Online Bible Institute | Noel | Activity

Noel posted an update: This session focused on man (humans) as image of God. […]

Mon, 09 Nov 2026 16:39:48 -0500

This session focused on man (humans) as image of God. The instructor contrasted the Biblical idea of images (Hebrew tselem; translated into English as ‘image’, ‘idol’, or ‘statue’) with other ideas in Ancient Near East. In those surrounding cultures (examples shown from Syria, Egypt, and Babylon), statues were made of kings thought to be the…

Noel posted an update: This session focused on Genesis 1: 26-28. Before […]

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 16:33:54 -0500

This session focused on Genesis 1: 26-28. Before taking this course, I would have not thought it possible to discuss three verses in such depth, but Dr. Mackie offered many interesting observations. One observation was in the rewording of the three lines of verses 27, substituting male and female (27c) for image (27b), indicating that God…

Noel posted a new activity comment

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 17:47:54 -0400

This is a wonderful summary. As you wrote, this is a very powerful teaching.

In reply to - Sifiso posted an update

Amen and greetings

This was a short chapter with a powerful teaching.

I learnt that have plans & desires, goals and milestones we want to achieve. They are in our hearts, they are on […]

Noel posted an update: This session focused on “the rulers above”. These […]

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 17:46:03 -0400

This session focused on “the rulers above”. These include both angels, who serve as messengers to earth, and the “hosts of heaven” who form an assembly in heaven. The instructor points to several specific descriptions of angels in the Bible: Genesis 28:12 (Jacob’s dream, in which he sees “angels of God” “ascending and descending” the ladder);…

Noel posted a new activity comment

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 16:00:43 -0400

Great post, Jeff. It is amazing how much depth there is in the Hebrew Bible poetry. We could just meditate for hours on a small section of a psalm, and still not fully appreciate its depth. Thanks for sharing this.

In reply to - Jeff posted an update

One third of the Bible is written in the style of poetry. Most of God’s speech to and through the prophets is almost always in a poetic form. These patterns of symmetry and repetition […]

Noel posted a new activity comment

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:58:51 -0400

Great post! When we begin to recognize the complexity and sophistication of the Biblical text, there can be no doubt of its divine author.

In reply to - Jerry BRUCE posted an update

How Bible poetry communicates, by Dr. Tim Mackie, was new new. This course is the start of new learning that I have been excited to begin. It covers an in depth look at the […]

Noel posted an update: This session was a question and answer session. […]

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:56:27 -0400

This session was a question and answer session. Early discussion noted that Moses was one of the first humans to go into heaven in an unexplainable (by human terms) way (Enoch in Genesis 5 was the first; later e.g., Elijah). As Moses and the elders ascended Mount Sinai, Moses went past where others could go (both Genesis 19 and 34),…

Noel posted an update: This session discussed multiple times in which God […]

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 18:24:52 -0400

This session discussed multiple times in which God brought heavenly reality to earthly reality. The first was Eden, in which humans lived in heavenly reality. Then Babylon, in which humans attempted to gain access to heaven through their own efforts. Later, Jacob dreamt – possibly in a place geographically close to Babylon – of God and…

Noel posted an update: This session began with consideration of Jonah […]

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 17:35:58 -0400

This session began with consideration of Jonah 2:1-7, Jonah’s prayer while in the stomach of the fish. Jonah contrasts the ‘depth of Sheol’, where he is ‘expelled from (God’s) sight), looking upward ‘toward your holy temple’. Later, the writer contrasts the depth of ‘the pit’ yet remembering that “my prayer came to you, into your holy…

Noel posted a new activity comment

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 20:21:21 -0400

Great posting! Yes, Dr. Mackie does a wonderful job showing how the the Bible is an interconnected message from God through many human authors.

In reply to - Jerry BRUCE posted an update

The Hebrew Bible as a mosaic, taught by Dr. Tim Mackie is very interesting! He showed how every book of the Hebrew Bible hyperlinks itself to other books, showing intelligent […]

Noel posted a new activity comment

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 20:18:02 -0400

Great comment on this fascinating session. This perspective certainly expands our narrow view of ‘creation’ to include the active, providential feeding of Psalm 104:14.

In reply to - Leah posted an update

In this Session, Genesis 1 Imagery in Psalm 104, we see something a bit different: the author talks about “creation” as more than just the first of something, or its origins. Those of us […]

Noel posted an update: This session focused on Psalm 36. The psalm consists […]

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 20:12:37 -0400

This session focused on Psalm 36. The psalm consists of three sections. First, verses 1-4 is a meditation on the wicked character – one that, as the instructor rightly pointed out, all of us should admit to these thoughts at times. Next, verses 5-9 illustrate the divine character. Specifically, verses 5-6 describe the cosmology from the…

Noel posted an update: This session considered some connections between ideas […]

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 19:03:46 -0400

This session considered some connections between ideas and words of the First/Old Testaments with the New Testament, specifically John. When it is written that the word became flesh and “dwelt” among us, the word for dwelt is the same as for tent – making references to the tabernacle. Jesus spoke of the controlled, life-giving waters coming…

Noel posted an update: This session began with discussion of the pillar […]

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 16:36:10 -0400

This session began with discussion of the pillar supporting the land (from earlier sessions). The instructor cites work by Robin Parry, including this quote: “To speak of the earth’s pillar is not a primitive physical claim, but a profound metaphysical one”. In other words, the metaphysical belief that God supports all there is profound, and…

Noel posted an update: This session continued from the previous discussion of […]

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 17:48:18 -0400

This session continued from the previous discussion of the waters created in Day 2. Here, the instructor points to Day 5 (population of the waters and sky), pointing especially to Genesis 1: 21. Here there is the Hebrew word “tannin” which is sometimes translating as ‘sea monster’ (or ‘sea creature’ ion many, or even ‘whale’ in KJV). The…

Noel posted an update: This session is the first of Module 4, which will […]

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 17:25:31 -0400

This session is the first of Module 4, which will explore more deeply the waters and land of the cosmos. The instructor started with the separation of waters in Day 2 (Genesis 1:6-8) into the waters above the dome and the waters below. He then described the role of these waters in the Flood – the “windows of the skies were opened” to…

Noel posted a new activity comment

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 17:07:18 -0400

Great post. This sounds like an interesting class.

In reply to - Sharine posted an update

Lesson 4 reinforces and teaches the student there is an overall chain link from God to us which is called transmission. One of the unique and privilege thinks to note is God wanted all […]

Noel posted an update: This session examined relations among the six days […]

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 17:04:26 -0400

This session examined relations among the six days of creation in Genesis 1. The instructor described the more commonly discussed parallels between Days 1-3 (ordering of skies, sky and water, and land) and Days 4-6 (populating theses areas). But, he also described a relationship of Days 4 and 6 (with Day 5 containing the ‘fold’ of the…

Noel posted a new activity comment

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:12:12 -0400

I appreciated your writing, “this universe is sustained or manned by God’s infinite power and not my frantic effort”. Excellent words to remember anytime we find ourselves in ‘frantic effort’.

In reply to - Dominic Otieno posted an update The unshared attributes of God makes me see God in a very different and special way. I normally come to a standstill in my daily life simply because am prone to running out […]

Noel posted a new activity comment

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:08:34 -0400

Very interesting! Thanks R.C. I think this viewpoint of Egypt as a new ark would also be played out in the early chapters of Exodus, when Moses is saved by being placed in a basket (which has the same Hebrew word as ‘ark’)

In reply to - R.C. posted an update This passage presents Egypt not as exile’s endpoint but as a new ark and garden. Yoseph becomes an agent of preservation, gathering a remnant amid famine just as Noah preserved life amid […]

Noel posted an update: This session focused on repeated words in Genesis 1. […]

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:05:41 -0400

This session focused on repeated words in Genesis 1. The key point was that repeated words are literary devise used for structure and used to invite connections and comparisons across ideas. The instructor illustrated using similarities and subtle difference between Day 1 and Day 4. In Day 1, God separated the light/day and darkness/night,…

Noel posted an update: This session was the first of the third module, focused […]

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 17:11:41 -0400

This session was the first of the third module, focused on the literary design of Genesis 1. This session described parallel wordings of Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 2:1, with these verses creating a frame around the six days of creation. The instructor also compares Genesis 1:2 with Genesis 2:2-3 to contrast the pre-creation state (tohu va-vohu)…

Noel posted a new activity comment

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:40:49 -0400

Wonderful post, Jerry. I initially found the Bible Project classes intimidating, as Dr. Mackie is both intelligent and extensively trained in Hebrew and theology. My approach has been to learn what I can from them, and remember that I can always come back to them if needed. Ultimately, the value of these classes rests in how they change us…

In reply to - Jerry BRUCE posted an update

God bless his people! I sat on yesterday’s session for a while before posting today. For better or worse this is what I got out of it. Dr. Tim Mackie sure seems to be an above […]

Noel posted a new activity comment

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:36:24 -0400

This is a wonderful post. Thanks for sharing your story about the dog – this is a powerful image about sin and our choices to approach or avoid it.

In reply to - Jeff posted an update When God warned Cain, “Sin is lurking at your door” (Genesis 4:7), I remember being a small boy afraid of dogs tied to a post outside our gate. The dog would bark loudly and try to scare […]

Noel posted an update: This session continued drawing connections between Genesis […]

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:33:50 -0400

This session continued drawing connections between Genesis 1 and other writing of the Old / First Testament. Two points that stood out for me:

First, the session began with a consideration of the meanings of Hebrew word ‘ruakh’, which can variously mean breath, wind, or spirit. The instructor described the commonality among these meanings, of…

Noel posted a new activity comment

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 17:42:38 -0400

Thank-you for this post. I have long struggled with Leviticus, finding the lengthy descriptions of sacrifices and rules for clean and unclean as challenging. Your post points to the meaning behind those details.

In reply to - Shawnta posted an update

What stood out to me while reading Leviticus was how intentional God was about everything. At first, all the laws, sacrifices, offerings, and instructions felt like a lot, but I started […]

Noel posted a new activity comment

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 17:39:23 -0400

Welcome to OBI! I am also an ‘experienced’ user myself!😀 I hope you enjoy the courses and the site-wide activity feed – it is a great community.

In reply to - Jerry BRUCE posted an update

Today I’ve completed the introductory course. It showed me how ‘experienced’ I am.(i.e. old) Course work here will be a lot different than anything I have done before. Scheduling […]

Noel posted an update: This session continued from the previous, considering […]

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 17:36:43 -0400

This session continued from the previous, considering the three elements of imagery of disorder in Genesis 1 – tohu va-vohu (wild and waste, or formless and empty), darkness, and deep abyss. In this session, the instructor considers these imageries in Jeremiah (which is prophecy before and after the destruction of Jerusalem). In Jeremiah 4:23,…

Noel posted an update: This session focused on Genesis 1, considering various […]

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:53:38 -0400

This session focused on Genesis 1, considering various ways of thinking about ‘creation’. I drew two main points from this.

First, the instructor highlighted the Hebrew word ‘reshit’ as commonly translated as ‘beginning’. However, it is not always the same meaning as we (at least I) think of beginning. In Jeremiah 1, it refers to the…

Noel posted an update: This session considered ancient Babylonian cosmology, […]

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:43:44 -0400

This session considered ancient Babylonian cosmology, as described in a text called the Enuma Elish. This story describes a water being, Tiamut, who took the form of a giant sea dragon. The Babylonian pantheon was led by Marduk, who engages in a violent battle resulting in Tiamut bursting into the waters above and the waters below. The…

Noel posted an update: This session began with a focus on Genesis 1:1-2, with […]

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:43:48 -0400

This session began with a focus on Genesis 1:1-2, with an in-depth focus on some of the Hebrew words – the rhyming of “tohu va-vohu” (translated as “wild and waste” by the instructor, or “without form and void” in ESV); the similar root words of “tohu” and “tehom” (which are more similar in Hebrew letters than English; deep abyss connected to…

Noel posted a new activity comment

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:39:04 -0400

@lerataraphaelmokoteli Thank you, Lerata. Your words of how this reframes our pastoral task are a wonderful reminder and inspiration.

In reply to - Noel posted an update

This session focused on the creation of light in Genesis 1:3-5. The class prompts us to consider what the emphasis on “light” should be – is it about the material being created […]

Noel posted a new activity comment

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:45:44 -0400

Great post, Maria! The contrast between Saul and David carries a lot of wisdom.

In reply to - Maria posted an update

“Tried and Failed?”

A chapter answering the question “what if I tried to follow God on something and then failed?”

It lists multiple people from the Bible who did just that who then became […]

Noel posted an update: This session focused on the creation of light in […]

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:42:13 -0400

This session focused on the creation of light in Genesis 1:3-5. The class prompts us to consider what the emphasis on “light” should be – is it about the material being created (photons) or about the meaning / purpose of light? The answer becomes evident (if not immediately) that it is the latter, and the light being called “day” denotes…

Noel posted an update: This first module, and the associated preface and […]

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 17:40:19 -0400

This first module, and the associated preface and first chapter of the book (by the instructor of this course) focused on Hebrew and Greek words that are translated into English as lord, Lord, and/or LORD. The Hebrew word “adon” can refer to either people of power or influence (e.g., patriarchs, Moses, foreign kings), or it can refer to God…

Noel posted an update: This session was the first of Module 2, which […]

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:08:35 -0400

This session was the first of Module 2, which begins focusing on Genesis 1. The session described the Hebrew words used in the account of creation, especially ‘erats (earth or land) and raqia’ (blue dome above the land, beyond which are the “waters above”). The consideration of the raqia’ holding back the waters above led to an…

Noel posted an update: This short session began by stating two obvious, but […]

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:13:58 -0400

This short session began by stating two obvious, but often forgotten, facts about the Bible. First, it is an ancient text. Second, any communication can only convey meaning in a particular language and historical / cultural context. These seem obvious, but I don’t think we should rush by them. When we read something now that is 50 to 100…

Noel posted a new activity comment

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:10:46 -0400

Very good post. Your note about the divine guidance of Moses during this first half of Exodus as a reminder to lean on God is a great message. Thank you!

In reply to - Pieter posted an update

The lesson covered Exodus 1 – 18, and the things that stuck in my mind was how Moses, despite receiving the finest education that Egypt had to offer the adopted son of Pharaoh’s […]

Noel posted a new activity comment

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:07:43 -0400

Very well said, R. C.! The complex interweaving of subplots into this overarching narrative is indeed divinely inspired.

In reply to - R.C. posted an update

Design patterns serve as the foundational method biblical authors use to unify the vast array of stories throughout Scripture. Each pattern develops a core theme that weaves through […]

Noel posted an update: This session showed a somewhat short (15-20 […]

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:06:16 -0400

This session showed a somewhat short (15-20 minutes) continuation of the previous, focused mostly on student questions. One response I found interesting was this: Our language has limitations. The language of the Biblical authors has limitations. Most of us read translations of Scripture, and all translations have limitations. However, we…

Noel posted a new activity comment

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 17:50:40 -0400

@keithlinden Hi Keith, Thanks for your comment. The term “chronological snobbery” comes from C.S. Lewis and was mention in session 2 of this course. We live in a time that benefits from thousands of years of technological advancement beyond the Biblical authors’ times, so we have a better understanding of the physical nature of the… Read more

In reply to - Noel posted an update

Noel posted a new activity comment

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:54:43 -0400

Great post! The practice of deliberately under-describing details allows the Biblical stories and characters to have relevance for readers across time and cultures – as you wrote, “it forces us to participate”. It is so fun to catch glimpses of the divine genius behind the Bible.

In reply to - Leah posted an update

This session on Characterization & Setting higlights that Biblical narravite tells stories of people with minimal details often, so that we will fill in, so that we take our time and […]

Noel posted a new activity comment

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:48:58 -0400

Very good post! This course is wonderful in teaching us to read slowly, contemplating the meanings (plural) of the words of scripture. As you mentioned, habits of ritual can lead us into the trap of superficial rather than deeper understanding.

In reply to - Lerata Mokoteli posted an update

Bringing all the pieces together, Dr. Mackie demonstrates that the Bible is a collection of texts penned by different authors from vastly different backgrounds, contexts, and […]

Noel posted an update: This third session picked up on the meanings […]

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:44:55 -0400

This third session picked up on the meanings of “heaven(s)” and “earth” as God’s space and human’s space. Dr. Mackie drew an amazing visual image – of these two circles coming together and overlapping in Jesus – then citing New Testament scripture stating exactly this image. Once again, I am amazed at the new depth of understanding…

Noel posted a new activity comment

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 21:55:58 -0400

Very good post, R.C.! You made great points. I agree that we can gain much by reading the Bible in different ways, and understanding the ways of reading taught in this course allows us to experience a new way of receiving the message.

In reply to - R.C. posted an update

The message of biblical texts is deeply connected to their literary form, with form itself being an integral part of the message. Like biblical poetry, biblical narrative is carefully […]

Noel posted a new activity comment

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 21:52:54 -0400

Congratulations Kevin!! I think that the more we learn through these courses, the more we love to learn more. Yes, OBI is a blessing.

In reply to - Kevin posted an update

Just finished up my 1st class for the Associates program and I’m so excited to continue on. Thank God for OBI. 😇

Noel posted an update: In this session, Dr. Mackie read several passages of […]

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 21:49:01 -0400

In this session, Dr. Mackie read several passages of Hebrew Bible scripture in which the words “heaven” or “heavens”, “earth”, and “water” or “waters” were used. In each passage, there seems to be a different interpretation or meaning to these words. For example, the “heavens” might refer to the physical sky above us (e.g., Psalm 24:1-2),…

Noel posted an update: In this first session, Dr. Mackie began by sharing […]

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 14:58:27 -0400

In this first session, Dr. Mackie began by sharing his childhood fascination with space. He showed several images, moving from a view of earth from space, the solar system, the milky way galaxy, then the Hubble deep field image showing hundreds of galaxies in a minuscule area of space where it seems nothing exists. The students in the…

Noel posted a new activity comment

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 19:30:21 -0400

When we learn to appreciate the artistry of the Old Testament, it becomes more and more evident that God is the lead author.

In reply to - Leah posted an update

For me, this session about repetition in Hebrew poetry answers the question I’ve always had but never really articulated – WHY was the Old Testament written in poetic form? I’ve never […]

Noel posted an update: The final session of this class on the Hebrew […]

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 19:28:16 -0400

The final session of this class on the Hebrew Bible describes how the overarching photomosaic of the Old Testament creates a silhouette of Christ. The Gospels of the New Testament then ‘turn up the lights’ to allow us to clearly see Jesus as the silhouette created by the Hebrew Bible.

About half of the time of this session involved the…