There comes a time when God's people need to battle, when there is a crisis or a cause which calls for us to mobilize to get things done that need doing, despite the obstacles facing us. At such times, some people will always choose to remain spectators.  Others will function as support personnel, far from the front lines.  But others will engage in the thick of things, feeling themselves called upon to focus their energies and make a difference at such times of transition, opportunity or threat.

In our readings today, we see God mobilizing His people at such times as these, and there are a few lessons for us to learn.

Let's look first at the Haftarah.  Right from the beginning we can see our first lesson: God uses some improbable people.  First there is Deborah the Prophetess, a rarity in Tanach, as a front-line woman leader, and then Barak, the mighty military man who needs propping up, and also there is Ja'el the Kenite.  All three of these people were improbable, but each in turn was crucial to the battle. Deborah was the visionary—she had a divinely charged inner knowledge of what had to be done.  Barak was the functionary—he took care of business and details.  Ja'el was the activist: she took matters into her own hands and did what needed doing. All three kinds of people were needed for God's will to be accomplished, each had a part to play.  And such people needed to work together for things to reach their best conclusion.

We see Deborah and Barak working together here, but it's not pretty.  He is reluctant to go to battle unless Deborah goes with him—he is a warrior, but appears to lack confidence that God will be with him unless Deborah goes too.  So it is that Deborah chides him, telling him that he will therefore lose the glory of final victory, and will have to face the cultural humiliation of a woman delivering the coup de grace instead of him.  And that woman will be Yael the Kenite, an ally of Israel, but not a Jew.

More light is shed on this kind of situation in the poetic reflection on this victory in Chapter 5.  There we find again that progress can be messy: some of the tribes came up to battle, others malingered.  Especially commended, in addition to Deborah, Yael, and Barak, are the leaders of Israel, those who are devoted of or to the people.

So we see here a number of lessons.  First, there is a division of labor, of gifts and calling.  At times of transition, challenge and battle, there will be some who are visionaries, some who are functionaries, some who are activists.  All are needed, and none should despise the other.  There are also the troops—like those nameless people who fought with Barak against Sisera. These kinds of people are just as necessary, even if they are not considered superstars.

From our Torah reading, other lessons may be selected.

The first is the lesson of timing.  God prefers to only lead us into battles, challenges, transitions that we are ready for, even if we don't really feel ready.

Secondly, as for Deborah, Barak and the Children of Israel, so here in our Torah reading, it is God who went with the children of Israel as they left Egypt—in a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. And in the battles, transitions and challenges to which God calls us, He goes before us and with us.

Third, just because God is in the midst, and just because he doesn't lead us into challenges we cannot face, doesn't mean we won't be frightened.

Fourth, there is a time for trustful prayer. . .and there is a time for trustful action: neither is any good without the other.  We must engage in trustful prayer, but that prayer must be accompanied by trustful action.

Finally, we must remember that the challenges he lead us into, the battles we face, the transitions we must handle are not about us—are about the well-being of all of God's people, the advancement of his cause in the earth.  We need to beware of our tendency to be so self-protective and so self-involved that we only invest ourselves in things of direct benefit to ourselves, or things that cause us no risk or inconvenience.

This brings us to our New Covenant reading, Luke 14:25-35.  We notice first of all that there were large crowds following Yeshua.  He does here what Scripture shows him doing elsewhere: he tries to thin out the ranks, to either get people who are following him for the wrong reasons to disengage, or to call them to more appropriate engagement.  So it is that he makes a number of very striking statements.  At times of battle, of transition and of divine opportunity, as in the case of military maneuvers, it is crucial to be fully engaged, fully focused, fully committed.

He says that to follow him we must be prepared to hate father, mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, even life itself.  This is a semiticism which strongly contrasts two sets of priorities: Yeshua and the Kingdom of God on one side, and the strongest of human relationships on the other. In times of battle, transition and divine opportunity, we must be focused on the voice of the Commander and the priorities of the battle, even if it means ignoring the voices of other core relationships.

The second lesson in this passage is that of realistically assessing your resources.  Don't underestimate what it takes to bring things to completion.  The kingdom of God, the purposes of God, the things of God in times of battle, opportunity and transition, demand full investment of all we are and have.  If you are going to be half-hearted or semi-committed, it would be better if you just stayed home.

Finally, is the lesson of character.  What are you made of?  Are you Kingdom stuff?  Are you one of those people who will say "Count me in" when you realize God is up to something because you can't bear the thought of not helping to make it happen and of not being there as God changes things?  Or are you wishy-washy, a dilettante, a mere nibbler at the feast of God's purposes?  We are supposed to be people of salty character, people who taste like the Kingdom of God.