One of the tensions in Christian theology is that of human free will versus divine sovereignty. When something happens, who is more responsible? God or man? II Chronicles 10 indicates that, in a pivotal moment in Israelite history, God works through human decision-making.
The situation is that King Solomon has died, and his son, Rehoboam, must decide the best way to answer a complaint of the people during the royal succession. They want their workload lessened. His father's advisors counsel Rehoboam to return to the people a soft answer, giving in to them today so that he might strengthen his grip on the throne and secure his reign for the future. Very likely that was the "right answer."
But Rehoboam also polled the young men who had grown up with him. Much less appeasing, they encouraged him to put his foot down (i.e. his boot on the throats of the people) and tell them, "Hard work? You ain't seen nothin' yet!" Rehoboam is more persuaded by the brash, bold words of his friends and takes their advice. In the process, however, he loses ten of his twelve tribes!
Yet consider the quiet observation of verse 15: "So the king did not listen to the people, because it was a turn of affairs brought about by God so that the Lord might fulfill his word, which he had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat." Rehoboam may have thought that he was sitting in the driver's seat with his hands firmly on the wheel, but all the time he was really doing the Lord's bidding. This scripture shows that, at least some of the time, God can work His will through even our political deliberations and decisions.
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