No, not the characters from Mad Magazine that I read when I was a kid. I’m thinking of two sets of spies: the twelve that Moses sent out in Numbers 13 and the two that Joshua sent out in Joshua 2.

Moses’ 12 brought back a physical report:

And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. (Numbers 13.27 – 28, ESV)

A physical report: big fruit, big enemies. The result was that the people “elected” not to go into the land.

Joshua sent out just two spies:

And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. (Joshua 2.1, ESV)

Unlike Moses’ 12 spies who brought back a physical report, these two actually talked to Rahab and brought back a psychological report:

Before the spies were down for the night, the woman came up to them on the roof and said, “I know that GOD has given you the land. We’re all afraid. Everyone in the country feels hopeless. We heard how GOD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt, and what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you put under a holy curse and destroyed. We heard it and our hearts sank. We all had the wind knocked out of us. And all because of you, you and GOD, your God, God of the heavens above and God of the earth below. (Joshua 2.8 – 11, MSG)

And that’s the report the men brought back;

The men headed back. They came down out of the hills, crossed the river, and returned to Joshua son of Nun and reported all their experiences. They told Joshua, “Yes! GOD has given the whole country to us. Everybody there is in a state of panic because of us.” (Joshua 2.23 – 24, MSG)

Looks can be deceiving. Moses’ spies saw only the outside of the “giants.” They didn’t see the inside – that the giants were afraid.

Back to our story of Richard Kagel, the atheist our pastor encouraged to pray. I would have seen an atheist. Why bother to talk to him? Pastor Dave saw a man in great need and encouraged him to pray to the God Richard didn’t believe existed. (If you missed that story, please check it out.)

[Abraham] did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. (Romans 4.20 – 21, NKJV)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…By an act of faith, Rahab, the Jericho harlot, welcomed the spies and escaped the destruction that came on those who refused to trust God. (Hebrews 11.1, NKJV…31, MSG)