(as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the sight of Him who he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. Romans 4:17

Who Gives Life To The Dead – Suppose you wrote a letter of introduction to a stranger far away.  Would you try to incorporate something in that letter that indicated a common bond?  Would you mention something that the two of you shared?  If you wanted the reader to pay attention to your words, you would most certainly emphasize those things you had in common.  This is precisely what Paul does in his letter to the congregation in Rome.  Over and over, he draws attention to common elements of faith that join him to these readers.  If we pay attention, we discover something important.

We know that Paul shared a common heritage in Hebrew Scripture.  He quotes the Word of God constantly, assuming that his readers will also recognize its authority in their lives.  But that’s not all he shares.  In this verse, he refers to a part of the Eighteen Benedictions, the Amidah, a prayer said daily by devout Jews.  It is a prayer used during Sabbath services and holy days.  The second of the eighteen benedictions contains the phrase “O King, who orders death and restores life, and causes salvation to spring forth.”  The words Paul uses (zoopoiountos tous nekrous) reflect this benediction.  That means the readers of his letter were practicing, orthodox, devout Jews, familiar with Sabbath service and the holy festival days.  The reason Paul uses this phrase is to draw attention to the end of the benediction, the words “and causes salvation to spring forth.”   The Hebrew word “salvation” in this benediction is the word yeshua, the name of the Messiah.  Since devout Jews said this prayer every day, they would have instantly realized the Messiah’s name was on their lips each time they recited the prayer.  Paul uses this common prayer phrase to draw the connection between yeshua that springs forth and the promise to Abraham.  Yeshua is God’s promised seed!

This is rabbinic exegesis.  Paul draws a connection between one word and another.  In this case, Paul connects the dots between the promised “seed” of Abraham and the Messiah, the seed of David.  Forget the context.  Forget the history.  Concentrate on the common term – and see where it takes you.  According to Paul, it takes you right to the Amidah, a promise you repeat every day.

It’s hard to imagine that Paul’s letter would contain references like this if his reading audience didn’t share this background.  What would be the point of making an allusion to the Amidah if the congregation in Rome never knew what the Amidah was?  That would be like writing to a stranger and telling him all about some unrelated obscure fact from my past.  He wouldn’t have a clue.  Once again we realize that Paul’s context, and the context of the believers in the first century, is Jewish orthodoxy.  It’s hard to miss – unless you think everyone who read this letter was a Christian convert.

Topical Index:  Amidah, give life, zoopoiountos, Romans 4:17, seed