THE VALUE OF CHRISTIAN UPBRINGING
In Daniel chapter one there is a remarkable parallel between the circumstances in which Daniel and his friends found themselves, and those in which we are called to bring up our children today.
It was an alien environment- the society of the Chaldeans could not have been more different to that in which the Hebrew children had been raised. Its worship, values and morals were an abomination to the Jews.
It was, moreover, an antagonistic environment. Babylon was an enemy of Israel, hating all that Israel stood for. It was bent on destruction of the nation and the subjugation of its people. Such is the world in which we live, and the spiritual atmosphere in which we must raise our children.
Note that the focus of the enemy was upon the children.
THE PLAN THAT WAS DEVISED (v3-5).
The king had plans for these Jewish children. Essentially it was to turn them into Babylonians. To this end they were to be 'educated'.
The state college was to be the place where they were to be taught to 
THINK ('the learning'), to
TALK ('the tongue of the Chaldeans'), and the
TASTES or appetites ('a daily provision of the king's meat and wine') of Babylon.
All of which provides a remarkable example of what is happening in the state education system throughout North America and in other places also. There, the philosophy of secular humanism dominates the curriculum and young minds are filled with 'moral' (?) values acceptable to society, but contrary to the Word of God.
THE PRESSURE THAT WAS APPLIED (v10).
All this was to be done when the children were away from parental influence and protection. Parents would be a hindrance to the advancement of the state's purpose which treated these young Israelites as its property. Such ideas have been openly stated by some educationalists in our own society.
The pressure was intensified when they were told, in essence, that failure to comply would mean that they would both disadvantage themselves and displease the king. The clear message was that, if they wanted to get on, be successful and popular, they must conform. Yet in spite of all this, notice:
THE PATHWAY THAT WAS FOLLOWED (v8).
It was the pathway of discernment- he knew right from wrong. He had a knowledge of divine standards by which he measured the values of the culture he found himself in., and thereby recognized what the state offered as 'defiling'.
This path Daniel and his friends pursued with determination. Resisting all the intimidation and pressure, young as they were, they ‘purposed' in their hearts to say 'no' to the corrupting influence of Babylon. It is evident that this principled and courageous course of action was taken, because of their dependenceupon the Lord.