Online Bible Institute | Don | Activity

Don posted an update: Session 30: What I noticed most was how ritual obligation […]

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:45:33 -0400

Session 30: What I noticed most was how ritual obligation is theologically harnessed to demands of ethics—how that made identity formation more than simply tradition. Holiness, they discovered, wasn’t limited to holy moments, but was experienced even in day-to-day decisions relating to justice and to our connections with other humans.…

Don posted an update: Session 29: Most striking was Session 29, and in […]

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:40:15 -0400

Session 29: Most striking was Session 29, and in particular clarity on the sacrificial system and what those rituals actually accomplished. This went beyond simply enumerating the types – burnt, grain, peace, sin, and trespass offerings, etc.- showing how each functioned as worship, reparation, and reconciliation. More than symbols, they…

Don posted an update: Session 28: One thing that was particularly clear was […]

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:36:20 -0400

Session 28: One thing that was particularly clear was how people were divided among those consigned to sacred duties. It not only reflected structure, but also why and how they served. Emboldening attention was the way rituals marked phases of service, indicating an inner cleansing accompanied by the commitment. These were not mere gestures;…

Don posted a new activity comment

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:38:19 -0400

Reading over your thoughts really emphasizes some of the key differences between “witness,” “laity” and “clergy” – pretty well done. Because Israel is defined as a royal priesthood in Exodus 19:6, you demonstrate how this defines the believer’s calling today. Rather than being passive attendees, lay people are brought to the fore as active…

In reply to - Anthony posted an update

This chapter we define “witness”, “laity” and “clergy” and further growing into the process of multiplication. To see the real call of the “laity” we see it in the Old Testament as […]

Don posted a new activity comment

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:34:17 -0400

What is striking about your response is that it so well captures the main themes of John’s Gospel, in particular the importance of “believing” – a word which is very tightly woven into the fabric of its message. It is not merely Jesus revealing God in human form, but it also presents him as full presence, not simply as a partial glimpse.…

In reply to - Mark posted an update

I am sharing what I learned.
John using Term “BELIEVE” than any other book. Actually the purpose of John is that you really believe who He is, for that is critical to the entire argument.

Don posted an update: One of the slightly surprising things in the […]

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:28:27 -0400

One of the slightly surprising things in the BibleProject series on Exodus is session 27 in particular because it dwells on details that many commonly skip over—sidebars and additional layers of meaning behind the design of the tabernacle. Although small, that container bore many layers of meaning, each segment saying something about the…

Don posted an update: Within session 26, thoughts revolved around the […]

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:15:11 -0400

Within session 26, thoughts revolved around the holy covering of the tabernacle and the visible heaviness of the LORD hovering nearby. It wasn’t just a token of endorsement, but rather the filling of the temple with the presence of God signified that He really intended to dwell with them. What seemed to stick out the most was the way holiness…

Don posted an update: Session 25: A close examination of priestly garb—and […]

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:10:16 -0400

Session 25: A close examination of priestly garb—and how priests are ritually set apart—reveals just how stratified ancient worship was. The ephod and the breastpiece, with its stones that represented each tribe, conveyed the idea of unity in the duties that were sacred. It struck me that these things meant – not power, but obligation, not…

Don posted a new activity comment

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:28:01 -0400

What stands out is how deeply you’ve engaged with Lesson Fourteen – especially the challenge posed by the world, the flesh, and the devil. Positioned not through effort but surrender, yielding your will to God reshapes everything. Instead of striving, you become a living offering – a choice that redefines strength. Because Scripture grounds you,…

In reply to - Tammie Human Burgin posted an update

Lesson Fourteen – Spiritual Strategies: A Manual for Spiritual Warfare gave understanding of the battle with the world, flesh, and the devil. How the devil uses strategies […]

Don posted a new activity comment

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:22:17 -0400

What is striking is your considered account of the formation of the Hebrew Bible – through spoken stories, through early writings, among evolving versions of those drafts. It helps that you acknowledge the uneasiness in following its development through generations of many hands. Then again, to cling to the notion that the inspiration of God…

In reply to - Noel Card posted an update

This session provided evidence that the Hebrew Bible went through a length process from events, an oral tradition, some early writings, collections of writings, and eventually […]

Don posted a new activity comment

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:18:39 -0400

Looking at your thoughts, it is clear how important it is to understand the principal historical stages of the Bible – these serve as anchors for events and people. And the 12 detailed time spams (plus charts on the judges and rulers of Israel and Judah) provide readers who are visual learners ways to navigate the story. When you talk about…

In reply to - Mayra Belmonte posted an update

I found this lesson to be very helpful in identifying major historical periods of the Bible. There were 12 in total that the lesson expanded on. It gave charts on the Judges […]

Don posted a new activity comment

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:15:12 -0400

One strength is particularly clear – your reflection lays bare precisely how Satan operates as a tangible spiritual adversary. It follows his origins, fall, and the consequences of his rebellion. You don’t hesitate to offer him as a real entity rather than a symbol - a real thinking entity, with Intelligence, Strategy, Lies, and the Art of the…

In reply to - SYLVIA LEOTAUD posted an update

You learn about “The Enemy -Satan”

Scripture says: Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. (I […]

Don posted an update: Session 24: Small aspects of the tabernacle reveal […]

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:09:33 -0400

Session 24: Small aspects of the tabernacle reveal profound ideas about holiness and nearness to God. Not only are the ark, table, and lampstand significant, but their form and meaning are determined by precise shape and arrangement. Worship here is not perfunctory acts of worship – it displays intention – through shape and function,…

Don posted an update: Session 23: Israel’s story of covenant renewal at Sinai […]

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:54:39 -0400

Session 23: Israel’s story of covenant renewal at Sinai came full circle. One thing to note is that their answer to that defining situation clarifies who they are – set apart, called royal priests under divine care. Not difficult to understand, and yet very personal, the pact combined God’s unmerited grace with obligatory human…

Don posted an update: In Session 22, the how and the Day of Atonement were set […]

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:52:28 -0400

In Session 22, the how and the Day of Atonement were set in Israel’s sacred breath. Although not mentioned all that often, its weight was immediately apparent when I looked at it through themes of guilt, purification, but also hope. More than just ritual, it was divine equilibrium: holiness was maintained, and forgiveness could be extended.…

Don posted an update: There are a few gems in Session 21, and one is: how […]

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:26:41 -0400

There are a few gems in Session 21, and one is: how priestly functions and tabernacle rites shaped Israel’s feeling of intimacy with God. Because the environment was already conducive to sacred space, worship went beyond the ordinary – gravity, meaning, and navigation were applied. Although ancient, these rites were not random; everything…

Don posted an update: Session 20 turned its attention to laws for the good of […]

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:22:43 -0400

Session 20 turned its attention to laws for the good of the people, particularly how they treated the poor. Identifying the forgotten – migrants, widowed women, orphans, the destitute – became central. They were never intended to be stale directives; rather, they are active expressions of justice and compassion. This type of counsel helped…

Don posted an update: Session 19: What I found most striking was how the […]

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:16:06 -0400

Session 19: What I found most striking was how the Sabbath is more like a restraint transformed by an invitation. In this perspective, rest is active trust – rest is a kind of faith that resonates with divine order from the very beginning. It not only symbolizes reliance on provision, but daily life is shaped around trust. Instead of being…

Don posted an update: What stood out in Session 23 was the way it framed […]

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:15:32 -0400

What stood out in Session 23 was the way it framed blessing and inheritance through Jacob’s final words to his sons. Instead of treating them as mere farewells, the discussion showed how each utterance carried weight beyond emotion – shaping tribal destinies. Judah’s rise into prominence unfolded gradually across the narrative, signaled less by…

Don posted a new activity comment

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:44:19 -0400

After all, a close look at key words definitely bolsters our view of Scripture. Perusing “pernicious” (and even “depravity”) when reading II Peter 2:2 demonstrates a close attention to the wording that reveals the concealed injury of false teachings. Since that kind of rhetoric comes out in II Peter 2 as well as Jude, catching the…

In reply to - Andrew posted an update

In this lesson we took a single word and studied it from a verse. This word had to be a keyword. Since I have been studying II Peter 2 in the previous lessons. I used this to find my […]

Don posted a new activity comment

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:38:17 -0400

Your summary offers a great template for how to approach any biblical book, cover to cover. Emphasizing repeated reading makes it easier for us to discover multiple layers of meaning. Start not with the details, but with the question of who wrote it – and for whom. Then, you break it into chunks and understand one chunk at a time. On a second…

In reply to - Timothy Greenlee posted an update

Chapter 11 goes over how to study the whole book. The first reading is to find what it is about the author and who it was written to. Reading a second time is when you break […]

Don posted an update: Session 18: revitalized the issue of pronouncing God's […]

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:32:19 -0400

Session 18: revitalized the issue of pronouncing God’s name and keeping His sacred commitments. The most striking feature, however, was the way in which Israel perceived itself – not simply as chosen, but as entrusted – as God’s special (segulah) people and with responsibility toward other nations. Rather than remaining an abstract…

Don posted an update: One surprise that really came through in session […]

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:29:07 -0400

One surprise that really came through in session 17.The First and the Second Law, when looking at the way that the first commandment sets out the framework of the Ten Commandments. Rather than treat prohibitions of foreign gods and images as distinct commandments, their union emphasized the exclusive devotion to Yahweh as the center of the…

Don posted an update: One thing became clear amid Session 16 - The Ten […]

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:21:36 -0400

One thing became clear amid Session 16 – The Ten Commandments, and that was how they transformed my view of the laws found in the Old Testament. They are not rules carved in stone; rather, they are indicators of who Israel is called to be. What surprised me? God saved them first, and then the teaching. Which turned that on its head in my mind -…

Don posted a new activity comment

Sun, 31 May 2026 17:19:19 -0400

What is particularly striking about you is how you relate plant growth to human development. As roots rely on soil, moisture, sunlight, but also unseen forces - so too does inner growth depend on more than just exertion. The notion of Scripture as the point of departure for renewal stands comfortably with Christ as its origin. Instead of…

In reply to - Frank Bertinchamps posted an update

Chapter 7 of the Strategies of Spiritual Harvest discussed an interesting concept that spiritual parallels have commonalities with natural principles of plant development. […]

Don posted a new activity comment

Sun, 31 May 2026 17:16:03 -0400

Your summary strings together each essential consideration from a lesson on predestination, including how divine sovereignty coexists with personal responsibility. Indeed, it claims to address five major themes quite explicitly—our capacity as human beings to seek meaning as children of God even in the face of uncertainty, moral obligation…

In reply to - Thibaut posted an update Summary: This lesson addresses human reactions to the doctrine of predestination. Five areas of man’s responsibility are outlined to balance God’s sovereignty with human […]

Don posted an update: In Session 15, based on Exodus 19 as they arrived at […]

Sun, 31 May 2026 17:12:08 -0400

In Session 15, based on Exodus 19 as they arrived at Sinai, changed everything – all of a sudden Israel’s purpose came into sharp focus: selected not just for receiving blessings, but for bringing them. For God’s statement—“You shall be my treasure-holding people” is also “You will be for me a holy nation”—an aimless people found direction,…

Don posted an update: There was one thing that I think everyone could agree on […]

Sun, 31 May 2026 17:11:30 -0400

There was one thing that I think everyone could agree on by the end of Session 14: being burdened too much alone weakens even the most “solid” individuals. Watching Moses struggle under the weight of an unending list of his duties made his position feel nearby, more concrete. From outside the group, Jethro discerned what the others failed to…

Don posted an update: Since Session 13 was on liminal space, I gained new […]

Sun, 31 May 2026 17:10:50 -0400

Since Session 13 was on liminal space, I gained new insights on Israel’s wilderness experience–how following God there called for radical commitment. Although transitory and dynamic, such spaces often function as limina in which the subject slowly reconstitutes itself through disruption. For them and for some of the people telling their own…

Don posted a new activity comment

Sat, 30 May 2026 22:23:55 -0400

Your reflection brings attention to a number of central ideas regarding the existence and weight of spiritual conflict:
Seeing what lies beneath matters – your acknowledgment of a constant but hidden struggle shapes how awareness grows. This quiet conflict runs beneath daily life, yet its presence changes everything about perception. Noticing… Read more

In reply to - SYLVIA LEOTAUD posted an update

The lesson has opened up my understanding much more clearly. The invisible war is real. Many develop spiritual discernment to see beyond the natural world and recognize the […]

Don posted a new activity comment

Sat, 30 May 2026 22:20:10 -0400

Your thoughts bring up key ideas about ancient biblical tongues and how they’re translated – ideas crucial to understanding Scripture more fully.

Starting off, the Old Testament mostly appears in Hebrew – some parts show up in Aramaic. Meanwhile, Greek carries the entire New Testament. That detail matters when looking closely at how ideas come… Read more

In reply to - Festus Daniel posted an update

Versions of the Bible
This chapter identified the original languages the books in the Bible were written in. The Old testament was written in Hebrew, except some parts of Daniel […]

Don posted an update: Session 12 - when the Song of the Sea came into focus […]

Sat, 30 May 2026 22:14:38 -0400

Session 12 – when the Song of the Sea came into focus – shifted how I saw Israel’s belief system overnight. Poetry within the Torah, it turned out, carries weight; not just form. Instead, it shapes how Israel understands itself – and how it names its God. A sudden image stayed: divine breath churning water, violent yet controlled. Rather…

Don posted an update: Session 11 - On walking on the Sea of Reeds - seemed like […]

Sat, 30 May 2026 22:12:15 -0400

Session 11 - On walking on the Sea of Reeds – seemed like a good fit, mixing credence and memory-history to really feel grounded. From Moses plucked from river reeds as a baby to people taken across water later, those echoes informed the story’s equilibrium, which I found quietly arresting. Talk about the exact place where they crossed…

Don posted an update: Session 10 left a powerful impression, focused on the […]

Sat, 30 May 2026 22:09:24 -0400

Session 10 left a powerful impression, focused on the Passover and its deep trace in the identity of Israel. That was not simply a recollection of past events, the meeting embodied the message that Passover lives forward – with every generation re-enacting the story of divine rescue. Rather than hearing from a distance, listeners participate…

Don posted a new activity comment

Fri, 29 May 2026 12:58:56 -0400

Your reflection brings to the fore a number of very significant and insightful observations about the development of the New Testament canon:
Beginning slowly helped them stay focused on listening, the Judea koinonia, the first believers. So they stopped often; decisions were made after lengthy discussions and communal prayers. Their route was… Read more

In reply to - Stephen posted an update

Module 6 of the History of the Bible looked at how the New Testament canon came together. By around 100 AD all the books had already been written, but what stood out to me was how […]

Don posted a new activity comment

Fri, 29 May 2026 12:46:39 -0400

What is striking is that you can see so precisely where along the Eden line you place – not just as a garden but as a collision between mortal and sacred. From here and there, a few sentences cohere into a pattern: height is important, water runs from the center outward, geography is shaped by holiness. Temple architecture resonates here, but…

In reply to - Tope posted an update

Garden Imagery in the Ancient Near East – S12

Eden means delight. We see in Psalm 36:7-8 that everyone alive lives by the river of Eden; Ezek 36:35 – Eden is a high place; Gen 2:4-17 – […]

Don posted an update: One thing was crystal clear in Session 9 - Pharaoh’s […]

Fri, 29 May 2026 12:14:56 -0400

One thing was crystal clear in Session 9 – Pharaoh’s hard heart. That was stretching it a bit, but the ideas of divine control and human free will seemed applicable here. The hour did not degenerate into a free-for-all, but concluded with clear instructions. What was left in me? The difference between a Pharaoh resisting for his own reasons,…

Don posted an update: Session 8: Ten Disasters Part One What to Keep in Mind […]

Fri, 29 May 2026 12:11:40 -0400

Session 8: Ten Disasters Part One What to Keep in Mind About Belief Systems Eighth move: “Set ways people talk.” Power reveals itself in myriad ways as the false gods of Egypt fall, the ruler is made void, and the world unravels. Only one idea held on to me – disasters peeling away creation like layers removed one by one. Water thickens, skies…

Don posted an update: Session 7:The staff of Moses held more than wood […]

Fri, 29 May 2026 11:16:21 -0400

Session 7:The staff of Moses held more than wood and dust. There lives a faint response, where a shepherd’s crook touches crowns and scepters, one man beckons another who rules a country. When symbols collide—not merely people—power shifts. Each plague came like a word said twice—once as a warning, and once as evidence. These were not random…

Don posted a new activity comment

Thu, 28 May 2026 12:27:30 -0400

What stands out is how clearly the tannin represents disorder, wickedness, and mortality within scripture. Far from being an opposing force, it emerges in Genesis 1 as part of God’s formed world – crafted, not contested – showing mastery without rivalry. Power over watery depths appears again and again: at first light, amid rising floods, across…

In reply to - Roscoe Meeks posted an update

What stood out to me most about Session 17 was the powerful imagery of the dragon in the waters and how it represents chaos, evil, and death throughout the Bible. It was exciting […]

Don posted a new activity comment

Thu, 28 May 2026 12:17:40 -0400

Your reflection brings out many of the key points from chapter 1:
Test Content is Relevant to What You are Learning in the Class: The test was useful for helping you to further understand the letters in the Bible and what they aim to communicate.
Awareness of Biblical Structure: You learned that the Bible can be broken down into different… Read more

In reply to - Doug Klipp posted an update

I just took the test for chapter 1, and found it very educational learning with all the letters that were written were about and the purpose for which they were delivered. It was […]

Don posted an update: The session 6 analysis of the bizarre incident where […]

Thu, 28 May 2026 11:14:45 -0400

The session 6 analysis of the bizarre incident where God attempts to slay Moses was difficult but true. The complexity of that narrative—Zipporah’s swift circumcision, the vague pronouns, and the curious term “bridegroom of blood” — generated new insights into covenant identity and divine protection. What struck me was the notion that Moses’…

Don posted an update: In Session 5, the call of Moses at the bush […]

Thu, 28 May 2026 11:14:05 -0400

In Session 5, the call of Moses at the bush was pregnant with theological and literary implications. I was intrigued by the two names for the mountain—Horeb and Sinai—and the possible puns linking the bush to the mountain’s name. The burning bush, because of the Jewish leader’s interpretation that the burning bush represented the suffering…

Don posted an update: That identity crisis -- as well as the ”naming” of Moses […]

Thu, 28 May 2026 11:13:18 -0400

That identity crisis — as well as the ”naming” of Moses — in Session 4 really landed for me. The double entendre of “Moses” as “drawn out of the water” in Hebrew and a prefix in Egyptian for “child of” perfectly captures Moses’ position between the Hebrew and Egyptian cultures. The way God describes Himself as “the God of your father”…

Don posted a new activity comment

Wed, 27 May 2026 13:33:56 -0400

Your reflection gives thoughtful attention to a number of the key elements of church growth and discipling:
Three Types of Growth: geographic, numeric, and ethnic You demonstrate an insightful understanding of how the body of Christ grows by articulating that geographic, numeric and ethnic growth are all necessary elements to the church’s… Read more

In reply to - Anthony posted an update

Here we learn of multiplication of the believers in the church. The three types of growth are geographic, numeric and ethnic. Our God is a God of numbers and we see this all through […]

Don posted a new activity comment

Wed, 27 May 2026 13:27:04 -0400

Your reflection clearly captures the great hope and sober reality of 1 Corinthians 15:40-54 and the transformation of believers’ bodies on the day of salvation. You articulate the excitement and glorious anticipation of the redeemed of Christ but also the sobering reality of judgement and resurrection for the unbeliever, with their bodies…

In reply to - Mark posted an update

Praise be to God! In this lesson, the teacher is talking about how our bodies will be transformed on the day of salvation (1 Corinthians 15:40-54). When I look into it, I see that it will […]

Don posted an update: The story in Session 3 of Delivering the Deliverer […]

Wed, 27 May 2026 11:15:00 -0400

The story in Session 3 of Delivering the Deliverer was especially moving, including the women’s roles in saving Moses. The repeated theme of “seeing” and being able to “see what is good,” particularly that of Moses’ mother seeing that her son was “good,” resonated beautifully with the refrain in the creation narrative and highlighted the…

Don posted an update: Session 2: Exodus 1 and the Israelites Multiply in Egypt […]

Wed, 27 May 2026 11:14:18 -0400

Session 2: Exodus 1 and the Israelites Multiply in Egypt is a theological and literary gem. The piling up of verbs around the growth of Israel, against the humiliation of its oppression, brought into sharp relief the tension embodied in God’s command to “be fruitful and multiply” and the reality of oppression. There was also a way in which I…

Don posted an update: I was profoundly challenged by the philological […]

Wed, 27 May 2026 11:13:42 -0400

I was profoundly challenged by the philological and theological treatment of the historicity of the Exodus in the Bible Project Classroom: Exodus Session 1. The analysis of the historicality of the Exodus “event,” versus its functioning as a foundational identity story for Israel, has been illuminating. I appreciated the focus on genre issues…

Don posted an update: Session 29: What was most remarkable was how every word […]

Tue, 19 May 2026 16:20:07 -0400

Session 29: What was most remarkable was how every word of Jacob seemed to have a future implication; every phrase was pregnant with future lines. While Reuben was humbled, his name still had a quiet relevance in the larger scheme of things. Judah’s elevation to prominence arose not merely as favor but as part of a developing motif in…