26 And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,

27 And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward.

28 And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end.

29 And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold.

30 And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount.

Yesterday we heard how the rear corners would have couplings to help hold the separate walls together as one. There would need to be greater support however, as thus far all 48 boards are freestanding one next to the other, with nothing to stop them tipping over and falling.

Today’s verses address that by describing how rings would be put in the boards, through which long bars would be inserted. Five bars would be run through for each side, holding each wall together as one. Thus fifteen bars in all, to support three different walls.

Verse 28 mentions that the central bar would reach from one end to another, presumably meaning that it would run the full length of the wall. It is unclear whether the other bars would also run the full length of their walls, but it seems like that would be the most sturdy design.

With this we reach the end of the description for the exterior walls of the tabernacle, and in verse 30 we are once again told that Moses was shown the design of it all in the mountain, in addition to receiving the written description. The combination of both word and picture is a very powerful combination. Words are able to be much more technical and precise, detailing exact measurements and dimensions, but it is easy to get lost in the words and lose all context of what any of them mean. An image, on the other hand, may lack the specific measurements, but it provides an abiding context that puts all of the words in their proper place. The two methods of instruction combined create the greatest understanding.

Note: It can be difficult to visualize some of the structures described in these verses. Here is an excellent and extremely focused series of animations that show the visual form of the temple and its instruments, built up verse-by-verse from the Exodus record: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpjohncRg94EZ55nJrbaKfi-lfeo3MFgl&si=6wm1J9Sdnu7LKYC_