Greetings,
I am reminded of the man who said, "Lord, I believe, help Thou mine unbelief.' He wasn't a child but a father of one...
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. Mark 9:24
I am not suggesting he 'refused to manifest it' but nonetheless, he perhaps was not able to fully do so, for whatever reason.
He believed... in the Lord? He needed help in believing His Word?
The "dad" believed the Lord, but didn't have faith that the apostles could cure his son.
His faith in Jesus, and in God, was manifested by the healing.
The Children believed in the LORD but did not believe His Word.
Not sure what you are referring to.
Which Children?
For example, as far as you know, I exist. But do you/can you believe that what i say, I shall do? If not, why not?
Does it take a child to do so?
Interesting paradigm.
If I were five years old, and you had never lied to me before, I would certainly believe you.
However, that same 5 year old may not believe someone he doesn't know.
As a child of God now, I believe His every word.
As a child of God I have been taught to be wary of others whom I know not.
Also, those who entered in (beside Caleb and Joshua)... were they rebellious or were they not in the equation, being yet 'little children'?
Of those who entered into the promised land, none remained of the initial unbelievers.
A whole new generation had come forth, but they too initially did side with the doubting ten spies.
They didn't have the "faith as a child". Faith in God.
Did they manifest faith or is that a speculation on our part? We know that as men, after entering, they were not always so faithful. Did they cease from being children? Did the suggested faith they once had dwindle or did they, now being men, see and reason from a different perspective?
Age has nothing to do with the quality of one's faith.
80 year old men can exhibit childlike faith.
All who strayed from God showed they didn't believe God.
All the wicked cities and nations that had fallen before their ancestors, at the hands of God, and still they went after the ways of the cities and nations around them.
And the result of their dis-obedience? Were they snuffed out or did they have to 'pay' for their sin? These are the same ones who entered in.
(This is an open question or two to everyone)
With the Mosaic Law having been instituted along the way to the promised land, the "sinners" had an escape clause for their sins.
Lie and steal?
Offer a goat.
Had they not had this atonement, I don't think God would have ever brought them back from Assyria or Babylon.
Or, for that matter, allowed the new generation into Caanan.
But for the sake of the true believers, and to His own glory, God allowed the establishment of Israel so His mercy and fame would be broadcast to all other lands.
Glory to God!.[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]