Musar על שבת 63:5

In view of this, some people may be tempted to ask why were the brothers not rewarded for advancing G–d's plans instead of the ten Torah scholars becoming martyrs for a crime that had gone unpunished for so long? Neither the brothers, nor any other players on the stage of history were under compulsion to advance G–d's plans in that manner. Positive developments accrued from sinful actions, but the perpetrators can certainly not be given credit for these developments. Our sages have long formulated a principle: מגלגלין זכות על ידי זכאי וחובה על ידי חייב (Shabbat 32a). Loosely translated this means that innocent people are employed as instruments for (recognizable) positive developments, whereas guilty people are employed as the instruments for (apparently) negative developments. This whole principle needs to be elaborated on, but here is not the place for such a discussion.