The service and worship of YAHVEH; an institutionalized system of religious beliefs and practices. The Israelites’ service and worship of YAHVEH had become institutionalized by the time Yeshua lived. Yeshua Himself criticized several of its practices for having a show of piety but lacking true heart-felt adoration of YAHVEH. The institutionalization of the Christian faith occurred in many churches long after the time of the apostles. Hence, it is not discussed in the New Testament.

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUE RELIGION?

TRUE RELIGION IS NEVER SELFISH.
“They gave him seventy silver coins from the temple of Baal-berith, which he used to hire some soldiers who agreed to follow him.” (Judges 9:4) Politics played a major part in pagan religions such as the worship of Baal-berith. Governments often went so far as to hire temple prostitutes to bring in additional money. In many cases a religious system was set up and supported by the government so the offerings could fund community projects. Religion became a profit-making business. In Israel’s religion, this was strictly forbidden. YAHVEH’s system of religion was designed to come from an attitude of the heart, not from calculated plans and business opportunities. It was also designed to serve people and help those in need, not to oppress the needy. Is your faith genuine and sincere or is it based on convenience, comfort and availability?

TRUE RELIGION COMES FROM THE HEART.
“And so Adonai says, ‘these people say they are mine. They honour Me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. And their worship of Me amounts to nothing more than human laws learned by rote.’” (Isaiah 29:13) The people claimed to be close to YAHVEH, but they were disobedient and merely went through the motions; therefore, YAHVEH would bring judgment upon them. Religion had become routine instead of real. Yeshua quoted Isaiah’s condemnation of Israel’s hypocrisy when He spoke to the Pharisees, the religious leaders of His day (Matthew 15:7-9; Mark 7:6-7). We are all capable of hypocrisy. Often we slip into routine patterns when we worship and we neglect to give YAHVEH our love and devotion. If we want to be called YAHVEH’s people, we must be obedient and worship Him honestly and sincerely.

TRUE RELIGION BEARS SPIRITUAL FRUIT.
“In the morning, as Yeshua was returning to Jerusalem, He was hungry and He noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs on it, but there were only leaves. Then He said to it, ‘May you never bear fruit again!’ And immediately the fig tree withered up”. (Matthew 21:18-19) Why did Yeshua curse the fig tree? This was not a thoughtless, angry act, but an acted-out parable. Yeshua was showing His anger at religion without substance. Just as the fig tree looked good from a distance but was found fruitless on close examination, so the temple looked impressive at first glance, but its sacrifices and other activities were hollow because they were not done to worship YAHVEH sincerely (see 21:43). If you only appear to have faith without putting it to work in your life, you are like the fig tree that withered and died because it bore no fruit. Genuine faith means bearing fruit for YAHVEH’s Kingdom.

TRUE RELIGION FOCUSES ON HAMASHIACH.
“Don’t let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world, and not from HaMashiach”. (Colossians 2:8) Paul writes against any philosophy of life based only on human ideas and experiences. Paul himself was a gifted philosopher, so he is not condemning philosophy. He is condemning teaching that credits humanity, not HaMashiach, with being the answer to life’s problems. That approach becomes a false religion. There are many man-made approaches to life’s problems that totally disregard YAHVEH. To resist heresy you must use your mind, keep your eyes on HaMashiach and study YAHVEH’s Word.

TRADITION

Respect for tradition was particularly strong among Jews during the period at the beginning of the Christian era. Among their traditions, the most important collection was Pirke Aboth (Traditions of the Fathers), comments by famous rabbis in explanation of the written Law. Along with a growing collection of other rabbinic traditions interpreting and explaining the Law, Pirke Aboth became an authoritative commentary on the written code (see the Talmud). In Judaism, this collection was believed to be equal to the written Law. The Pharisees used the expression “tradition of the elders” when speaking to Yeshua about hand washing (Matthew 15:2; Mark 7:5). In His response, Yeshua referred to the “traditions of men,” thus drawing attention to their human origin. In fact, in 7:8, He definitely set the Commandment of YAHVEH over these traditions, which had become a burden to the people. Yeshua strongly criticized the scribes and Pharisees for the way these traditions were enforced (Matthew 23). Yeshua noted that keeping the tradition had become more important than the moral and personal effect of the teaching. Jewish family traditions are strong bonding times-certain activities, certain places, certain togetherness repeated periodically make for strong family bonding. Feast Days and birthday celebrations done a certain way, family dinners with certain customs and the repetition of family outings; these all bring a strong solidarity to family life. So, it is important to create traditions of spiritual significance as well. These times help us remember all that YAHVEH has done for us so that we can continue to be faithful to Him in the future.

ORAL TRADITION
Oral tradition is both sharply distinguished from written tradition and yet closely connected with it. Many literary traditions are based on oral traditions, making it necessary to investigate how transitions were made from one to the other. In the ancient Near East, all significant events were committed to writing by the scribes. At the same time, an oral version of the occurrences would enable the information to be disseminated in contemporary society and perhaps also to subsequent generations. It is important to realize the co-existence of written and oral forms of the same material, so that the way in which material was transmitted will be understood properly. Oral transmission was very important in Judaism and one of the strongest characteristics of rabbinic theology is the importance attached to the oral law in addition to the written Law. This oral law consisted of traditional interpretations that had been handed down from teacher to pupil. In the course of the passing on of the tradition, further explanations of basic principles were added. Rabbinic literature supplies many indications of the careful methods that were used in the schools for the study of the Law. The teacher’s main aim was to ensure that the disciples accurately memorized the content of the teaching. There is no doubt that in rabbinic Judaism the passing on of the oral tradition had developed into a highly organized technique. Such care is not surprising in view of the fact that the oral law carried equal weight with the written Law. It was essential that the transmission of this tradition should not be left to chance. Authorized oral tradition was an essential feature of Jewish life. There is little doubt that in the earliest period the Words and Works of Yeshua were passed on by word of mouth. Whether Yeshua Himself followed the rabbinic teaching method is doubtful, but as much care went into preserving His teachings as the rabbis used in preserving their oral law.

HOW CAN CHRISTIANS USE TRADITIONS TO NURTURE FAITH?

FAMILY TRADITIONS CAN PROMOTE SPIRITUAL VALUES AND LESSONS.
“Announce to the whole community that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice.” (Exodus 12:3) Certain holidays were instituted by YAHVEH Himself. Passover was a holiday designed to celebrate Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and to remind the people of what YAHVEH had done. Holidays can be important today too, as annual reminders of what YAHVEH has done for us. Develop traditions in your family to highlight the religious significance of certain holidays. These serve as reminders to the older people and learning experiences for the younger ones.

TRADITIONS CAN BE EFFECTIVE EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH, BUT ONLY WHEN THERE IS REAL FAITH BEHIND THEM.
“I tell you this that many Gentiles will come from all over the world and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. But many Israelites; those for whom the Kingdom was prepared; will be cast into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:11-12) Yeshua told the crowd that many religious Jews who should be in the Kingdom would be excluded because of their lack of faith. Entrenched in their religious traditions, they could not accept HaMashiach and His new message. We must be careful not to become so set in our religious habits that we expect YAHVEH to work only in specified ways. Don’t limit YAHVEH by your mindset and lack of faith.

MINDLESS PERFORMANCE OF TRADITIONS HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH REAL FAITH.
“I tell you this that many Gentiles will come from all over the world and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. But many Israelites; those for whom the Kingdom was prepared; will be cast into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:11-12) Rituals did not earn any reward for Abraham; he had been blessed long before the circumcision ceremony was introduced. Abraham found favour with YAHVEH by faith alone, before he was circumcised. Genesis 12:1-4 tells of YAHVEH’s call to Abraham when he was seventy-five years old; the circumcision ceremony was introduced when he was ninety-nine (Genesis 17:1-14). Ceremonies and rituals serve as reminders of our faith and they instruct new and younger believers. But we should not think that they give us any special merit before YAHVEH. They are outward signs and seals that demonstrate inward belief and trust. The focus of our faith should be on HaMashiach and His saving actions, not on our own actions.

WHY ARE TRADITIONS IMPORTANT?
Exodus 12:14: “You must remember this day forever. Each year you will celebrate it as a special festival to Adonai.” YAHVEH endorses traditions, especially those that have spiritual significance. Traditions promote togetherness and help us remember all that YAHVEH has done for us. The greatest inheritance you can provide for succeeding generations is a tradition that reminds them frequently of YAHVEH’s blessings and warnings. Joel 1:3: “Tell your children about it in the years to come. Pass the awful story down from generation to generation.” Joel tells of a horrible plague of locusts that had come to destroy the land. It is a sign of coming judgment at the hands of the Assyrians and Chaldeans. Joel tells his people to pass this awful story down from generation to generation, a tradition of sorts, to remind them to obey YAHVEH and thus avoid His judgment.

WHEN WONDERFUL THINGS HAPPEN, HOW CAN I PASS THEM ON TO MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN?
Esther 9:28: “These days would be remembered and kept from generation to generation and celebrated by every family.” YAHVEH had done wonderful things for the Jewish people through Esther, things so wonderful that they must not be forgotten for generations to come. Make it an annual tradition to share past blessings.

ARE THERE DANGERS TO LOOK OUT FOR REGARDING TRADITIONS?
Deuteronomy 18:9: “When you arrive in the land Adonai your YAHVEH is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there.” 2 Kings 17:33: “They continued to follow the religious customs of the nations from which they came.” Worldly traditions may look charming or interesting, but be careful. In accepting the traditions, you may also be accepting ungodly thoughts and practices. Matthew 15:2: “‘Why do your disciples disobey our age-old traditions?’ they demanded. ‘They ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.’ Religious leaders complained that Yeshua’s disciples were not keeping one of their traditions. They were so locked in to the tradition that they had lost the spiritual meaning and therefore criticized Yeshua and His followers. When we allow our traditions to take our focus off HaMashiach we may be in danger of staying away from Him. Romans 4:11-12: “The circumcision ceremony was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had... declared him to be righteous; even before he was circumcised.” Don’t allow traditions or rituals to take your focus off HaMashiach.