Proverbs 8:36

 The book of Proverbs gives us a lot of instruction on a lot of different subjects. One subject that can keep us in God’s wisdom is Godly Follower-ship. Who we follow; where we follow; how we follow are all spoken about in Proverbs. Here is one of them about missing the mark:

Proverbs 8:36 (NASBStr)

“But he who sins against me injures himself;

All those who hate me love death.”

We very often under estimate and overlook the difficulty with sin.   Sin, in the Bible, means "to miss the mark."  The "mark" in Scripture is the character of God (His holiness, His love, His perfect grace, His perfect justice, His perfect righteousness, etc.).   In the above proverb Solomon outlines for us the ultimate consequences of sin.   No where else in Scripture is the phrase "Love death" used.   In Proverb 21:6 we read:

Proverbs 21:6 (ESV)

The getting of treasures by a lying tongue

is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.

We see that those who pursue riches instead of God's Wisdom chase the fleeting wind and seek death.  But, in the above proverb we are told that those who sin actually hate God and, in turn, love death.   Paul told us in Romans 8:23 that the "wages of sin is death."  Maybe he was meditating on this proverb prior to writing that text.   We wash over sin because we can't stop doing it.  We might wash over sin because everyone is doing it.   We might water down sin because we think God isn't looking ... or, worse, He is looking but simply forgives because we think forgiveness is what makes Him God.   But, what makes Him God is that He is righteous.  Righteousness can't dwell with sin.   Solomon is telling us that if we love sin, therefore, we must hate God's character and "miss the mark."   Solomon tells us we injure ourselves.  This is a great Proverb to read prior to "Missing the Mark." When we "miss the mark" we do injury out ourselves, slip and fall.  That fall can be death.