V.29 The word for curse in Hebrew is alah and the word for oath is shvuah.  Both of these words can mean an oath or a curse.  Double emphasis is often used in Hebrew. 

However, in swearing an oath to walk in God's Law, the Jews also accepted the resulting curse that Yahweh would bring upon them should they break their vow. 

In maintaining their oath they would be blessed and in breaking their oath they would be cursed. This arrangement was entirely in keeping with Yahweh's format outlined in Deut 28.

10:30 Inter marriage had been a problem in Ezra 9, with a list of those who sinned in that manner being given in Ezra 10. Now we find, some years later, the Levites signing up to a covenant. A stark contrast from the list of names of those who had sinned in Ezra 10

10:29, The ‘curse’ that the people entered into was like the agreement that they made to Moses – Deut 29:12 – when they agreed that the blessing would flow if they were faithful and the curses would follow if they were disobedient.

10:31 In this agreement that Nehemiah is seeking to involve the people he is thinking about what might be necessary and covering that eventuality before it happens – like trading on the Sabbath – So Nehemiah was proactive in his planning the service of the people. He did not just react to situations as they arose. Likewise, where appropriate, we should try to plan rather than just let things happen.

10:28 The listing of people here is comprehensive and is designed to teach that it is not possible to be both associated with the people of the land and with God. - Matt 6:24

10:32  Having set things in order in the ‘ecclesia’ Nehemiah now thinks to the future. The thirds of a shekel as an ongoing annual donation was not a lot. However it was designed to guarantee the continuance of that which had been established. Do we think about the future of the ecclesia in our giving – not just money but time also. Hall maintenance days would fall into the category of giving for future benefit – planning for the future.

Neh 10:28 - separated themselves from the neighboring peoples just as believers today are to seaprate themselves from the ways of the world (1John 2:15;James 4:4;John 17:14;John 15:19).

Neh 10:28-29 - those who had knowledge and understanding were considered responsible and bound with a curse and an oath to walk in God's law; the curse (Deut 27:11-26); the oath (Deut 29:10-14).

Neh 10:33,37 - bread set out on the table, "wine" [Heb. "tiyrosh" (8492) means "wine, fresh or new wine, freshly pressed wine" (Mark 2:18-22)], burnt offerings, sin offerings to make atonement, "oil" [Heb. "yitshar" (3323) means "oil (as producing light); figuratively anointing: anointed, oil"] - this reminds me of Christ's offered body and blood of the new covenant and the Jesus as an anointed light in a world of darkness.

Neh 10:34-36 - the wood to be put on the altar perhaps reminds us of Christ's sacrifice on the cross; the firstfruits (1Cor 15:20-23) and firstborn to the house of our God perhaps reminds of Christ also.

2:4 Remember we saw in chapter 1 that the message is primarily directed against Israel in the North. One can imagine the glee of the Northern kingdom on hearing these words!

2:5 The sending of a fire upon the palaces speaks of the overthrow of Jerusalem and Judah by the Babylonians. Prophesied of by Jeremiah. Jeremiah 17:27 And earlier by two contemporary prophets. Hosea 8:14 Amos 2:5

2:6 However the glee would be short-lived as the prophet turns his attention to the Northern kingdom.

Vs.1-3 Yahweh pronounced punishment upon Moab, having already punished the Amorites and the Egyptians (vs.9,10) also mentioned in this chapter. 

But Yahweh also pronounced punishment upon His own people: Judah (vs.4,5); and Israel (v.6) -which punishment was realized subsequently, as a matter of record.  

Gods of the surrounding nations (or rather those speaking in the name of these gods) always pronounced curses and destruction on their enemies, but never punishment upon their own people. 

This marks the difference between Yahweh, the living God who has an active relationship with His people, and the false, inert gods of the surrounding nations.  

There is an interesting divergence of translating in Amos 2:13. The AV says that God is pressed down like a heavily laden cart, but the NIV, and the commentary by Bro Fred Pearce says that it should read “God will press you down.” In other words, it’s not God Who is depressed, but Israel who will be punished.

2:8 It would seem that Israel made pledges to the false gods that they worshipped. Amos tells them that those pledges will not benefit them but that they will end up having to use the things that they have pledged to the false gods to cove themselves because the false gods will not be able to deliver them.

"They sell the righteous for silver" (v6) is what Joseph's brothers did to him. The condemnation here is obviously not directed at the slave trade in general, or else the verse would say "They sell a person for silver". This suggests that it is specifically referring to the type of trade Joseph's brothers made, which was a convenient way of getting rid of anyone who would "tell tales" on them, or remind them that God was displeased with their behaviour (see Gen 37:2).

2:4 I suppose that Judah would not have thought that she ‘despised’ the law of God. However as Mal 1:6 shows showing God dishonour is the same as despising Him.

2:6 The way in which the wicked made merchandise of the poor is a theme which the prophet returns to – Amos 8:6 –later in his prophecy. Both the letter and the spirit of the law was being violated.

4:1 'The spirit speaketh' - either Paul has had a message from God or his is commenting on the fact that the spirit has already spoken in the earlier writings. We know that the Old and New testaments contain prophecies about the latter days / times.
The warning of Paul is that in these times 'some shall depart from the faith'. This is the major issue. Whether we, or they, experienced the last days is not as important of ensuring that we are aware of the dangers of 'falling away'.
AD 70 was a 'last days' in the experience of the brethren and sisters in the first century.

5:1 - 3 Demonstrates that even spirit appointed bishops had to treat brethren and sisters in ways which acknowledged their position. They were not to 'lord it' over their brethren 1 Peter 5:3.

Chapters 2 - 6 emphasise 'Godliness' 2:10 3:16 4:7 6:3 5 6 which is closely intermeshed with the 'doctrine' we noticed in May.

5:13-15 Notice the progression of ideas and contrasts that the Apostle Paul presents to Timothy.

:13 There are people wandering from house to house
:14 The younger women should guide the house.
:15 Some had turned aside to Satan.

4:9-10 The 'faithful saying' is quoted from 1 Corinthians 4:12.

5:22 The laying on of hands here is not speaking of the giving of the Holy Spirit. Rather Paul is counselling Timothy about appointing brethren to positions in the ecclesia such as Bishop or Deacon. It is a way of associating Timothy with the work of the one being appointed. An example of this sort of laying on of hands is seen in Acts 13:3

4:12 There are a number of indications in Paul's letter to Timothy that he found it difficult to exercise his responsibility. Here, it seems, that his youth was used as an excuse for not heeding Timothy's message

5:4 The 'piety' that the widow was to show is not some sort of religious aura. Rather it is the 'godliness' spoken of in 1Tim 4:7

4:1,3,13 Spiritual rot had already crept into the ecclesia (2Thess 2:7).  Paul was concerned that this spiritual decay would continue in subsequent years, especially after he was no longer around (Acts 20:29,30). 

Indeed, the Gnostics made their presence known in the first century, and expanded their influence in the second century.  They promoted such restrictions as abstinence from certain foods.  These were later adopted by the Catholic Church, and some are still present today. 

Paul was concerned that sound doctrine, teaching and exhortation be preserved.  He urged Timothy to take care of this.  The foundation for these things would come from the reading of scriptures.  The same is true today.

4:12  Timothy was to be an example of the believers’ not an example to the believers’. This might seem to be a trivial point. However it is not. Brethren should look at Timothy and decide to emulate his life style. He was not to stand as an example that he would command them to follow. The behaviour of Timothy was not so that he could shame or command others to follow him. He was to live the way he lived to show forth God’s praise.

5:12 Those who ‘cast off their first love’ fall into the trap that Jesus spoke of – Rev 2:4 – when he wrote to the ecclesia at Ephesus which is where Timothy was when this letter was written to.

3:6 ‘not a novice’ highlights an important principle. No matter how capable a brother is in a matter he is unqualified to take an high profile position in the ecclesia early in his life in Christ. For example just because a brother is a good organiser is not a sufficient reason to place him in an organisational position. The organisational skills have to be blended with Scriptural understanding. The latter only comes with time. One thing that should be learnt as one develops spiritually is humility –hence the one who is not a novice is less likely to be lifted up in pride.

5:8   The ‘infidel’ <571>  in fact is one without faith Matt 17:17, an unbeliever 1Cor 7:14. This is because the ‘unbeliever’ actually does take care of his own family.

4:6 In calling Tim to ‘put the brethren in remembrance’ Paul is again explaining the reason why he had sent Timothy to Ephesus – 1Tim 1:3

4:11 Timothy had been left in Ephesus to ‘set in order’ – 1Tim 1:3 – the things in the church. Now Paul lays out specifically what Timothy should teach.