Solomon's theology on death

More confusing theology from Solomon today, particularly as it relates to death and the afterlife. The Bible is known as "progressive revelation" meaning that God has revealed His plan gradually, building the New Testament on the foundations laid in the Old. The concept of resurrection was uncommon during Solomon's time, though the Jews of the first Temple period did believe that the souls of the righteous and unrighteous went to a place called Sheol which was a place of oblivion...kind of a "soul sleep". This is reflected in Solomon's thoughts about death in verse 9:3-4...

"It seems so tragic that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. That is why people are not more careful to be good. Instead they choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway".

There is an awful lot in that statement that we know to be untrue, thanks to the continued revelation of New Testament theology. Everyone doesn't suffer the same fate, it doesn't matter whether or not people are "good", we do have hope, and there is more ahead than just death. This is a great example of what has always bothered me about Ecclesiastes. It isn't Christian theology and sounds so WRONG. But this is not God speaking. These are the words of the Teacher, and he was a man limited by his humanity, his time in history, his culture, and his own warped take on life, skewed by bad choices. While there is some good wisdom in Solomon's writings, even in Ecclesiastes, it must be read with it's flawed human author in mind.

tomorrow's reading: Ecc. 11:7-12:14, 1Kings 12:1-33, 2Chron. 10:1-19, 11:5-17