He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD...

The thing about being a king – or a business owner, or a leader of people – is that the perks and prerogatives make it easy to feel like you're doing okay even when you're not. The burdens of leadership are a wildly potent source for rationalizing compromised behavior, as though you're taking on wounds for the sake of your people.

Whatever you're doing is working, and you're feeding families. It's hard for others to risk telling you that your compromises aren't worth the rewards you and they are experiencing. And it's also easy to replace the people who see where you're cheating. 

It's easy to find other kings who are more than happy to join you in cohorts and peer groups, to compare scars and humble brags, and to help you keep your focus on the realities of royalty. 

The truth is, the perks of kingship are immediate, compelling, and soul-numbing, and the day of accountability feels far away, likely graded on a curve, with caveats ... not to mention a "get out of jail free" sort of grace.

And if you're a "girl boss" mom who "has it all," queenship is even more insulating. The thud of your dead body landing in the dust is even more impossible to imagine.

The Bible is way less nuanced in how it summarizes the lives of kings, and it offers summaries for kings in ways it does not offer for priests or peasants. 

"He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD..."

That's it. Summary. Dismissed. No caveats about reputations, civic contributions, juggling burdens, or generously inviting the nanny on vacations. 

An incomplete list of kings of Israel who failed:   

1.     Jeroboam I (1 Kings 14:9) - The first king of Israel after the split from Judah; led the nation into idolatry.
2.    Nadab (1 Kings 15:26) - Continued the sins of Jeroboam.
3.    Baasha (1 Kings 15:34) - Walked in the ways of Jeroboam and led Israel into sin.
4.    Elah (1 Kings 16:13) - Followed the wicked practices of his predecessors.
5.    Zimri (1 Kings 16:19) - Walked in the sins of Jeroboam.
6.    Omri (1 Kings 16:25) - Did more evil than all those before him.
7.    Ahab (1 Kings 16:30) - One of the most notorious; married Jezebel and introduced Baal worship.
8.    Ahaziah (1 Kings 22:52) - Followed in the ways of his father Ahab.
9.    Jehoram (Joram) (2 Kings 3:2-3) - Continued in the idolatry of Jeroboam.
10.   Jehu (2 Kings 10:29-31) - Though he eliminated Baal worship, he continued in the sins of Jeroboam.
11.    Jehoahaz (2 Kings 13:2) - Continued the sins of Jeroboam.
12.   Jehoash (Joash of Israel) (2 Kings 13:10-11) - Followed in the ways of Jeroboam.
13.   Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:24) - Continued the sinful practices of Jeroboam.
14.   Zechariah (2 Kings 15:9) - Walked in the sins of Jeroboam.
15.   Menahem (2 Kings 15:18) - Did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord.
16.   Pekahiah (2 Kings 15:24) - Followed the sins of Jeroboam.
17.   Pekah (2 Kings 15:28) - Continued in the sins of Jeroboam.
18.   Hoshea (2 Kings 17:2) - The last king of Israel before its fall, did evil though not as his predecessors.

And among the kings of Judah:   

1.     Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:22) - Allowed Judah to turn to idolatry.
2.    Abijah (Abijam) (1 Kings 15:3) - Continued in the sins of his father Rehoboam.
3.    Jehoram (2 Kings 8:18) - Followed the ways of the kings of Israel and introduced idolatry in Judah.
4.    Ahaziah (2 Kings 8:27) - Walked in the ways of Ahab’s family.
5.    Athaliah (Queen) (2 Kings 11:1-3) - Encouraged Baal worship; a usurper of the throne.
6.    Ahaz (2 Kings 16:2-4) - Sacrificed his own son and led Judah into idolatry.
7.    Manasseh (2 Kings 21:2-9) - The most wicked king of Judah, introduced abominations & shed innocent blood.
8.    Amon (2 Kings 21:20-22) - Continued the sins of his father Manasseh.

Whatever else they did, and however great their parties or their contributions at YPO, they were not only failures, they were remembered as wicked in the sight of God. This sort of accounting is primarily reserved for the kings, who bear a particular accountability for justice and for demonstrating obedience to God.

This is the accountability business owners have for their companies. Same with heads of households and communities. 

The sins of the wicked kings come down to a few themes:

1.     Passivity and a bias toward comfort.
2.    Undifferentiated selves who followed norms rather than God.
3.    Rejection of God as God, and openness to other gods. 
4.    Usurpation of authority from God toward self-determination.

They didn't have a direct sense of personal accountability with God, which ultimately cost them everything. Not only that, it seems neither God nor the writers of the Bible waste any time with hand-wringing or nuance about the wicked kings. Those kings, as will be the case with so many kings in today's world, were merely discarded. 

There were no kings of Israel commended as having done right in eyes of God. But there were a few from Judah, and here we see the nuance and caveat not only considered but readily absorbed within their benediction.   

1.     David (1 Kings 15:5) - Though imperfect, his heart was fully devoted to God.
2.    Asa (1 Kings 15:11) - Removed idols and restored the worship of God.
3.    Jehoshaphat (1 Kings 22:43) - Continued in the ways of Asa, seeking to follow God.
4.    Joash (Jehoash of Judah) (2 Kings 12:2) - Did right while under the guidance of the priest Jehoiada.
5.    Amaziah (2 Kings 14:3) - Followed God, though not as wholeheartedly as David.
6.    Uzziah (Azariah) (2 Kings 15:3) - Did right but allowed high places of worship to remain.
7.    Jotham (2 Kings 15:34) - Followed God, though the high places were not removed.
8.    Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:3-7) - Trusted God fully, removed idols, and reformed Judah’s worship practices.
9.    Josiah (2 Kings 22:2) - Instituted major religious reforms, rediscovered the Book of the Law, and sought to lead Judah back to God.

These kings recognized God, submitted themselves to Him (imperfectly), pursued Him with their authority in the context of their leadership, and worked against norms and through discomfort as they obeyed. Little has changed. God still demands His place, defines the selves of His followers, and calls us into the Kingdom's heavy work of redemption and reconciliation. 

If leadership is light, you're probably not doing it right.

You are A king, not THE king, and you will one day be remembered based on how you engaged the work your king assigned you. 

This is absolutely a Bible topic, and a Holy Spirit topic, but it is almost assuredly not a church topic. If you belong to the Lord, you are already seated in heavenly places, are already meant to be seen as a target of His affection, and are already given work to do here because of that identity in heavenly places. That's what we mean by vision – your heavenly identity lived out here on purpose, in awareness that your life is meant to be spent for your King. Our job is to help you get clear about what that looks like, and then to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.