Was there anything actually wrong with the advice Jethro gave Moses?
The counsel itself had nothing basically wrong with it: Jethro advised Moses to teach ordinances, select able men who feared God, men of truth who hated covetousness, and appoint rulers over thousands, hundreds, and fifties. It sounded logical and true, but the record shows God was out of the picture and it was merely fleshly advice.
Les explains that Jethro said, “Hearken now to my voice, I will give thee counsel,” and added “God be with thee,” but the chapter never says “and the Lord said.” The Lord is out of the picture completely; this is strictly a man speaking in the energy of the flesh, even though it sounds very logical. There is nothing all that basically wrong with Jethro’s advice. He tells Moses to teach ordinances and laws, show the people the way to walk and the work to do, and provide able men who fear God, men of truth who hate covetousness, setting them as rulers of thousands, hundreds, and fifties. Les notes it sounds good and nothing is wrong with it. Israel already had organization when they came out of Egypt with their armies, not as rabble, but a relatively good tribal system. Yet everything Jethro says just rings true and sounds good, and verse 24 says Moses harkened to his father-in-law and did all he said, picking out men. Les calls him a pagan Midianite priest, while noting he hopes he is not wrong.
Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: