Yes — the Ark of the Covenant was the visible sign of God's presence that led Israel across the flooded Jordan River.
In Joshua 3, God commands the priests to carry the Ark before the people, and the waters are cut off when the priests' feet touch the river. Les Feldick teaches that the Ark was the indication of God's presence and that it contained the tables of the Ten Commandments, manna, and Aaron's rod, with the mercy seat above it.
Joshua 3:1-17 — This entire passage recounts Israel's crossing of the Jordan with the Ark going before them, which directly answers the question.
In Joshua 3, the LORD directs Joshua to have the priests carry the Ark ahead of Israel. The people are told, "When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it" (Joshua 3:3). They are also commanded to keep a space of about two thousand cubits from it, "that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore" (Joshua 3:4). The Ark is called "the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth" and it "passeth over before you into Jordan" (Joshua 3:11). The crossing happens when the priests carrying the Ark step into the water. Scripture says, "as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off" (Joshua 3:13). The record says the waters from above "stood and rose up upon an heap," those toward the Salt Sea "failed, and were cut off," and the priests "stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan" while all Israel crossed over on dry ground (Joshua 3:16-17). The Ark was not simply a box — it was the covenant-visible presence of the LORD leading His people into the land.
In the supplied clips, Les focuses on the Ark's design and meaning. He explains that the Ark was a rectangular box of acacia wood overlaid with gold, and that the Hebrew word for "ark" is the same word translated "coffin" in Genesis — it was simply a box (Clip 4). Behind the tabernacle veil, this box contained the tables of the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod that budded, and a sample of manna, with the golden mercy seat above it (Clips 2-3). Les says that in Israel's early experience, the Ark "was the very indication of the presence of God" (Clip 1). For the crossing itself, Les sets the scene: Israel has come out of the wilderness through Moab and is camped on the east side of the Jordan. It's springtime, the river is at flood stage, and at that time it could be a mile, two, or even three miles wide (Clip 0). With the Ark representing God's presence and bearing the law, manna, and the priestly rod, its place at the front of Israel at the Jordan is consistent with Les's emphasis that God Himself was leading His people into the Promised Land.
Les explains that Israel came in from the east side of the Jordan River after the wilderness experience through Moab. Jericho sat just off the northern tip of the Dead Sea, and the river was at spring flood stage. Les says it could have been a mile, two, or even three miles wide, even though ordinarily the Jordan was a relatively small river.
Joshua commanded the people to leave their places and go after the Ark when they saw the priests the Levites bearing it. They were to keep about two thousand cubits between themselves and the Ark, so that they would know the way they were to go, because they had not passed that way before (Joshua 3:3-4).
Les says the Ark was a rectangular box of wood covered with gold. Behind the veil it contained the tables of the Ten Commandments, a sample of manna, and Aaron's rod that budded. Above the box was the mercy seat made of pure beaten gold. Les also notes that the Hebrew word for ark is the same word translated "coffin" in Genesis, so it was simply a rectangular box.
Les sets the scene of a flooded river that Israel faced in spring. Scripture then records that when the priests carrying the Ark stepped into the water, the waters coming down from above stood in a heap and the waters toward the Salt Sea failed and were cut off. The priests carrying the Ark stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan until all Israel crossed over (Joshua 3:13-17).
Jordan Crossing Scene
Les sets the stage for Joshua 3, showing Israel on the east side of a spring-flooded Jordan that could be miles wide, making the Ark-led crossing even more dramatic.
Ark as God's Presence
Les teaches that in Israel's early history, the Ark of the Covenant was the very indication of the presence of God.
Contents of the Ark
Les explains that the Ark contained the tables of the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod that budded, and a sample of manna, with a pure golden mercy seat above it.
Ark as Gold-Overlaid Box
Les describes the Ark as a hollow little box made of wood covered with pure gold, and asks what was inside it.
Hebrew Word for Ark
Les clarifies that the Hebrew word translated 'ark' is also translated 'coffin' and simply means a rectangular box, which applies to both the ark of bulrushes and the Ark of the Covenant.
Why Israel Failed to Enter the Promised Land (Exodus 23 & Deut 1)
Here was the brazen altar on which, of course, they made their sacrifices. But here was the very ark of the covenant, the mercy seat wherein the high priest would come once a year and sprinkle. Now, it's interesting that as God gives instruction for all this, He begins with this piece of furniture, not this one. He begins with this one.
What Saves You? Head Knowledge vs. Heart Belief
And the nations were angry, thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thou shouldst give reward unto thy servants, the prophets, the saints, and them that fear the name, small and great, and shouldst destroy them who destroy the earth. Now verse 19, and the temple of God was opened, where? In heaven.
Why Did Israel Reject God? Romans 10:18-21 Explained
And every step of the way God moves in again miraculously, brings them down to Mount Sinai, the fire and the thunder on the mountain. In fact they�ve discovered that some of the rocks up there on Mount Sinai over in Jordan indeed was burned with a fire unlike any other rock formation on earth. So this isn�t just a legend from Scripture, this is pretty well scientifically proven.
Joshua 3:3: And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.
This verse shows that the Ark was the visible object leading Israel into the Jordan.
Joshua 3:4: Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.
The Ark guided Israel along a way they had never traveled, and the distance was to keep them reverent.
Joshua 3:11: Behold, the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.
God identifies the Ark as connected to the LORD of all the earth as it moves before Israel.
Joshua 3:13: And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.
The miracle of the crossing is directly tied to the priests carrying the Ark stepping into the water.
Joshua 3:17: And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.
The priests stood in the riverbed with the Ark while the whole nation crossed on dry ground.
Joshua 3:4 says the space was commanded "that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore." The Ark was leading, but the people were to keep a reverent distance and not come near it.
Les Feldick teaches that the Ark was "the very indication of the presence of God" in Israel's early experience. It was the gold-covered box containing the law, manna, and Aaron's rod, with the mercy seat above it.
When the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the Ark rested in the water, the waters coming down from above were cut off and stood on a heap, and the waters going toward the Salt Sea failed. The priests stood on dry ground in the middle of the river until all Israel crossed over (Joshua 3:13-17).
Watch the Teaching: Crossing the Jordan on Dry Ground — What Most People Miss