Haggai 1:9: Life's priorities?
What priorities does Haggai 1:9 suggest we should have in our lives?

The Heart of the Passage

Haggai 1:9 – ‘You expected much, but behold, it amounted to little; and what you brought home, I blew away. Why?—declares the LORD of Hosts—Because My house remains in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.’”


Notice the Contrast: Expectations vs. Reality

• Israel looked for abundance yet harvested scarcity.

• Their hard-won gains dispersed under God’s hand.

• The reason: God’s house lay neglected while personal agendas thrived.


Priority One: God’s Dwelling Comes First

• In Haggai’s day the temple was the visible center of worship; ignoring it signaled indifference toward God Himself.

• Today, the priority translates to:

– Placing worship, fellowship, and sound doctrine at the center of life (Hebrews 10:24-25).

– Guarding corporate and private time with the Lord before chasing projects, hobbies, or comforts.


Priority Two: Eternal Investment Over Personal Comfort

• The people poured resources into paneled homes (v. 4) while God’s house lay in ruins; Jesus later echoed the corrective: “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-21).

• Questions to ask ourselves about every purchase, calendar entry, or ambition:

– Does this build God’s kingdom or merely accessorize mine?

– Will it last beyond this life?


Priority Three: Stewardship That Honors the Lord

• “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your harvest” (Proverbs 3:9).

• Giving God the first portion—time, skills, finances—acknowledges His ownership and invites His blessing (Malachi 3:10).

Haggai 1:9 reminds us God can either multiply or “blow away” what we hold, depending on whether He is first.


Priority Four: Obedience Precedes Provision

• The order matters: build God’s house first, then see His favor (Haggai 2:18-19).

• Parallel principle in Matthew 6:33—“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

• God does not oppose our needs; He opposes our inversion of the order.


Priority Five: A God-Centered Work Ethic

Colossians 3:23—“Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men.”

• When our labor aims at God’s glory, He can prosper it; when it serves self alone, He retains the right to frustrate it (cf. Luke 12:15-21).


Practical Ways to Realign Today

• Assess your calendar: schedule devotional and congregational commitments first.

• Set a giving plan that treats God, not leftovers, as firstfruits.

• Audit household spending for items that dwarf your generosity toward ministry.

• Invest talents—teaching, hospitality, craftsmanship—into the local church before personal ventures.

• Regularly revisit goals, asking, “How does this build God’s house?”

Haggai 1:9 calls us to reorder life so that God’s presence, purposes, and worship are unmistakably first. When we do, scarcity gives way to the fullness He delights to provide.

How does Haggai 1:9 highlight the consequences of neglecting God's house today?
Top of Page
Top of Page