Amidah 1

One translation of the first benediction says: “Blessed are you Lord our God and God of our fathers. God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob. God, the Great, the Mighty, and Awesome God. Most High who gives kindness plentifully and creates everything. Who recalls kindnesses of the fathers and brings a Redeemer to children’s children for the sake of His Name. Oh King, Helper, Savior, and Shield. Blessed are You Lord, Shield of Abraham.

The first benediction of the Amidah give us some roots, an anchor, a place where we see that our faith is not something we dreamed up, but it is given by God and lived out through history by many generations of believers.

This prayer recognizes the Fathers: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. These men had a strong faith in God. (Ex. 3:6) It is from these three men that the nation of Israel came forth. “Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: `I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.” Ex 32:13. The names of these three men are mentioned 19 times in the Torah (Ge 50:24; Ex 2:24; 3:6, 15, 16; 4:5; 6:3, 8; 32:13; 33:1; Lev 26:42; Nu 32:11; Dt 1:8; 6:10; 9:5; 9:27; 29:13; 30:20; 34::4) … coincidence: Once for each of the Benedictions.

Prayer goes beyond just remembering our ancestors. Prayer is always addressed to God. The scripture says, “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” Ge 15:6. Abraham believed in God Most High who became his shield (Ge 14:22-15:1) Jesus begins his prayer, “Our Father.” Paul says, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.” (Col 1:3). Peter says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Peter 1:3) As these men prayed through the training of the Amidah, they recognized something more. They saw God as the Father who gave an Only begotten Son, and the Son who is the Author and perfecter of our faith. (Heb 12:2)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will– to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” (Eph 1:3-6)