What an ardent God wants for you.

The “eat right and exercise” principle.

There are the many warnings against occult practices (divination, sorcery, witchcraft, mediums, spell casting, omens, and the such). All religious practices for the sake of endowing humans with supernatural abilities is frowned upon.

1 Kings 18:20-40 is one of the strongest examples of God’s disdain for religion and the occult. In brief, it is through the simple act of obedience from God’s representative, Elijah, which He acknowledges by a show of power.

Interestingly, once his prescribed tasks were complete, Elijah feared repercussions for God’s actions. He realized that he did not wield any power himself, but served only as the spokesperson of God.

At face value, and due to the popular english translation of “qanna'” (קַנָּא) as “jealous”, this makes God out to be one who is stingy with His powers. That the relationship He seeks is unidirectional to His satisfaction. But with a relatively earnest reading of the Bible, it becomes clear that “qanna'” (קַנָּא) would be better translated as “ardent”

It is God’s passionate dedication to His creation’s wellbeing that it is also a source of great frustration. The Bible throughout does not promote religion, but a direct relationship with Him without intermediaries or secretive rituals. Although the occult is considered to be false, it is the means by which we attempt to gain these powers that humanity commits the greatest atrocities against each other.

Unique to the Bible is the principle that all supernatural acts come from God and at His discretion. No human can manifest His power or coerce Him into acting without His consent. What few examples where people appear to be wielding extra-human capacities it has always by explicit authorization. These extraordinary exploits also carry no assurance things will turn out well for the executor.

The empirical point to this aside is that there is an insurmountable matter of scale between God and humans. Yet passages including Psalm 50:10-11, Job 38:41, and Matthew 10:29-31 establish His interest in our well being. Therefore, much of what might be considered religious practice may in fact be safety protocols. Leviticus 10:1-3 shows the results of a lapse in protocol, and 2 Samuel 6:6-7 the result of direct contact with an object imbued with significance directly by God.

Myself being a caretaker for several small companion birds is analogous to this relationship. There is an insurmountable difference in scale, capabilities, and awareness between a human and a budgerigar. Even a minor error in judgment on either party's part can have dire results, in particular for the smaller of the two. And even if there is an intellectual understanding between them, the lesser one could never successfully emulate the greater.

The other protocols expected to be followed were not significantly different from those meant to respect any head of state at the time. These requirements were largely pedestrian for the time, but unique in that the sacrifice of human life or the cosmetic alteration of one’s body were discouraged by God. Even the various offering obligations seemed to motivate self reliance and social prioritization by which greater success is always statistically realized. This further supports the narrative of a benevolent creator who sought practical means by which His creation could thrive.