Proverbs 27.3
“A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.”
There are some heavy things that people have to carry, among them are things like sand and stones. That is what this proverb is saying to us about dealing with provocative troublemakers.
Provocative people foolishly seek to stir up trouble. They aren’t peacemakers, they are agitators. They don’t seek to solve problems, they cause problems. They make life heavier and more difficult for the people around them. The weight of having to deal with agitators is a burden no one wants to carry.
The Hebrew word for provocation is kaas, and it means to cause anger. It is like someone poking you again and again until it provokes you to the point of being very angry. This word is even used to speak of how idolatry angers God and provokes him to anger.
The fool is the man who doesn’t get it. He does something but doesn’t understand the problems that his actions are causing. He not only does it once, but repeats it again and again. Elsewhere in Proverbs we are told that like a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool returns to his folly.
Thus the actions that cause a problem, or the ones that provoke people to anger, are repeated again and again. This can be frustrating on a personal level, and it can be devastating in a family, an organization, or a nation. Let me say it again: The weight of having to deal with agitators is a burden no one wants to carry.
This is why we are told that it would almost be better to have to carry the weight of sand and stones rather than have to deal with a fool who is constantly provoking us to anger and frustration. This is also why scripture counsels us to stay away from fools. To fail to do so is to invite provocation into your life.
Stay away from foolish troublemakers.
