Rephidim

At Rephidim, God specifically commanded Moses to strike the rock with his staff to bring forth water. This was different from the later incident at Kadesh where Moses was told to speak to the rock but struck it instead, which resulted in consequences for his leadership.

Moses' raised hands represented intercession and dependence on God for victory. When his hands were up, Israel prevailed; when they dropped from fatigue, Amalek gained the advantage. This demonstrated that victory came from God's power, not merely human strength, requiring both prayer and action.