The Character of God Revealed - Ultimately with R.C. Sproul

Summary3 min read

Episode Summary: The Character of God Revealed

Podcast: Ultimately with R.C. Sproul
Host: Ligonier Ministries
Date: October 10, 2025

Overview

In this episode, R.C. Sproul reflects on the distinction between modern and biblical understandings of worship, the intensity and reality of Old Testament narratives, and the profound revelation of God's character. Sproul juxtaposes contemporary church experiences with Old Testament events to uncover what it means to truly encounter God's holiness, emphasizing the necessity of returning to scripture to know who God is.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Old Testament Narratives: Depth and Passion

[00:00–01:30]

Sproul references Søren Kierkegaard, highlighting his critique of 19th-century European culture—not for its wickedness, but its lack of passion.
Kierkegaard is quoted describing the Old Testament as full of vivid, passionate people:

“For there I find people who lie and steal and kill and cheat and commit adultery… people of passion, they're alive.” (A, 00:35)
Sproul emphasizes the novel-like, vivid nature of the Old Testament, relating how its stories are “rich and graphic and concrete.”
The Old Testament offers a sense of reality and relatability—a sharp contrast to the flatness of modern experience.

2. The Weight of God’s Presence: From Secular to Sacred

[01:30–03:10]

Sproul recounts the Israelites at Mount Sinai—awed and terrified in God’s presence:

“When the people of Israel were standing at the foot of Mount Sinai and the lightning flashed and the thunder roared and God approached in a dense and thick cloud, nobody looked at their watch.” (A, 01:40)
He compares this to modern worship, noting how contemporary congregants often monitor the clock, missing the gravity of encountering God.
The Old Testament sense of reverence is contrasted against the casual, routine approach to Sunday morning worship today.

3. Encountering God’s Holiness

[03:10–04:05]

Sproul describes how, in reading the Old Testament, he feels himself “stepping over a threshold from the secular to the sacred.”
He senses the “majesty of God” in these pages—something largely absent from modern worship, where familiarity often replaces awe and fear.
The episode underscores that truly knowing God’s character demands intimate engagement with the Old Testament.

“If you want to know who God is, you’ve got to spend time in the Old Testament. Because whatever else the Old Testament is, beloved, it is the revelation of the character of God the Father.” (A, 03:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On biblical passion:

“My complaint is that it is paltry… When I get distressed about this, my thoughts return again and again to the Old Testament… for there I find people of passion, they're alive.”
(A, 00:20–00:40, referencing Kierkegaard)
On encountering God’s presence:

“They trembled and they knew they were in the presence of the holy, which is just the opposite of what we experience in church on Sunday morning… And yet, when I read the Old Testament, somehow I get a feeling of stepping over a threshold from the secular to the sacred.”
(A, 02:10–03:30)
On revelation through Scripture:

“It is in the pages of the Old Testament that God reveals his character.”
(A, 03:55)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Opening reflection on Sinai and Kierkegaard | | 00:35 | Quote on passion in the Old Testament | | 01:40 | Contrast with modern Sunday worship | | 02:10 | Describing trembling in the presence of the holy | | 03:10 | Moving from secular to sacred; majesty of God | | 03:50 | The Old Testament as God’s self-revelation |

Concluding Thoughts

R.C. Sproul’s reflection calls listeners to re-evaluate their experience of worship and engagement with Scripture, urging a renewed awe before God's holiness. He invites us to turn to the Old Testament not just for stories, but to encounter the very character of God, echoing Kierkegaard’s call for passion and the Bible's call for reverence.

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[00:01]
A
When the people of Israel were standing at the foot of Mount Sinai and the lightning flashed and God approached in a dense and thick cloud, nobody looked at their watch. I used to love to read Kierkegaard when I was in college, and Kierkegaard one time was all exercised about 19th century European culture. And he said, let others complain that this culture is wicked. My complaint is that it is paltry. He was complaining that culture had lost its passion. And he said, when I get distressed about this, he said, my thoughts return again and again to the Old Testament. For there I find people who lie and steal and kill and cheat and commit adultery. He said, people of passion, they're alive. And the word of God comes alive to me through the real episode of real people. Well, for Kierkegaard, the Old Testament read like a novel, indeed, a steamy novel. And as I was analyzing this, I said, yes, I like the Old Testament because it has these narratives that are rich and graphic and concrete and people can understand them and relate to them. But there's something else, something far more important that draws me as a magnet to the pages of the Old Testament. And it has to do with worship. It has to do with what happens on Sunday morning. We come to church on Sunday morning and we look at our watches, don't we, beloved? When the people of Israel were standing at the foot of Mount Sinai and the lightning flashed and the thunder roared and God approached in a dense and thick cloud, nobody was looked at their watch. They were terrified. The word of God says they trembled and they knew they were in the presence of the holy, which is just the opposite of what we experience in church on Sunday morning. For most churches, for most people, on most Sunday morning. And yet, when I read the Old Testament, somehow I get a feeling of stepping over a threshold from the secular to the sacred. And I sense the majesty of God. If you want to know who God is, you've got to spend time in the Old Testament. Because whatever else the Old Testament is, beloved, it is the revelation of the character of God the Father. It is in the pages of the Old Testament that God reveals his character. Thanks for listening to Ultimately with RC Sproul. This is a podcast from Ligonier Ministries. For more information about Ligonier and to discover thousands of free resources to help you grow in your Christian faith, visit ligonier.org satisfaction.