Napoleon Bonaparte was a military genius. Deborah was not. In 1799, following a plan of battle almost identical to Deborah’s, Napoleon with 4,000 men defeated a Turkish army of approximately 35,000. Napoleon had two men killed and 60 wounded. The Turkish army had 6,000 killed, and 500 captured. Before the battle, Napoleon referenced Deborah’s victory as he planned his deployment. Most of Napoleon’s men were on foot, and the Turkish army was largely made up of Calvary.

In both battles, men on foot had the high ground of Mt Tabor. The 900 Canaanite chariots and the Turkish Calvary were caught on the plains between Kishon River, and the men on the high ground. Napoleon was able to secretly slip half of his men in behind the Turks, and those conditions alone were enough to give Napoleon the victory. That was not an option for Deborah and her general Barak. Chariots on the plain would have destroyed any element attempting to encircle them and take them from behind. Under identical conditions the element of surprise gave Napoleon the victory, but the Israelites were going to lose.

However, the conditions did not stay identical for long. A flash flood caused the Kison River to overflow its banks, and turned the plains to mud. The chariots were lost in the mud, the Canaanites routed, and Israel won a tremendous victory.

Napoleon won because he was a military genius, but why did the Israelites win? Israel won because they were led by a woman who listened to God and obeyed him. She told them to arm themselves and prepare for war. Even though the men of Israel knew beyond a doubt they couldn’t defeat the Canaanite’s 900 chariots, they obeyed her and prepared to die trying. Nonbelievers would tell you that she was lucky. After all, if the rain had not come when it did, they would’ve lost. However, nonbelievers are foolish. Believers see God at work when skepticism sees only coincidence. Faithful obedience is required to reveal the hidden hands of God.