In teaching about the end of the world, Peter asked, "What kind of people should you be in holy conduct and godliness?" (2Pe. 3:11). Holy conduct is conduct in which we separate ourselves from the world. If we do not want to be condemned with the world, we shouldn't behave like the world. 

We must separate ourselves and be holy in all our conduct (1Pe. 1:15). God calls us to be His special people, different from everyone else in the world (Titus 2:14, 1Pe. 2:9). 

As children of God, our goal is to become like our God. Jesus lived the perfect example for us to follow (Lk 6:40). The Old Testament also reveals God to us so we can know how we ought to live. 

The Complete, Perfect Description of God  

In Biblical numerology, four symbolizes completeness and seven represents perfection. The Bible uses four Hebrew terms seven times. They give a complete, perfect description of God. 

The four Hebrew words are rahum, hanun, arek ap and hesed. 

Below are definitions from Swanson's Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains. 

• Rahum - compassionate, merciful, favorable, i.e., pertaining to showing favor, and not punishment as is often deserved, implying a forgiving relationship
• Hanun - gracious, compassionate, i.e., pertaining to being merciful to the needy and repentant
• Arek Ap - patient, slow to anger, i.e., long-suffering before getting angry
• Hesed - loyal love, unfailing kindness, devotion, i.e., a love or affection that is steadfast based on a prior relationship.

Our God is, by His own definition, compassionate, merciful, and forgiving. He is gracious, patient, slow to anger, longsuffering, loving, kind, and devoted. God wants us to be filled with His fullness (Eph. 3:19). When God's fullness fills us, we also can be described as rahum, hanun, arek ap, and hesed. 

1. When Moses had to replace the stone tablets he broke after the golden calf.

After God freed Israel from Egypt, they made a golden calf to worship while Moses was on Mt Sinai with Him. (Exo. 32:1). This angered Moses so much that he broke the stone tablets in his rage (Exo. 32:19). God commanded Moses to replace the tablets he broke (Exo. 34:1). Before writing the law on the tablets a second time, God told Moses:

“The Lord, the Lord God, merciful (rahum)  and gracious, (hanun) 

longsuffering (arek ap),  and abounding in goodness (hesed) and truth, 

keeping mercy for thousands,

forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.

Exodus 34:6–7

Israel committed a great sin by worshipping a golden calf instead of Jehovah. Even though they were worthy of destruction, God forgave them and continued to work with them.  

God's mercy, grace, longsuffering, and goodness are all expressions of His love. The more we understand the love of God, the more He draws us to Himself (Jer. 31:3, Joh.12:32).  As we grow in love, we become more like our Father and grow into His image. 

2. Repentance after rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
 

God cast Israel out of their land after sin filled the nation. They became so sinful that they murdered their children in child sacrifice (Jer 7:31, 19:5, 32:35, 2Chr 28:3, 33:6) and tolerated homosexuality (1Ki 14:34). 

After all the sins Israel committed, they still had hope because God is always ready to pardon. God is love (1Jn 4:8, 16), and no amount of sin can change this truth. God's holiness requires the destruction of all sin. But His love makes Him always ready to pardon anyone who will return to Him. 

The remnant who returned from captivity confessed their sins against God. When reviewing the history of their nation, they confessed their hope was in God alone (1Pe. 1:13). 

They knew why Israel still existed rather than being destroyed as it deserved.

But You are God, Ready to pardon,

Gracious (hanun) and merciful (rahum),

Slow to anger (arek ap),  Abundant in kindness (hesed),

And did not forsake them.

Nehemiah 9:17 

If we are to become God's children, we too must be ready to pardon. We too must be gracious and merciful. We become slow to anger and abundant in kindness as our Master demonstrated in His life.  We do not forsake the sinner but continue to admonish him as a brother (2Th. 3:15). Faithful children of God search for the lost sheep instead of forsaking them to the wolves. 

3. Psalm 86 - “Prayer for Mercy, with Meditation on the Excellencies of the Lord."

The title of Psalm 86 in the New King James Version reveals the two themes in the psalm. Why can we pray for mercy? What is excellent about our God? Verse 15 tells us:

You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion (rahum),

and gracious (hanun), longsuffering (arek ap)

and abundant in mercy (hesed) and truth.

Psalm 86:15.

As God's children, we too must become full of compassion. We must become gracious, longsuffering, and merciful to those in need. Speaking the truth is always required for God's children (Rev. 21:8).  

4. Psalm 103 - “Praise for the Lord’s Mercies."
 

The title of this psalm in the NKJV reveals its theme. The psalm begins and ends with, "Bless the Lord, O my soul!" (Psa. 103:1, 22). Why should we bless or praise God? 

The Lord is merciful (rahum) and gracious (hanun)

Slow to anger (arek ap), and abounding in mercy (hesed).

He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Psalm 103:8–12

Considering the sins of mankind, don't we have a wonderful God? Praise God for His mercy! Now, as His dear children, God calls us to imitate Him and treat others like He treats us (Eph. 5:1). 

5. Psalm 145 - “A Song of God’s Majesty and Love."

Once again, the title of this psalm in the NKJV reveals the theme. The psalm begins with David saying, "I will bless Your name forever and ever". It ends with, "all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever" (Psa.145:1, 21). 

Why are we to praise God forever and ever? (Psa 145:2)  Why is God greatly to be praised? Psa. 145:3) The answer is in verses 8-9:

The Lord is gracious (hanun) and full of compassion (rahum),

Slow to anger (arek ap) and great in mercy (hesed).

The Lord is good to all,

And His tender mercies are over all His works.

Psalm 145:8–9 

What does it mean for us to be Jehovah's special people? (Deu. 7:6, 14:2, 26:18, 1Pe. We must be gracious, full of compassion, slow to anger, and great in mercy. Buildings and bank accounts get no one to heaven. What matters is each one of us growing closer into the image of God, doing good to all (Gal. 6:10, 1Th 5:15), and having tender mercies over all our works (Col. 3:12).   

6. A call to repentance after warning of the coming locust plague.

Joel warned of a coming locust plague that would devastate the land (Joel 1:4). Although the people deserved judgment, they were still offered hope. Their sin could not stop God from being love. 

Rend your heart, and not your garments;

Return to the Lord your God,

For He is gracious (hanun) and merciful (rahum),

Slow to anger (arek ap), and of great kindness (hesed);

And He relents from doing harm.

Joel 2:13

This is the standard we are to imitate as we live among people who are worthy of judgment. Even among failed people, we must be gracious and kind. We must be merciful and slow to anger, as our God is to us. 

7. After God spared Nineveh.
 

Jonah was one of the most successful prophets in the Old Testament. God sent him to Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrians, with a simple message. They needed to repent, or God would destroy the city in 40 days (Jonah 3:4). The Assyrians repented, and God spared them from destruction (Jonah 3:5, 10). 

Jonah got angry because he wanted God to destroy Nineveh. The Assyrians were known for their cruelty and they were enemies of the nation of Israel. Instead of traveling east to warn Nineveh, Jonah fled west to Tarshish. Only after God got his attention by having a sea creature swallow him did Jonah finally go to Nineveh. When Jonah saw that God would not destroy Nineveh, he complained to Jehovah. 

“Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country?

Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish;

for I know that You are a gracious (hanun) and merciful (rahum) God,

slow to anger (arek ap) and abundant in lovingkindness (hesed),

One who relents from doing harm.

Jonah 4:2

JJonah knew Jehovah is gracious and merciful and wanted to forgive Nineveh. Like many today who have not yet put on Christ, Jonah did not love his enemies (Matt. 5:44-45). He attempted to flee to Tarshish so Nineveh would not be warned. Though Jonah knew God's character, he was not yet transformed into God's image (Jon. 3:18). He still had much to learn. We have the complete revelation today. We now have no excuse to act like him. 

Simplicity is in Christ (2Cor. 11:3). Christianity is not complicated. God calls us to love and live our lives free of sin and continue to grow in the image of Christ. 

Sound, faithful Christianity:

Mt 5:48   You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Lk 6:36   Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Ep 4:32   Forgive one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Ep 5:2     Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us. 

1Pe 1:15  As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.

1Jo 1:7    Walk in the light as He is in the light.

1Jn 2:6    Walk just as He walked.

1Jo 3:3    Purify yourself, just as He is pure.

1Jo 4:17   As He is, so are we in this world.

Are we living as children of God? When people see us, do they see God? There are many variations of Christianity promoted in the world. The saving version of Christianity transforms sinners into the image of Christ. 

The mystery is now revealed. We now know God's eternal plan. It is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.

Test yourselves.

Or do you not realize this about yourselves,

that Jesus Christ is in you?

—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

2 Cor. 13:5  (ESV)

Questions? Comments?