Evaluating the king's reign reveals a clear gap between basic obedience and complete dedication. Fundamentally, the king behaved correctly and did what was right before God, maintaining a proper standard of conduct.
At the same time, his actions lacked a whole heart. He never made an effort to push beyond the strict, fixed boundaries of what was required of him. Because his commitment was incomplete, the deeper problems that already existed in the kingdom remained firmly in place, left completely unaddressed and uncorrected.