In Deuteronomy 33:22 Moses prophesied, “Dan is a lion’s whelp / That leaps forth from Bashan.” As a young lion, Dan was not fighting for the prey but for more land (Josh. 19:47; Judg. 18:27-29). In typology, to fight for more land is to fight for more Christ. The young lion in Judah was for seizing the prey. However, the young lion in Deuteronomy 33:22 is fighting for more land, that is, fighting to gain more Christ. In Judges 18 Dan is a young lion fighting for more land.
In blessing Naphtali, Moses spoke of this tribe as being satisfied with favor and filled with the blessing of the Lord (Deut. 33:23). Naphtali would possess the sea (the west) and the south. The sea, the west, signifies the Gentile world. The south, the land, signifies the nation of Israel. This means that Naphtali would possess the whole earth, that is, the Gentile and Jewish world. According to Matthew 4:13-16, the Lord Jesus in fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 9:1-2 came to the districts of Zebulun and Naphtali, beside the sea. Eventually, through the preaching of the gospel, those of Naphtali possessed the Mediterranean Sea. Church history shows that much has been gained for the Lord in the area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.
According to Moses’ prophecy, Asher would be blessed above the sons; he would be the one favored of his brothers (Deut. 33:24).
Verse 24 also says that Asher would be “the one dipping his foot in oil.” Undoubtedly, the oil here is olive oil. There is an abundance of olive trees in this part of the good land. For this reason, it is rich in oil. The fact that Asher would dip his foot in oil indicates that, as far as food is concerned, he would be richer than all the other tribes.
Verse 25 says, “Your doorbolts shall be iron and copper.” Iron and copper are for fighting the battle and for building. Oil is food for nourishment, but iron and copper are materials for fighting and for building up the kingdom. Since Asher would be rich, favored in food and minerals, he would be more blessed than the other tribes. He would have food for nourishment and minerals for weapons and building materials.
The second part of verse 25 says, “As your days are, so shall your strength be.” Strength in this verse relates to safety, security, rest, peace, and quietness. It denotes a leisurely life, a life in which there is sufficiency with no need to worry or rush. Thus, Asher was to have a leisurely life, a life that was safe and secure and in which sufficiency was guaranteed. This means that throughout his life he would not lack anything. He would have rich food for nourishment, weapons for defense, and materials for building. Instead of scarcity, there would be sufficiency, rest, peace, and leisure. Asher would constantly enjoy life.
After Moses blessed each individual tribe, he blessed all the children of Israel. Moses said that there is no one like the God of Jeshurun (Israel), who rides through the heavens as their help and in His majesty through the skies (v. 26). He also said that the God of old would be their habitation, and underneath would be the eternal arms (v. 27). The children of Israel would dwell in God as their habitation, and His eternal arms would be underneath them. Moreover, God would drive out the enemy before them (v. 27).
Because of the foregoing blessings, Israel would dwell securely, the fountain of Jacob in solitude, on a land of grain and new wine, with the heavens over him dropping their dew (v. 28). Finally, Moses proclaimed, “Happy are you, O Israel; who is like you? / A people saved by Jehovah, / The shield of your help / And He who is the sword of your majesty! / So your enemies shall come cringing to you, / And you shall tread upon their high places” (v. 29). This was a final blessing on all the children of Israel.
History has proved that Israel is blessed. Although they have often rebelled against God and have even rejected the Lord, God still preserves them and will care for them until the consummation of this age when the whole house of Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:25-27; Isa. 59:20-21; 27:9).
Before his death, Moses blessed each of the tribes of Israel, just as Jacob did. In Moses’ blessing there were many wonderful and important prophecies. Only the tribe of Simeon was not included in Moses’ blessing. Concerning Reuben, Moses was merciful and prayed that Reuben would live and not die and that his men would not be few. According to his sin, Reuben should have died, but Moses blessed him with increase. In blessing Judah Moses said, “Hear, O Jehovah, the voice of Judah, / And bring him to his people.” The blessing of Moses concerning Levi was very rich. Levi would receive Jehovah’s Thummim and Urim; they would show Jacob Jehovah’s ordinances and Israel His law; their might would be blessed, and their work would be accepted. Moses prophesied that Benjamin would be Jehovah’s neighbor and that God’s dwelling place would lie between his two shoulders. Thus, Jerusalem, God’s dwelling place, was not located in the territory of Judah but in the territory of Benjamin. This is the highest, greatest, sweetest, and ultimate blessing in the entire Old Testament. Moses blessed Joseph by saying that his land would be blessed of Jehovah. As the strong ox, he would come with the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh to push those who would invade Israel back to the ends of the earth, because the land of Israel is for God’s people. Moses blessed Zebulun and Issachar, saying that Zebulun would rejoice for his going forth, and Issachar would rejoice for his tents. They would call the peoples to the mountain, and there they would offer sacrifices of righteousness to God. They would suck the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand. Moses said that Gad would be enlarged by God and would be strong in fighting. Gad provided for himself the first part of the land in which the portion of a lawgiver would be reserved. He would come with the heads of the people to execute the righteousness of Jehovah and His judgments with Israel. Moses said Dan would be a lion’s whelp leaping forth from Bashan. Naphtali, satisfied with favor and full of the blessing of Jehovah, would possess the sea (the west) and the south; this is to possess the whole earth, including the Jewish and Gentile world. According to Moses’ prophecy, Asher would be blessed above the sons and would be the one favored of his brothers. He would dip his foot in oil, his doorbolts would be iron and copper, and his strength would be as his days. Finally, Moses blessed all the children of Israel. History has proved that Israel is blessed. Although they often rebel against God, and have even forsaken the Lord, God still preserves them and will care for them until the end of this age when the whole house of Israel will be saved.