Knots for tying ropes to beams?

I have a "2 by 4" wood beam and a rope. I want to tie the rope to the beam so that the rope comes in from the West, fastens to the (NS) beam, then continues on to the East. The rope is pulled taut from both sides and then I want the beam not to be able to move E or W. I'm willing to pre-drill holes in the beam. What knots to use? Also, I want to tie the ends of the rope to other fixed beams in such a way I can adjust the length of the rope so I get that tension from both the E and W. What knot to use?