Why the Flashback? (Numbers 7:1-10:10)

Something that may be hard to notice at a casual read, is that the entire section from chapter 7 through the first part of chapter 10 is a flashback. The narrative, in fact, goes back a month to the point where the Tabernacle had been finished. For some reason, instead of talking about these incidents first and then talking about the censuses, we get them told in reverse. It could be that the emphasis here is to cover the logistical instructions first and leave the liturgical and spiritual things last.

So, with the organizational and religious instructions in place, it was now time to march off to take the land.