Exodus 36:31-38: a reflection

31He made bars of acacia wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 32and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the hinder part westward. 33He made the middle bar to pass through in the middle of the boards from the one end to the other. 34He overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold as places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold. 35He made the veil of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. He made it the work of a skillful workman. 36He made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold. He cast four sockets of silver for them. 37He made a screen for the door of the tent, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of an embroiderer; 38and the five pillars of it with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals and their fillets with gold, and their five sockets were of bronze.

In the making of the tabernacle, a middle bar was made to pass through the boards from one end to the other, binding the whole structure together into one, a picture of what holds a whole together into a single strong unity. He made the middle bar to pass through in the middle of the boards from the one end to the other, the account says. The tabernacle was made of many separate boards; but they were not meant to stand as scattered, disconnected pieces. A middle bar ran through the whole length, passing through all the boards, binding them together into one connected, stable structure. What might have been many separate boards became, through the bar that ran through them, a single unified whole. This shows the value of what runs through and binds a whole together into one. Something must run through and bind the many into one strong whole. What holds a whole together into unity gives it strength and stability. Scattered pieces become one through what runs through and connects them. A body or community needs what binds it together into one.

Notice the function of the middle bar. The tabernacle was built of many boards, which alone would have been just so many separate, disconnected pieces, unstable and unable to stand as one. But a middle bar was made to run through the whole length of the boards, from one end to the other, passing through them all and binding them together. This bar was what made the many boards into one connected, stable structure; through it, the scattered pieces became a single, unified whole, strong and standing together. This holds a picture worth pondering. Any whole made of many parts, a body, a community, a people, a family, needs something that runs through it and binds the many parts together into one; without it, the parts remain scattered and disconnected, unable to stand as a strong unity. What binds a whole together into one gives it strength and stability; the parts held together are far stronger than the same parts scattered. This is true of the people of God: we are not meant to be many disconnected pieces, but to be bound together into one body. And Scripture tells us what binds us together: love, and Christ himself, in whom the whole body is joined and held together. As the middle bar bound the boards into one, so love and our common life in Christ bind God's people into one strong whole. We do well to value and cultivate what binds us together into one, love and our common life in Christ, rather than remaining scattered and disconnected. Value what binds a whole together into one, giving it strength. Do not remain a scattered, disconnected piece; be bound with others into one. For God's people, love and our life in Christ bind us into one strong whole. Cultivate what unites, rather than what leaves the parts scattered.

That is worth taking to heart, for a whole is bound together into one strong unity by what runs through it, as the middle bar bound the tabernacle boards into one. We can remain scattered, disconnected pieces; but the boards were bound into one strong structure by the bar that ran through them. Be bound together. Do not remain a scattered, disconnected piece; value and cultivate what binds God's people together into one, love and our common life in Christ. Value and cultivate what binds a whole together into one strong unity, love and our common life in Christ, rather than remaining a scattered, disconnected piece, as in the making of the tabernacle a middle bar was made to pass through the boards from one end to the other, binding the whole structure together into one, a picture of what holds a whole together into a single strong unity, since the middle bar ran through the middle of the boards from one end to the other; for the tabernacle was made of many separate boards not meant to stand as scattered, disconnected pieces, and a middle bar ran through the whole length passing through all the boards and binding them together into one connected, stable structure, so that what might have been many separate boards became through the bar a single unified whole, which holds a picture worth pondering, that any whole made of many parts, a body, community, people, or family, needs something that runs through it and binds the many parts into one, without which the parts remain scattered and disconnected and unable to stand as a strong unity, what binds a whole together giving it strength and stability, the parts held together being far stronger than the same parts scattered, which is true of the people of God, who are not meant to be many disconnected pieces but bound together into one body, and Scripture tells us what binds us together, love and Christ himself in whom the whole body is joined and held, so that as the middle bar bound the boards into one so love and our common life in Christ bind God's people into one strong whole, and we do well to value and cultivate what binds us together into one.

Lord, in the making of the tabernacle, a middle bar was made to pass through the boards from one end to the other, binding the whole structure together into one, a picture of what holds a whole together into a single strong unity. He made the middle bar to pass through in the middle of the boards from the one end to the other, the account says. The tabernacle was made of many separate boards; but they were not meant to stand as scattered, disconnected pieces. A middle bar ran through the whole length, passing through all the boards, binding them together into one connected, stable structure. What might have been many separate boards became, through the bar that ran through them, a single unified whole. Show me the function of the middle bar. The tabernacle was built of many boards, which alone would have been just so many separate, disconnected pieces, unstable and unable to stand as one. But a middle bar was made to run through the whole length of the boards, passing through them all and binding them together. This bar was what made the many boards into one connected, stable structure; through it, the scattered pieces became a single, unified whole. This holds a picture worth pondering. Any whole made of many parts, a body, a community, a people, a family, needs something that runs through it and binds the many parts together into one; without it, the parts remain scattered and disconnected. What binds a whole together into one gives it strength and stability. This is true of your people: we are not meant to be many disconnected pieces, but bound together into one body. And your word tells me what binds us: love, and Christ himself, in whom the whole body is joined and held together. As the middle bar bound the boards into one, so love and our common life in Christ bind your people into one strong whole. Take that to my heart. Keep me from remaining a scattered, disconnected piece; help me value and cultivate what binds your people together into one, Lord, love and our common life in Christ, that we may be bound together into one strong whole rather than scattered, and that I may cultivate what unites rather than what leaves us apart.