"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent" (v. 1). The issue here is silence, the silence of God. Our text comes from the section of Isaiah which is usually dated during the time of rebuilding after the return from exile. It is from the part of the tradition called Third Isaiah. It reflects a time of great discouragement. Israel lived and worshipped among ruins. Foreign overlords seized the harvest of the fields and the fruit of the vineyards, while the people went hungry (62:8). Enemies continually interrupted the rebuilding process. Israel felt desolate and forsaken, lost in darkness (cf. Isaiah 59:9-10). Israel felt the silence of God.

The situation is reflected in Isaiah 64:11-12: Our holy and beautiful house, where our ancestors praised you, has been burned by fire, and all our pleasan…