rebellion. Moreover, the obedience must be total, not partial; the wilderness community began by doing everything the LORD commanded (2:34). Sadly, it was a commitment not sustained. Obedience is the validating sign of authentic Christian discipleship. It is impossible to exaggerate its importance in the message of Jesus. He not only taught it but exemplified it.22 Even Jesus, we are told, ‘learned obedience’,23 not simply by accepting the inevitable limitations of an incarnate life24 but throughout