Ingratitude

Ingratitude, a crime of the highest nature, call a man ungrateful, and you can call him no worse.
Isa. 1:2-3 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
The very words of Moses (Deut. 32:1); this implies that the Law was the charter and basis of all prophecy (Isa. 8:20).
G-d is introduced as entering into a public action, or pleading, before the whole world, against His disobedient people. The prophet, as herald or officer to proclaim the summons to the court, calls upon all created beings, celestial and terrestrial, to attend and bear witness to the truth of His plea and the justice of His cause.
G-d's gracious dealings with such a peevish provoking people as we are: "I have nourished and brought you up as children; you have been well fed and well taught" (Deut. 32:6); "I have magnified and exalted you", "not only made you grow, but made you great - not only maintained you, but preferred you - not only trained you up, but raised you high."
The level-headedness of the ox and the ass, which are not only brute creatures, but of the dullest sort; yet the ox has such a sense of duty as to know his owner and to serve him, to submit to his yoke and to draw in it.
Knowing is here taken practically, as it is usually in Scripture, and includes reverence and obedience, to your Owner and Master. We know; but our knowledge does us no good, because we do not consider what we know; we do not apply it to our case, or our minds to it."
Notice:
1. Even among those that profess themselves G-d's people, that have the advantages and lie under the engagements of His people, there are many that are very careless in the affairs of their souls.
2. Inconsideration of what we do know is as great an enemy to us in religion as ignorance of what we should know.
3. Therefore men revolt from G-d, and rebel against Him, because they do not know and consider their obligations to G-d in duty, gratitude, and interest.
Ass has such a sense of interest as to know has master's crib, or manger, where he is fed, and to abide by it; he will go to that of himself if he be turned loose.
Crib is the stall where it is fed (Prov. 14:4), spiritually the word and ordinances. Consider attend to your Master (Isa. 41:8), notwithstanding the spiritual food which He provides.
G-d regards His covenant people in their designed unity, the cattishness and stupidity of Israel as well as with us. G-d is our owner and proprietor. He made us, and His we are more than our cattle are ours; He has provided well for us; providence is our Master's crib; yet many that are called the people of G-d do not know and will not consider this, but ask, "What is the Almighty that we should serve Him? He is not our owner; and what profit shall we have if we pray unto Him? He has no crib for us to feed at." He had complained of the stubbornness of their wills; we have rebelled against Him. Here he runs it up to its cause: "Therefore they have rebelled because they do not know, they do not consider." The understanding is darkened, and therefore the whole soul is separated from the life of G-d, Eph. 4:18.
An amplification of the gross insensibility of the disobedient people, by comparing us with the most heavy and stupid of all animals, yet not as insensible as they, he sets us lower than the beasts, and even than the most stupid of all beasts, for there is scarcely any more so than the ox and the ass. Yet these acknowledge their master; they know the manger of their lord; by whom they are fed, not for their own, but for his good; neither are they looked upon as children, but as beasts of burden; neither are they advanced to honors, but oppressed with great and daily labors. While we are chosen by the mere favor of G-d, adopted as sons and daughters, promoted to the highest dignity, yet acknowledged not our L-rd and our G-d; but despised His commandments, though in the highest degree equitable and just.
"Even the stork in the heavens knows her season; and the turtle, and the swallow, and the crane, observe the time of their coming: But my people doth not know the judgment of JEHOVAH.” Jeremiah 8:7.
"I drew them with human cords, with the bands of love: And I was to them as he that lifts up the yoke upon their cheek; and I laid down their fodder before them." Hosea 11:4.
A fine pass man has come to when he is shamed even in knowledge and understanding by these silly animals, and is not only sent to school to them (Prov. 6:6-7), but set in a form below them (Jer. 8:7), taught more than the beasts of the earth (Job 35:11) and yet knowing less.
We owe the continuation of our lives and comforts, and all our advancements, to
G-d's fatherly care of us and kindness to us. Our ill-natured conduct towards Him, who was so tender of us: "They have rebelled against Me." All the instances of G-d's favors to us, as the G-d both of our nature and of our nurture, aggravate our treacherous departures from Him and all our presumptuous oppositions to Him and yet rebels! G-d does not need your wisdom but He can do without your ignorance! He attributes this to our ignorance and inconsideration.
Have we become ingratitude and rebels going about our business and not His?
Have we put His Laws aside and forgotten about them?