Book Summary
John Flavel, a 17th-century Puritan minister, penned A Practical Treatise of Fear in 1682, a work born out of a tumultuous time marked by religious persecution and personal trials. This treatise, grounded in biblical texts like Isaiah 8:12-14 and Isaiah 35:4, explores the multifaceted nature of fear and offers believers a roadmap to conquer it through faith. Flavel’s central thesis is that understanding and embracing a proper fear of God can liberate Christians from the paralyzing grip of sinful fears.
Structure and Themes
Flavel organizes his book with characteristic Puritan precision, breaking it into sections that systematically address fear’s dimensions:
- Types of Fear:
- Natural Fear: A God-given instinct for self-preservation, like recoiling from danger.
- Sinful Fear: Rooted in unbelief or overattachment to worldly concerns, such as fear of man or loss.
- Religious Fear: A reverent awe of God, which Flavel champions as the antidote to all lesser fears.
- Uses of Fear: Flavel argues that God employs even sinful fear for divine purposes—restraining evil, disciplining the rebellious, or stirring consciences—while godly fear aligns the heart with His will.
- Causes of Sinful Fear: These range from spiritual failings (e.g., ignorance of Scripture, unrepented guilt) to physical or mental conditions (e.g., “distempered bodies”). Flavel’s acknowledgment of physiological factors reflects a nuanced understanding rare for his era.
- Effects of Sinful Fear: It disrupts worship, weakens faith, and can lead to desperate acts. Flavel likens it to “sinking a ship to avoid pirates”—a vivid picture of self-destructive panic.
- Remedies for Sinful Fear: Flavel prescribes practical steps: meditating on God’s promises, trusting His sovereign care, and letting fear of Him outweigh fear of earthly threats. He calls this a “fight fire with fire” strategy—replacing toxic fears with a transformative reverence for God.
- Objections to Courageous Faith: The book closes by tackling doubts, such as fears of persecution or divine neglect, reassuring readers that Christ steadies trembling hearts.
Key Insights
Flavel’s work shines for its balance of theology and practicality. He doesn’t dismiss fear as mere weakness but dissects it with pastoral sensitivity, offering hope rooted in God’s unchanging nature.
A Practical Guide on Fear
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Free Book Preview (In Modern English)
"Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
And he shall be for a sanctuary."
- Isaiah 8:12-14.
Chapter #1: Introduction: The Nature of Fear and God's Sovereign Remedy
In this section, the text and context are explained, the teachings are presented, and the overall approach is outlined.
There is as much variety in people's inner attitudes and dispositions as there is in their outward appearances. Some people are as timid as rabbits and get scared at every noise or bark of a dog. Others are as brave as lions and can face dangers without shaking. Some people fear more than they should, some fear too early, and others fear when they shouldn't at all. The worldly person fears people, not God; the strong Christian fears God, not people; the weak Christian fears people too much and God too little.
There is a type of fear that comes from sin, arising from guilt, and pushing the soul into more guilt; and there is a type of fear that comes from grace, arising from our love for God and His interests, and leading the soul to God through duty. The less fear a person has, the more happiness they experience, unless it is the kind of fear that is our happiness and excellence.
No person can be described like Leviathan in Job 41:33, as being made without fear. Even those with the most courage still have some fears. When the Church is going through persecution and is almost overwhelmed, even the bravest people may struggle just as much with their inner fears as with the external storm. This happens because they either don't fully believe or don't remember in time that the Lord, who controls the entire ocean and commands all the winds, is on board the ship to guide and protect it during the storm.
A clear example of this is given to us in this context, where you find the best people trembling in expectation of the worst events both for the Church in general and for themselves in particular. Their hearts were moved like the trees of the forest shaken by the wind (Isa. 7:2).
And indeed, if their dangers were judged by what they could see, their fears were not greater than the situation warranted. In fact, their dangers seemed even worse than their fears. They faced an invasion by a foreign and cruel enemy, the Assyrians, who were about to break in like a flood and overflow the land of Immanuel (Isa. 8:7). "The Lord is bringing upon them the mighty and many waters of the river, even the King of Assyria and all his glory. He will rise over all his channels and go over all his banks." Just as verse 7 compares the enemy to waters that quickly flood the land they enter, verse 8 explains how far they would succeed and how close it would come to a complete and total ruin. "He will pass through Judah, he will overflow and go over, he will reach even to the neck, and the spreading out of his wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel." The whole land would be underwater, except for the capital city, which would remain above water.
After describing the power and success of the invading enemy, in verses 9 and 10, he mocks their plans and alliances. He assures them that although God, for just and holy reasons, would allow them to afflict his people for a time, eventually all their plans and cruelties would backfire on them, leading to their own ruin and confusion.
And because of this, Isaiah is told to encourage the weak and trembling hearts of those who feared God during those chaotic and scary times (Isa. 8:11-13). "The Lord spoke to me with a strong hand and instructed me not to follow the way of this people, saying, 'Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy...'"
God speaking to the Prophet with a strong hand means the powerful and intense impression made on his heart by the Spirit of Prophecy. It's like the Lord placed His hand on him, similar to how someone might do when about to share a special secret in a friendly way, saying, "Come here, Isaiah," (drawing him close with a friendly hand) "pay close attention to what I'm about to tell you for both yourself and my chosen people who follow you. Don't say 'a conspiracy' to everything this people calls a conspiracy." In other words, don't let these frightening news affect you like they do Ahaz and the common people with him, who are so scared by the coming dangers that all their plans, thoughts, and efforts are focused on preventing it by making an alliance or league with the Assyrians. Or, if that's not possible, then with some foreign power that might protect them against the Assyrians. But they aren't looking to me for protection and deliverance; they expect more from Egypt than from Heaven, from a broken reed rather than from the rock of ages. "Fear not their fear." Their fear drives them away from God to rely on others; it first confuses them and then traps them.
But on the other hand, make sure that you and all the faithful people around you honor me in your hearts and make me your fear and dread. In other words, trust in me with faith during this time of trouble, and make sure you give me the glory for my wisdom, power, and faithfulness by fully relying on these attributes of mine, which are committed to you through many proven promises. Do not resort to sinful and pointless actions like those who have no connection with me or experience of me. This is the main point and purpose of the text; where more specifically, you have,
1. An evil practice forbidden.
2. An effective remedy prescribed.
3. A singular encouragement to apply the remedy.
1. An evil practice forbidden: "Fear not their fear, neither be afraid" (Isa. 8:12). This is the sinful tendency that made them likely to do what others did, like making alliances. Sinful fears can easily lead even the best people to make wrong choices and take dishonest shortcuts to protect themselves.
Their fear can be understood in two ways:
1. Subjectively.
2. Effectively.
[1.] Subjectively, it's the same fear that the non-believing Jews felt: a fear that trapped them in spiritual bondage; a fear that comes from sin, is sinful by nature, leads them to commit more sins, and is a rightful punishment from God for their other sins.
[2.] Practically, don't let your fear cause harmful effects like their fear does. Don't let it make you forget God, exaggerate the importance of people, or prefer your own ideas and plans over the Almighty power and perfect faithfulness of God. If you ask, "But how can we avoid this?"
2. Next, you have an effective remedy prescribed: "But sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and let him be your fear and your dread." The fear of God will overcome the fear of man. A respectful awe and reverence for God will eliminate the fearful anxiety of people, just like sunlight puts out a fire or one fire draws out another. In the same way, this fear of God will remove that fear of man.
By honoring the Lord of Hosts, we mean giving proper credit to His supreme power, wisdom, and faithfulness. This isn't just about saying it out loud or acknowledging it publicly, but more importantly, it's about trusting Him completely, surrendering to Him, and depending entirely on Him. These are the best ways a creature can show respect to its God and give Him the greatest glory. They are also the most beneficial and comforting actions we can take for our own peace and safety during dangerous times.
If a person truly looks to God in a time of trouble and fear, as the Lord of Hosts, meaning the one who controls all creatures and their actions, and at whose command all the armies of Heaven and Earth are, and then can trust in the care and love of this God, like a child in danger who confidently relies on the care and protection of their Father: Oh, what peace and rest must naturally follow from this! Who would be afraid to walk through the middle of armed troops and regiments, knowing that the General of that army is their own Father? The more this childlike fear of God takes hold in your hearts, the less you will fear the power of any creature. When the Dictator ruled in Rome, all other officers stopped; and in a similar way, all other fears will greatly diminish when the fear of God is the Dictator in your heart. This is the remedy.
3. To help us apply this remedy during the worst and most challenging times, we have a special encouragement. If we honor the Lord of Hosts by acknowledging Him and trusting Him like a child in times of danger, then He will be our Sanctuary. This means He will protect, defend, and provide for us in the worst situations. The Lord will create a cloud and smoke by day and a shining flaming fire by night over every home in Mount Zion and her gatherings. This will be a defense over all the glory, and there will be a shelter for shade during the day from the heat, and a place of refuge and cover from the storm and rain. Let the winds roar, the rain beat, and the lightning flash; you are safe and have a good roof over your heads. From this, these two points of doctrine present themselves.
Doctrine #1: Even the best people can easily be overwhelmed by intense fears during times of great trouble and danger.
Doctrine #2: The fear of God is the most effective way to get rid of the sinful fear of people and to keep us safe from danger.
These two points cover the main ideas and focus of the text. However, since I plan to discuss the types, nature, uses, causes, effects, and remedies of fear in the following chapters, I won't go into detail about them here. Instead, I will address them in this order in the upcoming chapters.
Chapter 2: The Threefold Nature of Fear
Where the types and nature of fear are explained, especially the overwhelming and oppressive fear of other people or things.
Section 1
There are three types of fear found in people, namely:
1. Natural
2. Sinful
3. Religious
1. Natural fear is something everyone experiences because it's a part of our shared human nature, and no one is exempt from it.
Natural fear is the worry or disturbance of the mind when we sense that something bad or dangerous is coming.
The Greek word for fear comes from a verb that means "to flee." This isn't always sinful, but it always results from sin. Ever since sin entered our nature, we can't get rid of fear. As soon as Adam sinned, he was afraid and ran away, hiding among the trees in the Garden (Gen. 3:8). After he broke the covenant, he immediately feared the curse being carried out. First, he ate, then he hid. This troubling emotion has been passed down from him to all his descendants.
Our Lord Jesus Christ chose to experience this natural fear during his time on earth. He was afraid and deeply troubled (Mark 14:33). Even though his human nature was completely free from sin, he came in the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom. 8:3).
This fear causes a lot of trouble and disturbance in the mind (1 John 4:18). "Fear has torment"; the greater the danger, the greater the fear, and the greater the fear, the more trouble and distraction in the mind. If the fear is extremely great, reason is pushed aside and can't guide us any further. As the Psalmist talks about sailors in a storm, "they are at their wits' end" (Psalm 107:27), or as it says in the margin, "all wisdom is swallowed up." This is what Deuteronomy 28:25 means when it says they will go out against their enemies one way and flee before them seven ways. This means the fear and confusion will be so great that they will try one way, then another, trying every way but not liking any. Fear betrays the support of reason so much that their plans are always uncertain and confused. The usual response of someone in this state is, "I don't know what to do, I don't know which way to turn."
Evil is what we fear, and the bigger the evil, the stronger the fear will be. That's why the fears of a guilty and scared conscience are the worst fears, because in that situation, a person is dealing with a great and terrifying God and is frightened by the thought of His infinite and eternal anger. No evil is or can be greater than this. You can see how intense Christ's struggle with it was when it made Him sweat drops like large clots of blood. Among all temporary evils, death is the greatest, which is why Job calls it the King of terrors (Job 18:14), or the most terrifying of terrors. Thuanus shares two strange examples of the fear of death. One is about a Captain who was so scared of death that he sweated a kind of bloody sweat from all over his body. Another is about a young man condemned for a small offense by Sixtus Quintus, who was so intensely scared of death that he cried bloody tears. These are strange and terrible effects of fear, but they are far less than what Christ felt and suffered, as He faced a much greater evil than the terrors of death—the wrath of an angry God, fully poured out directly on Him.
But evil, as evil, is something we hate more than fear. It has to be an immediate or nearby evil that we can't see a way to escape from that causes fear and wakes this Lion. That's why the Saints in glory are completely free from fear because they are out of danger's reach. Even though we are surrounded by evils here, we don't fear them until we see them coming toward us and can't see a way to avoid them. Hearing about fire, plague, or war in distant places doesn't scare us because the evil is so far away. It's far enough that we're not in danger from it. But when it's in our town, or even more so, in our own homes, we start to tremble. Evil doesn't hurt us just by knowing what it is, but by being close to us; and closeness is a kind of union, as a learned Divine says. It's worth noting that all false security is maintained by imagining evils are far away from us. As noted about those carefree people in (Amos 6:3), they put the evil day far from them. This doesn't mean they actually made the evil any further away in reality, but only in their imagination and fancy. They closed their eyes to it so it wouldn't disturb their happiness. This is why death doesn't scare the living much because it's seen as far away and at an unknown distance. But if the exact time of death were known, especially if it were near, it would greatly scare and terrify.
This is what natural fear is like, the unfortunate part of our nature that we all suffer from: Every creature experiences it to some extent, but none more than humans, who become their own tormentors because of it. No torment is greater than when fear takes a strong hold on us. Not everyone experiences fear to the same degree; some people are naturally brave and strong like a lion, while others are very timid and easily scared like a hare or deer, where even a small dog can make many of them run away. Luther was a man of great courage and calmness in danger, while Melanchthon was very timid and prone to despair. The difference between them is described in one of Luther's letters to him.
"I am almost like a calm observer of things and don't worry about these fierce and threatening Papists. I really don't like those anxious worries that, as you wrote, almost consume you."
There might be just as much grace in one person as in the other, but Melancthon's grace didn't have the benefit of as strong and courageous a body and mind as Luther's did. This is a brief look at natural fear.
Section 2
There is a type of fear that is inherently sinful, not just our misfortune, but our fault; not just a simple affliction and burden, but a great evil and provocation. This is the kind of fear being discouraged here, referred to as "Their Fear." This is the fear that worldly and unbelieving people experience when dangers threaten them. The sinfulness of this fear lies in five aspects.
1. The root cause of fear is unbelief and a lack of trust in God. This happens when we don't rely on the security of God's promises or trust in His protection while doing our duty. This was exactly the situation with the people mentioned in Isaiah 30:15. "For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.' But you were unwilling, and you said, 'No! We will flee upon horses'; therefore you shall flee away; and, 'We will ride upon swift steeds'; therefore your pursuers shall be swift." (Isa. 30:15-16).
Here's the situation: Sennacherib, with a powerful army, was about to attack them, and this made them very afraid. In their distress, God reassures them through the Prophet, saying that by returning and resting, they would be saved; their strength would be in quietness and confidence. This means they shouldn't worry themselves with different plans and schemes to protect themselves under the protection of Egypt or any other ally. Instead, they should have a calm and peaceful mind, relying on God's power through faith and trusting His promises for their safety. This faith would be their salvation and strength, more effective for their protection than armies, fortresses, or any other worldly defense. One act of faith would serve them better than Pharaoh and all his forces could.
But you said no, as if to say, we don't dare trust that; a good horse will help us more in such a time than a good promise. Egypt seems like a better security to them than Heaven. This is the result of deep unbelief. Just as wicked people abandon God and cling to worldly things in times of trouble, even the best people can have a bit of this distrust in God, leading to fear and trouble. This happened to the disciples themselves in Matthew 8:26: "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" A storm hit them at sea, danger started to threaten them, and immediately you find a storm within; their fears were stronger than the winds and needed calming more than the sea did, all because of their unbelief, as Christ tells them. The less their faith, the greater their fear. If a person can rely on God in a promise, to the extent they can believe, they will feel secure. Illyricus, in his Catalogue of the Witnesses, shares this remarkable story of Andreas Proles, a godly, elderly minister who lived a bit before Luther and taught many sound points according to his understanding at the time. He was called to a Synod at Milan, and later in the Lateran, where he opposed a proposal by the Pope about adding a new holiday to the Church. This put him in great danger, and after narrowly escaping from Rome, he bought a bow and weapons. But as he was riding, he began to think that the cause was not his but God's, and it shouldn't be defended with sword and bow. Even if it should, what could such an old man do with weapons? So, he threw away his weapons, committed himself, his cause, and his journey to God, relied on His promises more than on sword or bow, and came home safely, later dying peacefully in his bed.
2. The sinfulness of fear lies in having too much of it, when we fear more than we should. Just like the philosopher says about water, "difficile suis terminis continentur," it's hard to keep fear within limits. Every little thing seems like a big threat, and every small problem scares us. Our fear is bigger than the actual problem deserves. "It is a great sin to love or fear any creature more than we should, as if they controlled all our happiness in life and after." When the people of Israel heard about their enemies joining forces against them, the text says their hearts were shaken like trees in the wind (Isa. 7:2), or as we say, like an aspen leaf. It's sad to see people trembling like trees on a windy day. This happened to the house of David, partly because they remembered past troubles, but mostly because they didn't trust God's protection in their current and future dangers. Even good people often make this mistake, fearing things too much, just like they might love things too much. It's noted that Jacob, though a man of great faith who had many reasons to trust God from past experiences and promises, was still very afraid and distressed when Esau came near (Gen. 32:7). Just before this, God had appeared to him and sent a royal guard of angels to protect him, even two armies of angels (Gen. 32:1-2). Yet, as soon as Esau approached, Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed, despite such an encouraging vision.
3. The sinfulness of our fears lies in how excessive they are. It's bad enough to fear something more than we should, but it's even worse to make it seem more powerful than it really is. When we let our fears give any creature such control over us, as if it had complete and absolute power over us or our happiness, to do whatever it wanted, we are putting that creature in the place of God. This is why it's a very sinful and wrong kind of fear.
Trusting in any person or thing as if it had the power of God to help us, or fearing any person or thing as if it had the power of God to harm us, is extremely sinful and greatly angers God. This excessive trust is criticized and condemned in Isaiah 31:3. The people insisted on going down to Egypt for help and trusted in their horses and horsemen because they believed they were strong enough to protect them from all the dangers the Prophet, speaking from the Lord's own words, had warned them about. To turn them away from this sinful and excessive dependence on people, he tells them in verse 3, "Now the Egyptians are men and not God, and their horses flesh, and not spirit; when the Lord stretches out His hand, both he who helps will fall, and he who is helped will fall down; and they will all fail together."
It's a sinful and dangerous mistake for one person to put the trust and dependence in another person that should only be given to God. It's wrong to see people as if they were gods or horses as if they were spirits. All creatures, even the strongest, are like the hop, the vine, or the ivy. If they wrap around the pole, the wall, or the oak, they can be supported, just like you can be by leaning on God. But if they depend on and get tangled up with each other, like you and the Egyptians do, you will all fail and fall together.
Just as one person tends to trust and rely on another too much and in a sinful way, people also tend to fear and dread each other excessively, as if the person they fear is more like a god than a human, more like a spirit than flesh. This kind of fear elevates the person and puts them in the place of God. This was the sin God rebuked in His people in Isaiah 51:12-13: "I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid of a man who will die, and of the son of man who will be made like grass, and forget the Lord your Maker?" (Isa. 51:12-13). See how fear lifts up people and brings down God. It focuses so much on the harmful power of people that it forgets the saving power of God, as if that means nothing. In this way, a mortal person who will perish like grass overshadows the glory of the great God, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth.
And this was the warning Christ gave to his own disciples in Matthew 10:28: "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28). In other words, be careful never to fear any person, no matter how powerful or angry they may be, as if they have the power to decide your eternal fate. Don't act as if your destiny is in their hands, to be saved or ruined forever. Do not fear someone who can only harm your body as if they could condemn your soul. Do not give any creature the supreme and unique power that belongs only to God.
4. The sinfulness of fear lies in how it distracts people's hearts, making them unsettled and unfit to carry out their responsibilities.
Fear sometimes puts people into such a panic, and their thoughts into such chaos, that at the moment they can hardly find any help or relief from their faith or their reasoning. When fear is overwhelming, both faith and reason, like the gears of a watch wound too tightly, stop and have no movement at all. It's rare to find someone with the strength and steadiness of heart and mind during a fearful time, like Jehoshaphat had (2 Chron. 20:2-3). "Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat saying, there cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea, on this side Syria, and behold they be in Hazazon Tamar which is Engedi, and Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord." He prepared himself, meaning he calmed and focused his heart for prayer during such a frightening and alarming time. But it's rare to find such steadiness and calmness of mind like this. In similar situations, most people react in great panic, as the Prophet describes the condition of the Jews (Isa. 22:2-3) when the city of Jerusalem was besieged and the enemy approached its walls. What was once the joyous city, or as some say, the partying city, is now in such a panic that it is full of chaos and disorder. Some run to the rooftops either to hide, lament, or get a view of the terrifying enemy outside. Others avoid the enemy's sword by dying from fear beforehand; their own fears of disaster killed them before any enemy's sword touched them. But you don't read about anyone running into their rooms to seek the Lord; the city was full of chaos, but not of prayers. Sadly, fear made them cry out to the mountains rather than to God (Isa. 22:5). Even the best people find it hard to keep their thoughts from wandering and their minds from distraction in the calmest times of peace, but it's a thousand times harder during the chaos and panic of fear.
5. The sinfulness of fear is in how it makes people use sinful ways to avoid danger and leads them into temptation. "The fear of man brings a snare" (Prov. 29:25), meaning it sets a trap for them. Satan sets the trap, and fear, like a decoy, drives people right into it. It was fear that led Abraham, a great believer, into the trap of lying, which greatly harmed the reputation of religion. It was quite unusual to see Abimelech, a non-believer, correcting Abraham for this, as he did (Gen. 20:9). God also rebukes His people for the same sin in Isaiah 57:11: "And of whom have you been afraid, or feared, that you have lied, and have not remembered me?" Fear can cause two types of lies: one in words and another in actions. Hypocrisy is a lie in action, a practical lie, and our church history is full of sad examples of lying because of fear. It's Satan's main tool to make his temptations successful with people.
Section 3
There is a holy and commendable fear, a fear that is our treasure, not our torment, the main beauty of the soul, its beauty and perfection, not its misfortune or sin, which is the respectful, child-like fear of God. Natural fear is a simple emotion of the soul. Sinful fear is the disordered and corrupt emotion of the soul. But this is the natural emotion made holy, and thereby changed and transformed into a spiritual grace. This fear is also mentioned in my text and suggested as a remedy against sinful fears; it consumes worldly fears just as Moses' serpent consumed those of the magicians. It's one of the worst judgments to live in fear of man day and night (Deut. 28:65-67), and one of the sweetest blessings to live in the fear of God all day long (Prov. 23:17). The fear of men shortens our days (Job 22:16), but the fear of the Lord extends our days (Prov. 10:27). The fear of the Lord is a source of life (Prov. 14:27), but the fear of man is a source of troubles and miseries. By the fear of the Lord, people turn away from evil (Prov. 16:6), but by the fear of man, people run into evil (Prov. 29:25).
This fear is a gracious habit or principle planted by God in the soul, where the soul is kept under a holy respect for the presence of God. Because of this, the soul is inclined to do what pleases Him and to avoid whatever He forbids and hates.
1. It is placed in the soul as a lasting and fixed habit. It doesn't naturally grow from a person's heart but is supernaturally given and implanted. "I will put my fear into their inward parts" (Jer. 32:40). Fearing people is natural, but fearing God is entirely supernatural.
2. This gracious fear makes the soul aware of God's watchful eye. "My heart stands in awe of your word" (Ps. 119:161). It's considered a disgrace for human servants to only work when being watched, but it's a praise and honor for God's servants to be aware of His presence at all times.
3. This respect for God's presence makes them want to do whatever pleases Him and is commanded by Him. That's why fearing God and doing what is right are connected, as seen in (Acts 10:35). If we truly fear God, we won't dare to ignore His commands. And if our fear of Him is very strong, it will help us obey Him even in tasks that require the greatest self-denial, like in (Genesis 22:12): "Now I know you fear God, because you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."
4. This fear motivates and, to some extent, empowers the soul to avoid anything that displeases God and is forbidden by Him. Job showed himself to be a true fearer of God; he would not touch what God had forbidden. Because of this, he was honored with the excellent character of being someone who "feared God and avoided evil" (Job 1:1).
And that's the explanation of the different types of fear.
