The children of Israel, during the time of the judges, fell away from following God and reverencing His Word. Judges 21:25 gives the sad commentary: “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” The context includes that there was no king in Israel. Hence, the Israelites justified that they could do as they please. However, God designed spiritual leadership to help us please Him.
If we do as we please, we will do what seems subjectively right to us, but the question is whether it is objectively right with the Bible. Left to ourselves, people tend to do according to their wants and their conveniences. In this model, both behavior and doctrine degenerate over time. We need spiritual accountability to help us stay on track.
Nehemiah stands as a shining example. For twenty years he governed Judah on behalf of the Persian Empire. Nehemiah led the southern tribes to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, restore Biblical worship, and to remind them of Scriptural separation. The people needed his help. Submitting to spiritual leadership, the people of God thrived because they didn’t do what was right in their eyes; they did what was right in the sight of God.