Did Moses follow Jethro's advice?
Yes. Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that Jethro said. He followed the counsel to place able men, who fear God and hate covetousness, over the people as rulers of thousands, hundreds, and fifties, even though the Lord had not spoken in the passage.
Les teaches that Jethro, Moses’ Midianite father-in-law, gave counsel: “Hearken now to my voice... I will give thee counsel... God be with thee.” Jethro told Moses to teach the people ordinances and laws, show them the way to walk and the work to do, and provide able men from all the people—men who fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness—and place them as rulers over thousands, hundreds, and fifties. Les points out that the chapter never says “and the Lord said”; the Lord is out of the picture, and this is strictly a man speaking in the energy of the flesh, even though it sounds logical and rings true. Yet verse 24 says Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he said, and he began to pick out men.
So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
More Questions
Who did Moses listen to despite his close relationship with God?
Moses, though a spiritual man in close relationship with God, listened to Jethro, whom Les calls a pagan Midianite priest.