Haggai 1:9

Haggai 1:9, “Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it.  Why?  saith the LORD of hosts.  Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.”

In his excellent, “The Strand Study Bible,” on page 1410, Pastor Brad Strand comments on this verse:

“Because Israel cared more about her work than God's work, God 'blew' upon the little that Israel was able to reap. Sadly, God's eternal work of redemption, which was pictured through the sacrifices within the Temple, had become secondary to Israel's own personal comfort.” The Strand Study Bible, p. 1410

The prophet Haggai was a prophet to the remnant in Jerusalem 16 years after the captivity ended (536 BC). Haggai was a contemporary of Zechariah.

Both Haggai and Zechariah were among the 49,897 Jews to return to Jerusalem after the 70 years of captivity ended. As soon as the Jews returned, Zerubbabel (the governor) and the Jewish people began to rebuild the Temple. Unfortunately, due to persecution by enemies, they only finished the Temple's foundation and the work stopped for 15 years. God later sent Haggai and Zechariah to warn and motivate the people to finish the Temple.

There are some beautiful prophecies in the book of Haggai concerning The Promise of Israel's Future Restoration (Haggai 2:9), The Promise of Wrath When Christ Returns (Haggai 2:6-7, 21-23), and The Promise of a Kingdom When Christ Will Reign (Haggai 2:9, 23).