Moses sent 12 men to scout out the land of Canaan that God was giving them. One man was sent from each celestial tribe to bring back intelligence. The scouts (or spies) were instructed to see what the land was like, determine if the people strong or weak, or if they were few or many. Moses wanted to know what kind of towns the people lived in; if the borders were fortified or not, if the soil was fertile or poor, etc. 

Ten of the spies came back with incredible reports of having seen giants and other false stories. But two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, would not go along with the tales of the ten; and honored God with truth. God punished the ten men with 40 years of wandering in the wilderness; while rewarding Joshua and Caleb by allowing them to enter into the land of promise.

This biblical story reminds us of a more recent experience had by African American slave, James Armistead Lafayette, who served as a double agent in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. His truth and dedication to God and country brought his freedom and the right to enter the land of promise: America.