THE HORNS OF PRIDE AND HUMILITY
The Old Testament contains several references to horns of the altar on which sacrifices are burned. The images in these scriptures are of people hanging onto the horns of altars while flesh and fat are consumed by fire.

STUDY TIP: See Tabernacles, Temples, Altars, High Places and Pilgrimages for more about altars.

This imagery of flesh and fat being consumed by fire on altars strongly suggests resistance to heart change. While there may be an evolving desire to amend their religious beliefs, that desire is offset by the desire to hold onto religious pride and the other rewards of being religious. This is the imagery of holding onto the horns of the altar where the altar symbolizes a heart that agonizes over sacrificing the known benefits of their religious beliefs for the unknown benefits of hearing God’s spoken voice.

Psalm 75:4-5  tells us that horns refer to pride and boasting. This same verse also cautions against lifting the horn up on high which is another reference to pride which lifts religious people up in their own eyes and in the eyes of others.

Psalm 22:21 says that the horns/pride of others cause trouble. We observe the truth of this scripture when we observe exceedingly prideful people use their horns/pride to hurt others.

Just as religion lifts up prideful hearts, God lifts up the hearts/horns of people who successfully sacrifice their religious pride. We see this principle in scriptures in this link. We also see it in scriptures that say God exalts the humble and humbles those who exalt themselves.

The horns of people who humble themselves are exalted. The people who lift up their horns of pride are the ones whom God humbles. This tells us that horns are actually symbolic terms for hearts — clean and pure or evil and impure.