The Lord’s restraint in expunging sins of the saints doesn’t extend to unrepentant sinners.
In this chapter (1 Chron 10), the foolishness of Rehoboam is on full display. Solomon anticipated this day when he wrote of the grief caused by leaving his wealth to someone who might be foolish. “Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool?… This also is vanity” (Eccl 2:18-19). The transfer of power from Solomon to Rehoboam occasioned an opportunity to appeal to the new king to show some fiscal restraint, lessening the tax burden. And some think the Bible isn’t relevant! They selected as their spokesman “Jeroboam the son of Nebat” (2 Chron 10:2) who had been hiding in Egypt because of the threat he had posed to Solomon. Nevertheless, an appeal was made to the king in which they asked him to “lighten the burdensome service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you” (v 4). The elders who were Solomon’s advisors agreed, but the young king’s contemporaries wrote him a dynamite speech—and it blew the kingdom to pieces! “Whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!” (v 11). But he never got the chance. The ten northern tribes defected to Jeroboam and became the kingdom of Israel, leaving only Judah and Benjamin to Rehoboam. Clearly it was the action of sinful and foolish men, but God allowed it to accomplish His predetermined plan, “for the turn of events was from God, that the Lord might fulfill His word” (v 15). Are you disturbed by the wicked deeds of men? Do not say God causes such things, but know He can sovereignly turn them all to our good.