Testimony in Time

Chapter 33 in the book of Numbers is written in the form of a travel log. It describes 42 places that the people of Israel camped in as they wandered through the desert. Within each place, it gives a description of the events that occurred there. The commentators wonder why there is a need to reiterate in such depth the events of the past as they are on the steps of Moab, about to enter into the promised land. One suggestion is that reviewing these 42 places allows the future reader to learn about the lived experience of the Israelite journey through the desert. And without that roadmap, how would we today accurately share the journey that the people had been on?