19-20). This is to give beautiful words. In resurrection we can utter beautiful words. This is the maturity of life in resurrection. In order to say something beautiful for Christ, we must be in resurrection. When we are in resurrection, it is easy to speak beautiful words for the Lord.
Deuteronomy 33:23 says, "O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full with the blessing of the Lord." Here we see that Naphtali is satisfied with favor. Favor in the Old Testament is the equivalent of grace in the New Testament. Thus, Naphtali is satisfied with grace. When we are in resurrection speaking beautiful words, we also are satisfied with grace. Often as I am speaking, I am satisfied with favor, with grace. This verse also says that Naphtali is filled with the blessing of the Lord. He is satisfied with grace and full of blessing. This is the victorious and matured life in resurrection. As we speak for Christ to nourish others, we ourselves are satisfied with grace and filled with blessing.
Deuteronomy 33:23 also says, "Possess thou the sea and the south." The result of speaking beautiful words in resurrection and of being satisfied with favor and full of blessing is the possessing of the west and the south. For Naphtali to possess the west is to possess the Mediterranean Sea, which was on the west of Naphtali's portion of the good land. Therefore, some versions render the Hebrew word in this verse as "west." Actually, it denotes the sea, because the sea was to the west of the good land. The word "south" signifies the land. The sea, the west, signifies the Gentile world, and the south, the land, signifies the Jewish world. Therefore, to possess the sea and the land signifies possessing the Gentile world and the Jewish world. In other words, Naphtali is to possess the whole earth.
In order to take the earth, we must begin from Reuben and continue through Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, and Asher until we come to Naphtali. When we have become Naphtali, we shall possess the west and the south, the sea and the land. We shall be qualified and empowered to take the earth. How wonderful! When we are Naphtali, it is easy to take the earth because we are in resurrection speaking beautiful words, and we are satisfied with favor and full of blessing. Thus, we are ready to possess the sea and the land, the Gentile world and the Jewish world. We are ready to take the earth.