#94 - Kyle Thompson // God’s Attributes According to Himself

Summary

Detailed Summary of Podcast Episode #94 - Kyle Thompson: God’s Attributes According to Himself

Podcast Information

• Title: The Daily Blade: Joby Martin & Kyle Thompson
• Hosts: Pastor Joby Martin (Church of Eleven22) & Kyle Thompson (Undaunted.Life)
• Description: A short-form devotional show that equips Christians to apply the Word of God to their everyday lives.
• Episode: #94 - Kyle Thompson: God’s Attributes According to Himself
• Release Date: May 12, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode #94 of The Daily Blade, co-host Kyle Thompson delves into the profound topic of God's attributes as revealed through Scripture. Although initially scheduled for Joby Martin to host, Kyle steps in to lead the discussion, bringing insightful perspectives on understanding and describing God's nature.

The Challenge of Describing God's Attributes

Kyle opens the episode by acknowledging the inherent difficulty in articulating the attributes of God. He compares this challenge to describing someone else's personality or even one's own traits in settings like job interviews or dating profiles:

“You don't really know exactly what to say next… you don't want to come off too cocky, but you don't want to come off too passive” (00:30).

He emphasizes that while personality tests attempt to categorize human traits, describing divine attributes requires a different approach—one that allows God to define Himself.

Biblical Context: Exodus 32-34

To ground the discussion, Kyle provides a comprehensive overview of the events leading up to Exodus 34:6-7. He recounts the Israelites' impatience and subsequent creation of the golden calf during Moses' absence on Mount Sinai. This act of idolatry leads to severe consequences, including Moses breaking the tablets of the covenant and the execution of judgment resulting in approximately 3,000 deaths.

Kyle highlights Moses' intercessory role, pleading with God for forgiveness and His presence among the people despite their "stiff neck nature." This sets the stage for understanding God's self-revelation in the following chapters.

Dr. Mark Hitchcock's 'Firewalls'

Kyle credits Dr. Mark Hitchcock of Faith Bible Church for inspiring the episode's focus. He introduces the concept of "firewalls" or buffers that God places between Himself and humanity to protect individuals from His overwhelming glory. Referencing Exodus 33:21-34:5, Kyle outlines the four distinct firewalls:

1. Exodus 33:21 – Hiding Behind the Rock: God instructs Moses to hide, symbolizing the first barrier to direct experience.

2. Exodus 33:22 – Covering with His Hand: This represents the second firewall, where God's presence is partially concealed.

3. Exodus 33:23 – Glimpse of His Glory: The third firewall allows Moses a brief and limited view of God's essence, akin to catching a fleeting scent.

4. Exodus 34:5 – Partial Revelation Behind the Cloud: The final firewall involves God partially hiding His full radiance, ensuring Moses cannot be overwhelmed by His complete glory.

“God does indeed want to show us his glory, but this side of heaven, we simply can't handle it” (05:10).

The Lesson on God's Partial Revelation

Drawing from these firewalls, Kyle imparts a pivotal lesson: God's ultimate revelation is intentionally moderated to safeguard humanity. The partial disclosure of His attributes serves both protective and instructional purposes. While humans are eager for a deeper understanding and a closer relationship with God, the complete manifestation of His glory is beyond human capacity to endure.

Kyle encourages listeners to find solace in the fact that God's measured revelation is for their benefit, fostering a relationship that is both profound and manageable.

Conclusion and Upcoming Content

Kyle wraps up the episode by previewing the continuation of the discussion. He invites listeners to return the following day, where he will further explore God's attributes as He has revealed them, specifically focusing on Exodus 34:6-7.

Notable Quotes

• Kyle Thompson at 00:30:

  “You don't really know exactly what to say next… you don't want to come off too cocky, but you don't want to come off too passive.”

• Kyle Thompson at 05:10:

  “God does indeed want to show us his glory, but this side of heaven, we simply can't handle it.”

Final Remarks

Host Joby Martin concludes the episode by encouraging listeners to share the podcast and leave reviews to help equip more men for their spiritual journey. This call to action underscores the podcast's mission to empower Christians through insightful and applicable biblical teachings.

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Note: This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from Episode #94 of The Daily Blade, providing a comprehensive overview for those who have not yet listened.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Daily Blade. The word of God is described as the sword of the spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.

[B]

All right, guys, I know at the end of last week, I said it would be Joby this week, but we moved the schedule around a little bit. So I don't know if this is disappointing or exciting, but it's me again. But today, we are going to be talking about attributes and specifically the attributes of God. And it can be kind of hard to describe someone else's attributes. So I don't know if you've ever been asked to describe somebody else, but every now and then, you kind of run ag ground. You don't really know exactly what to say next. And then if you've ever been asked to describe your own attributes. Right. You know, think of like a job interview or, you know, some sort of dating app or something like that. I mean, that can be pretty difficult because at the same time, especially for us guys, you don't want to come off too cocky, but you don't want to come off too passive. And this is part of the reason why people love personality tests so much. I mean, you do your Myers Briggs. You do one that tells you what kind of, like, ancient animal you are. And then you got, like, satanic ones, like the Enneagram. If you don't know why it's satanic, go check it out on my show. I give you the receipts, but I digress. But then when we talk about describing the attributes of God, that can be really difficult because depending upon if you're flipping through the Bible and you just land on a page, it might be difficult to kind of surmise exactly what attributes we're talking about here. So why don't we let God speak for himself? So that's what we're going to do this week on the Daily Blade. And we're going to do that by looking at God's word in Exodus 34, verses 6 and 7. So I got the idea for this batch of episodes from my pastor of my home church. That's Dr. Mark Hitchcock of Faith Bible Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. He did a sermon on March 16th of this year entitled show and Tell. So I would encourage you guys to go check that out. Google it, find it so you can watch it or listen to it for yourself. Again, March 16, it's called show and Tell. But his sermon got Me thinking specifically about the attributes of God. And God in his infinite wisdom. He actually gives us a list of his attributes in Exodus 34, verses 6 and 7. But before we get there, we've got to set the stage today before we dig into those verses starting tomorrow. So in Exodus 32, if we go all the way back there, while Moses is on Mount Sinai receiving the law from God, right? You know, communing with God, the Israelites grow impatient and they ask Aaron, his brother, to make them gods, right? And so Aaron creates a golden calf, and they begin to worship it. And they're engaging in basically a gigantic rager around this thing, and they're going all crazy and whatnot. God tells Moses what the people have done and threatens to destroy them. But Moses kind of intercedes on their behalf. Moses descends. He breaks the tablets in a covenant of the tavern. Tablets of the covenant. In anger, he kind of goes crazy, destroys the calf, you know, rebukes Aaron, and then he commands the Levites to execute judgment. And this results in about 3,000 deaths. And Moses again intercedes for the people, asking God to forgive them and to blot him out of his book. And then God sends a plague on the people for their idolatry. And then when we get into Exodus 33, God tells Moses to lead the people to the promised land, but he will not go with them personally due to their stiff neck nature, okay? The people mourn this announcement. They remove their ornaments and repentance. And then Moses pitches the tabernacle of the congregation outside of the camp where he meets with God. The Lord speaks to Moses, and, you know, it's described as face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend, right? And then Moses pleads with God to go with them and asks to see God's glory. Now, God agrees to show his goodness and to proclaim his name, but he states that no man could see him and live. So that gets us all the way to Exodus 34. So I'm going to read the first five verses now out of Exodus 34 from the New American Standard Bible, 1995 edition. Now, the Lord said to Moses, cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered. So be ready by morning and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain. And no man is to come up with you, nor let any man be seen anywhere on the mountain, even the flocks and the herds. May not graze in front of that mountain. So he cut out two stone tablets like the former ones. And Moses rose up early in the morning and went to Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him. And he took two stone tablets in his hand. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the Lord. So, guys, we're gonna get. We're gonna get into verses 6 and 7 of Exodus 34 starting tomorrow. But I wanted to point out something that Dr. Hitchcock did, something that he taught me. As we march our towards or march our way towards God's words, in Exodus 34, 6 and 7, we see God provide protection from himself to Moses. Okay? Dr. Mark Hitchcock calls them firewalls or buffers. And there's four of them that we see here in the text. So in Exodus 33, 21, he tells Moses to hide behind the rock. So that's firewall number one, firewall number two, that's Exodus 33, 22, he tells Moses that he's going to cover him with his hand. Then we see in firewall number three, Exodus 33, 23, God is only going to allow Moses the tiniest glimpse of him, right? Just the tiniest glimpse. It's basically, you know, that stank that, you know, somebody has when they walk by you and like two or three seconds later you get whether or not they've showered, right? That's all he's going to be able to let him see, right? He's going to let him see his trail. And then firewall number four, we have Exodus 34, five. God hid Himself partially behind a cloud to filter his full radiance. So a lesson we can derive from this is that God does indeed want to show us his glory, but this side of heaven, we simply can't handle it. So if you're feeling frustrated because you want God to reveal himself to you and his will for your life, just know that his answer, while it may feel incomplete, is for your protection and benefit. All right, guys, come back here tomorrow where we will get into God's attributes according to himself.

[A]

Thank you for listening to today's episode. Before you go, if you want to help, equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five star rating and review. Stay sharp.