A Higher Price - by Debby Kloosterman

In the book of Nehemiah, the prophet is extremely distraught when he learns that the remnant of Jews who have returned to the land of Judah from their captivity in Babylon are not doing well.  In fact, the city of Jerusalem is a mess!  The wall surrounding the city has been damaged.  Entry gates are burnt and the Temple is destroyed. 

I have never visited the Holy Land, but I imagine this scene being like the film footage from a tornado or hurricane where one needs to look hard to identify where anything even used to be!  Nehemiah’s reaction to being told of the destruction was sadness and grief.  He wept, then fasted and prayed for days.  The Bible then records his beautiful prayer for God to restore His people.

“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, ⁶ let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. ⁷ We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

¹⁰ “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. ¹¹ Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. 

Nehemiah 1:5b-7; 10-11 NIV

When I read verse 10, I was struck by the notion of the Israelites being redeemed, rescued and saved by God’s strength and power.  The Old Testament is filled with references of God’s righteous right hand and his mighty arm.  This brought me to consider my own salvation and redemption.

God chose the Jews as His people.  He saved them.  He protected them.  He rescued them repeatedly by his might and his power.  But God saved me through the body and blood of His Son.  He paid the highest price for me!  It boggles my mind that Christ died for people who hadn’t been born! He gave His life so that anyone, Jew or Gentile, could approach the throne of a great and might God.