GENESIS CHAPTER 20
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Verse 1, Abraham journeyed from where he was when he had spoken
  and communed with Christ in the plains of Mamre (18:1).

  south country = negeb {neh'-gheb} "NEGEV"
    1) south-country, Nekeb, south
       1a) south-country
           1a1) region of southern Judah, boundaries not specific
       1b) south

  Kadesh = "holy"
    1) a city in the extreme south of Judah
       1a) same as 'Kedesh' and 'Kadesh-barnea'

  Shur = "wall"
    1) a place southwest of Palestine on the eastern border or
      within the border of Egypt; the Israelites passed through
      the wilderness of Shur after crossing the Red Sea
     1a) also 'wilderness of Etham'

  Gerar = "a lodging place"
    1) a Philistine town south of Gaza, modern 'Umm'

Verse 2, We see Abraham walking, not by faith, but by sight,
  again as he did when he went down to Egypt and told the same
  story to Pharaoh (12:13).
  Sarah was Abraham's half-sister (see vs. 12).
  So, Abimelech, king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah, thinking
  that she was only Abraham's sister.

Verse 3-7, God warns Abimelech in a dream about touching Sarah,
  for she is Abraham's wife.

  In verse 6 we see the Sovereignty of God even over sin. That
  does not relieve the offender of the guilt of that sin,
  however! NEVER think it so! But the LORD does rule in the
  affairs of men.
  God withheld Abimelech from touching Sarah, and it's not like He
  had to work at it real hard. He also knew the heart of
  Abimelech.
    Pr 21:1  The king's heart [is] in the hand of the LORD, [as]
      the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
  One moment Abimelech's heart was fully set to have Sarah and
  the next it is fully set to give her back to Abraham.

  God's sovereignty:
    Ps 76:10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the
      remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
    Example:
      The crucifixion of Christ! Ac 2:23; 4:27-28
      Joseph put in a pit by his brothers. Gen 50:20
      The king of Assyria coming against the kingdom of Israel.
      Isa 10:5-12.
    Compare: Isa 14:24-27; 46:10-11; Da 4:35
    What about the deeds of Pharaoh?
      Ro 9:17  For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for
        this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might
        shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared
        throughout all the earth. 18  Therefore hath he mercy on
        whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth.


Verse 7, God commands Abimelech to restore Sarah, Abraham's wife,
  to him, for Abraham is His prophet, else Abimelech is a dead man
  and his family.
  Notice, to Abimelech, Abraham might have looked like a
  deceiver, but in Christ, Abraham was a prophet.

Verse 8, Abimelech relates what had happened to his servants and
  they are very much afraid.

Verses 9-13, Abimelech confronts Abraham and Abraham explains why
  he had said what he had said.

  Though Abimelech was a heathen, he recognized that fornication
  was a "great sin."
  As the scripture tells us, those who have not the law are
  without excuse, because their conscience bears witness against
  them for their sins (Ro 2:15).

  Abraham thought that they had no fear of God, and where there
  is no fear of God then men are not restrained.
  Abimelech and his servants did fear, after God revealed himself
  and what He would do.

Verse 14, Abimelech gives to Abraham servants, sheep and oxen,
  and restored Sarah to him.

Verse 15, Abraham is given permission from Abimelech to dwell
  where he wants in his land.

Verse 16, Abimelech relates to Sarah what he has given to
  Abraham. Since now everyone knows that she is the wife of
  Abraham, therefore her husband will be a cover to her, and no
  one will look on her to take her as wife.
  In all this she was reproved for saying that Abraham was her
  brother.

Verses 17-18, Abraham prays unto God and the LORD healed
  Abimelech, and his wife and his maidservants, who had their
  wombs closed that they could not bare children.
  We see that Abimelech already had a wife and maidservants and
  yet wanted Sarah as his wife.
  The fact that they knew that they could not bare children says
  something about the time frame. It doesn't appear that this was
  a one day event.