God chooses Abraham through whom to send the Messiah. Abraham is a man of faith who God promises to make into a great nation and through whom all nations will be blessed. Key figures like Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Melchizedek prefigure aspects of Christ. The book of Genesis establishes major themes of the Bible - creation, the fall of man, God's plan for salvation, and his choosing of Israel as the people through whom the Messiah will come.