Come and study the Holy Scriptures with us as Father Stephen DeYoung teaches verse by verse on the podcast,

The Whole Council of God. Father Stephen holds a Ph.D. in biblical studies, and it's an Orthodox

priest serving at Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Chapter 24, now when Balaam saw it was good before the Lord to bless Israel,

he did not go as he was accustomed to do to see he could find omens,

but he turned to set his face toward the desert.

So again, if he was talking to the real God before, why would he stop doing it now?

That interpretation makes no sense.

Sorry, Orthodox study Bible, right?

Clearly he was not.

Clearly he was talking to other spirits.

And at least Balaam has figured out, like, why am I wasting? Clearly he was not. Clearly he was talking to other spirits.

And at least Balaam has figured out, like, why am I wasting my time?

I end up saying what Yahweh wants me to say anyway.

So he uses Elohim through most of this, which could be gods, plural. It could be.

So here, right, he is talking about it.

He's saying it's before the Lord, he's going before Yahweh to bless Israel.

So he says, I'm not going to bother going and consulting, right?

Then Balam raised his eyes and saw Israel and camped according to their tribes,

that the spirit of God came upon him.

Then he took up his parable and said

Balam the son of mayor declares

...