Recent times with David have been rather dismal and bleak. He'd fallen into compromise and sin…then witnessed his family begin to crumble under the load of sin’s consequences. Going from bad to worse, the king must have felt crushed beneath the weight of overwhelming loneliness and guilt.

In times like that, a person needs a friend. Not a preacher or a professional counsellor. Not a physician or an attorney. Just a friend—someone to be near and listen, to reassure and understand. Coming out of the woodwork were several individuals who surrounded the discouraged monarch with support.