Unless the LORD had helped me, I would soon have died. Psalm 94:17, NLT

What do you think this verse is all about? Certainly sounds simple and straightforward. Or is it? I chose this particular translation because despite best intentions, it probably does the least in telling us the message behind the ancient Hebrew words. Here's what I mean.

"Unless" is better translated as an emphatic Except for. "the LORD" is actually YHWH (Yahweh), the proper name for the One True God. "had helped" is from two words which mean help and belonging to. "me" is not in the original text at all. "I" encompasses the whole person. "soon" is correct, though some translations use almost. But "would have died" deviates significantly from the Hebrew words which refer to a remaining or continuing condition that is not about death, but silence.

Putting this together, we discover a deeper message: Except for help belonging to the One True God, I and all that is me - spiritual, mental, emotional, physical - would soon have caused continuing silence.

Just a little different, isn't it? Not understanding the meanings and use of these words can cause confusion. And it's not that the first message is wrong, but that there's so much more. God is not simply telling us what the psalmist believed. He's sending us a message - a warning - about being silent.

The other day I saw a news report titled "Chick-fil-A CEO slams gay marriage". But the media had lied. Dan Cathey did not "slam" gay marriage. That word, as they know, implies a vehement attack. He simply answered a question, saying in part, "We are very much supportive of the family - the biblical definition of the family unit...We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles." *

What followed were cries of outrage and calls to boycott his restaurants. It wasn't that they simply disagree with Mr. Cathey. They do not want to live in a country where others can share their values or operate on biblical principles. They do not respect those with beliefs different from their own nor want to discuss them. What they want is for those who disagree with them to remain and continue in silence.

We live in an age where people try to force their position on others and prevent anyone from opposing them. They alone want to be the ones who speak, keeping everyone else silent. We find this from dictatorships and other oppressive governments to universities and colleges, even within the doctrine of some religions.

But we who follow God cannot be silent. We are called to seek, understand, and share. Jesus commanded, What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs (Matthew 10:27).

But how can we do this in the face of so many who vehemently, sometimes violently, want to keep us silent? As the psalmist wrote, we look to the help that belongs to Yahweh, the One True God, and we know, I can do everything through Him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).

The battle may be ours, but the war is His...and He has already won.