King James Bible
"And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no."
Moses commands Israel to actively recall their entire wilderness journey, emphasizing God's direct guidance throughout the forty-year period. This remembrance serves as the foundation for understanding God's purposes in their extended desert sojourn rather than immediate entry into the Promised Land. The wilderness experience had dual divine purposes: humbling Israel by revealing their dependence on God through trials like hunger and thirst, and testing their faithfulness when stripped of comfort. These hardships were not punitive but formative, designed to shape their character before entering Canaan. God's testing aimed to reveal Israel's true spiritual condition—whether their obedience was genuine or superficial. Though omniscient, God allowed circumstances to expose their hearts' contents, making their loyalty or rebellion evident to themselves and future generations.