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(author here) I think it’s just as a sanity check to make sure they’re equal :)

Yes, that's why it's called a Balance Sheet because it shows that net assets = equity, meaning it 'balances'.

Accountants often work by reaching the same number in two different ways, effectively performing a parity check. It spurs from double-entry, the foundation on which accounting is built.

The purpose of financial statements is to provide value to the users. It should be assumed that assets equal liabilities and equity. There's value in providing a separate liability total, since it gives a snapshot of the financial position of the company, more so than having to derive that from the total liabilities and equity.