Scripture abounds with references and directives about feeding the hungry; this passage in Isaiah 58 is just one of many. His heart for the hungry is evident throughout his Word. We even step back from hunger to first understand the essential and primal connection between food and being human and Scripture's focus on this theme. From the abundant food in the Garden of Eden to the feasting imagery of Isaiah 25 that describes heaven, meals are essential. Part of God's reshaping his people towards his vision of a new society, after slavery and in the wilderness and before the promised land, involved feeding them manna daily. Food matters to God.

Food insecurity exists in large part due to poverty. It is a commonly misheld belief that those living in poverty in North America, especially in the United States and Canada, “must not have it so bad.” And the perception is that, comparatively, the form of poverty is not as extreme and degrading as in other countries.