I think the answers to those questions lie in Ch2 V2: “Quran, as a revealed message, will only serve as a guide for the Muttaqeen (those who are conscious of God).” This is because everyone else wouldn’t embrace the message holistically to allow it to have a meaningful and drastic impact in their life.
So, to me, Chapter 1 demonstrates the attributes of a person who has figuratively awoken from sleep, suddenly becoming conscious of God (Muttaqi). These 6 verses could be considered as universal truths of a spiritual awakening, regardless of the faith one subscribes to. They immediately grab the attention of the reader, and go onto demonstrate Islam in a nutshell.