Moses must have felt he was getting nowhere a lot of the time. First of all, he's leading around a crowd of complaining people. They don't like the food; they don't have any water. And when they're not complaining, they're arguing among themselves all the time. Moses has a full time job just judging their disputes.
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law came, bringing Moses' wife and his two sons, to where the Israelites were camped. He was so delighted to hear of how God rescued Israel that he offered a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God on the spot. The next day, as he watched Moses serving as judge for the people, he was not so delighted by what he saw happening. The people brought all their problems to Moses and the time that he should have been devoting to God and leading God's people, was consumed with petty problems. They were never going to get anywhere at that rate.
When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws.”
Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” - Ex. 18:13-23 NIV
God never intended for Moses to be the center of the universe for the Israelites. That was God's place. Moses was to hear from God for all of the Israelites and teach them what he heard. God had placed other capable men in the midst who could settle the petty disputes. Men who could lead groups of ten, fifty or even hundreds and thousands. That was the only way this unruly multitude was every going to get anywhere.
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