As part of His chastisement of His people, God took away from them all their rulers, leaving them with no rulers (vv. 2-4). Here Isaiah links the ruler with the food supply. To be a ruler, one must feed the people. Ruling and feeding are not only a pair; they also work together in a cycle and give rise to each other. Thus, if there is feeding, there is ruling, and if there is ruling, there is feeding. In the church, when there is the proper feeding, everything will be in order.