The spies Joshua sent to Jericho had a very different focus than those Moses had sent 38 years before. Joshua's spies were to assess the morale and fighting spirit of the fortress Jericho that sat astride the route from the Jordan valley up to the saddle of Benjamin. Similarly, God stopped the flow of the Jordan so that Israel could cross dry shod. This served to assure the Israelites that God was indeed on their side and would help them to prevail.