Looking for Much and Receiving Little Haggai 1:9

After telling the Israelites to “Consider your ways”, the LORD told them through Haggai the prophet to “go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house” which was the temple of God. In chapter one and verse nine of Haggai's prophecy, the LORD shared how the Israelites “looked for much, and...it came to little” where we read:

You looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? says the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that is waste, and you run every man unto his own house.

The verse begins, “You looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I did blow upon it.” Haggai began with the words, “You looked” which means “you turned toward, from or away, declined and put out of the way” “for much” or “increase, becoming many, numerous, multiply or grow great”, “and, lo, it came to little” which is the Hebrew word “m@`at” and means “littleness, few, hardly, shortly or little worth” “and when you brought” which is the Hebrew word “bow'” and means “go in, enter, come or attain” “it home” or “dwelling or habitation”, “I did blow” which refers to “the LORD breathing, blowing, sniffing or seething out” “upon it” or “on what they brought home”. The Israelites anticipated great gains from what they brought into their homes, but the LORD “blew upon” their expectations.

The verse goes on to say, “Why? says the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that is waste, and you run every man unto his own house.” The LORD questioned through Haggai, “Why says” or “utters, declares or reveals” “the LORD” or “Yehovah or Jehovah” who is “the existing One” and “the proper name for the One true God” “of hosts” or “that which goes forth, army, war or warfare” . The LORD then answered His own question with “Because” or “even, seeing, forasmuch, whereas and why” “of my house” which refers to “the LORD's dwelling or habitation” “that is waste” which means “desolate, dry, parched or ruined” “and you run” or “swiftly dart, move quickly, hurry and drive away” “unto his own house” which is one Hebrew word “bayith” which means “dwelling or habitation”. The reason the LORD blew upon the belongings of the Hebrews was because they left His house or temple in a “desolate” and “ruined” state and gave attention to their own houses instead.

When we meditate upon these words of Haggai, we understand the importance of having the kingdom of God “first” in our lives. We may wonder why it seems that our own belongings “blow away” from time to time. Perhaps we are going through a time when it seems everything we touch comes to nothing. Jesus said in the gospel of Matthew in chapter six and verse thirty-three, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you”, and the LORD has been consistent with this idea even since the days of Haggai. If we examine our lives, find that we have possessions that seem to “blow away”, and discover that we have neglected the “temple of God”, let us alter our paths, begin seeking the Kingdom of God first, and may the LORD bless us as we do.

Next time Haggai tells the Israelites how “heaven” and “earth” are involved against them, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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